I Spy Challenge April 2018
I saw this on Cleopatra Loves Books blog and wanted to do it for the same reason as Margaret at Books Please – I love lists as well as books. I tried to stick to fiction on my physical ‘unread’ shelves, and was able to do it in the time provided except for a couple of problem categories which necessitated a second sweep.
The instructions: Find a book on your bookshelves that contains (either on the cover or in the title) an example for each category. You must have a separate book for all 20, get as creative as you want and do it within five minutes!! (or longer if you have way too many books on way too many overcrowded shelves!)
1. Food
American Pie by Michael Lee West
I was attracted to this by its title, since I love theme reading and I have a nonfiction Kindle book of the same name, and Canadian Pie by Will Ferguson also in my stacks.
2. Transportation
The Automobile Club of Egypt by Alaa Al Aswany
This was an impulse book store buy that I haven’t cracked open yet.
3. Weapon
Big White Knuckles by Brian Tucker
I had a hard time finding something for this category, but knuckles can be a weapon, right? Since this is set in a Cape Breton coal-mining community, I’m going with ‘yes’.
4. Animal
In the Skin of a Lion by Michael Ondaatje
Canadian content that I should have read in high school. I have good intentions. . . .
5. Number
A Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan
I’ve read a couple of books by Amy Tan, but never this one.
6. Something You Read
Postcards from the Edge by Carrie Fisher
I would have had more success from my nonfiction shelves where I have books about books galore, but we do read postcards.
7. Body of Water
In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O’Brien
I thought O’Brien’s The Things They Carried was a powerful and moving book, so I’m looking forward to this one.
8. Product of Fire
Louisiana Power and Light by John Dufresne
I was so busy looking for the after-products of a fire, that I completely missed this book on my first sweep. I’m going with ‘light’ as one of the things a fire produces!
9. Royalty
The Puzzle King by Betsy Carter
New York City! Immigrants! Jigsaw Puzzles! How can this miss?!
10. Architecture
The Four-Story Mistake by Elizabeth Enright
Although you wouldn’t know it from the cover of this modern reprint, this classic children’s book is all about the Melendy family’s move to, and life in, the country house known as the four-story mistake. I cheated a bit on this category because I’ve read this book at least a dozen times in my life, but I’m sure I’ll read it again too.
11. Item of Clothing
A Cupboard Full of Coats by Yvette Edwards
I put this in my stacks when it was longlisted for the Booker Prize in 2011, intrigued by the title and the charming cover on my edition, as much as the synopsis.
12. Family Member
Travels with My Aunt by Graham Greene
I started to read this last year but found I really wasn’t in the mood to finish. Rather than give up on this vintage classic, I reshelved it for another try.
13. Time of Day
Sunset Park by Paul Auster
I’ve never read Auster and I’m not sure what to expect from this piece of literary fiction. I just hope the story is more “on” than the colour of this cover – it doesn’t much look like a sunset to me.
14. Music
Accordian Crimes by Annie Proulx
Another that I read several years ago and hope to reread. I remember this as wickedly funny – in the end.
15. Paranormal Being
Pluto’s Ghost by Sheree Fitch
Since I never read anything with paranormal beings, I thought this category would go unfilled. Then I came upon this little gem by local author Sheree Fitch, that I picked when visiting her Mable Murple’s Book Shoppe & Dreamery in nearby River John NS last summer. I’m pretty sure this has nothing to do with a real ghost.
16. Occupation
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie
China’s Cultural Revolution, a hidden stash of Western Classics, and a love of reading. Yum!
17. Season
Autumn Laing by Alex Miller
Every time I look at this Miles Franklin Award nominee from 2012, I want to curl up on the couch and lose myself in it. Soon, I promise myself.
18. Colour
The Blue Light Project by Timothy Taylor
From Vancouver author Taylor, this story of a hostage taking at a filming of a children’s talent show sounds promising.
19. Celestial Body
The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold
I was attracted to this novel because it unfolds over a twenty-four hour period, a structure that I very much enjoy.
20. Something That Grows
Roses are Difficult Here by W.O. Mitchell
This category was bound to be a Canadian classic: either Roses or Anne of Windy Poplars by Lucy Maud Montgomery (which Kindle edition is free as of time of writing).
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How many are on your bookshelf? Want to give this challenge a try yourself? Consider yourself tagged.
P.S. The links are affiliate links so I will receive a small percentage of any purchase you make after clicking through from this blog.
This is fun Debbie. I’d love to do it, but I don’t think I will as I’m a bit pressed for time. I’ve read a couple of these – the Tan, Greene (do give it another go – I’ve reviewed it on my blog), and Sijie. And would like to read a few others including Ondaatje and Miller.
Your architecture one tricked me for a moment, because of course we Aussies spell THAT story as storEy.
When I was in school, we Canadians spelt that word storEy too, Sue. Alas, being this close to the behemoth means Americanisms creep in. Since this book is American, its title is spelt as displayed – and I didn’t even notice. {blush}
[…] spotted this recently on Ex Urbanis and it was too fun to pass up. (I believe the meme started on YouTube, but I’ve been unable to […]
I saw this on Rebecca’s blog and decided to give it a try. (I haven’t posted it yet – that’s a whole other project.) It was harder than I thought – I had to keep reminding myself it had to be books I hadn’t read yet. I had fun, though, and I like seeing other people’s lists!
I found the Fire and the Royalty hard – I can’t even remember what I found for them, if anything. And for #6 I thought it was Something You Read (pronounced Red), but now I see it’s Read pronounced Reed! Ha! I’ll have to go change that one…
The only one I’ve read from your list is In the Skin of A Lion, although I own a couple of others.
I’m curious to see your responses, Naomi. I found the Fire category really hard too.