November 2013 - RandomCAT - Tribute to the Pilgrims

Tribute to the Pilgrims - Read a book in which the author or a character shares a name with one of the Pilgrims on the list as approved by the Mayflower Society: https://www.themayflowersociety.com/about-the-pilgrims20/the-pilgrims.

Very cool challenge, Lori. I'm going to copy out those names and then go take a look at my TBR shelves.

I figured with names like John, Elizabeth, and William, everyone would be sure to have something! I'll be really surprised if anyone comes up with a name like "Remember" for an author, but maybe historical fiction or history books would have that one as a character.

Fun! After a thorough review of my TBR pile, I've decided to read Watership Down by Richard Adams which is also one of my last challenge books to finish as well.

I'm one of those plan in advance readers and my November authors didn't look promising. Two Jeannes, two Anthonys, but no Johns, Elizabeths, or Williams. I remembered that I hadn't updated my list with some ARCs I recently received and happily one of them will fit: Leaving China by James McMullan.

Maybe I'll end up with a character or two in my other planned reads that will fit. I haven't looked through character lists yet.

(3) Or "Myles"? That's an unusual name, too.

Why don't people name their children Peregrine anymore?

I should have time tomorrow to take the list to the bookshelf and browse.

I don't know anyone named Remember, but I do know someone named Memory. I don't think she's a writer, though.

I figured with names like John, Elizabeth, and William, everyone would be sure to have something!

Wow, no David on the list but I see Richards, Edwards and Thomas.... of course, part of me wants to try and find a book by or with a character named Remember or Resolved. I am sure I can find something for this CAT!

I am already planning on reading Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein so that will definitely be one for this challenge. I also have a list of about four others that I am thinking about: The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers by Thomas Mullen, Little Wolves by Thomas Maltman, The Dog Stars by Peter Heller, and The Death Cure by James Dashner Hopefully I will be able to fit at least one of those in.

I seem to have a fair number of authors with the first name of John, so I might double up my Awards CAT book, Redshirts by John Scalzi.

I'm glad to see everyone chiming in here. I've been under the weather most of the week and haven't been online long. I'm just checking in a bit before heading to bed, but this is the first time all day I've been online. I actually need to look through my list of books to add a few. I did find one to post quickly, but I figured that everyone else could start filling in. I'll get back to it when I figure out which books that I had on this month's list that will have to carry over to next month, etc. I didn't realize that I had so many 500+ page books in October's lineup. It's sometimes hard to tell when they are Kindle books how many pages they are. Some of these were ARCs that I just downloaded from NetGalley so I had absolutely no idea of the page count.

What a clever idea! Based on this discussion, I assume that first names only are OK...we don't have to find an author/character with the same first AND last name, right? I'm sure I will be able to find something to fit this theme...just have to check my TBR list!

I still have a space in my challenge where I can fit a book by Elizabeth Berg. I haven't read one by her this year yet, and she's one of my favorite authors. Yeah!

That's right, Christina. You can match a first name or last name or both!

Last night I finished Leaving China: An Artist Paints His World War II Childhood by James McMullan. I read an electronic ARC I obtained through NetGalley, and it's going on my wishlist to purchase after its release early next year.

I'm currently reading The Last Enchantment by Mary Stewart...lots of Marys on the Mayflower, as it turns out!

I finished a book for this challenge with Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. I so wanted to love this book, but was left less than overwhelmed. :(

I finished Never Change by Elizabeth Berg for my Random CAT book this month. Still one of my favorite authors so I was glad to fit a book of hers in this year.

I am about to begin The Wedding Gift by Marlen Suyapa Bodden. One of the primary characters is named Sarah.

Finished Watership Down by Richard Adams - what a delightful book!

The Wedding Gift is finished. It was a tale of slavery in 1830's on America's south.

Now I am reading Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes. It is a psychological thriller.

I'm about to start Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell.

I just finished The Winthrop Woman by Anya Seton. The main character's name of Elizabeth qualifies this book as a RandomCat but also the subject matter fits in beautifully as this book is about the colonists who arrived about 20 years after the original Pilgrams. An excellent historical fiction read.

Great Expectations: The Sons and Daughters of Charles Dickens by Robert Gottlieb

I'm so glad Dickens had children named Henry and Francis! He had a Mary and an Edward too, but they were called by nicknames in the book.

I was pleased to find that one of the sisters in The Penderwicks is named Elizabeth! The family usually called her Batty, but it was pointed out that she was named after her (now-deceased) mother, Elizabeth.

I read a few books that work for this random CAT,
The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon
Neuromancer by William Gibson
The Kayak Lady by Mary Shideler
Foe by J. M. Coetzee (the J is for John)

Hey, I read a book that fits this challenge without even planning on it - The Night Watch by Sarah Waters. ;-)