The Official UN-official SFF-KIT For 2019!!!

We are back, and ready to read some more great SciFi and Fantasy books!

The Wiki is here: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2019_SFFKIT

Thanks, majkia, for doing that again for us this year!

Monthly challenges to be added here:

January: "Read an SFF you meant to read in 2018, but never started/completed" - hosted by fuzzi
(https://www.librarything.com/topic/301204)

February: "Colonization" hosted by majkia
(https://www.librarything.com/topic/302399#)

March: "Mystery/police procedural/detective Science Fiction or Fantasy" hosted by owlie13
(https://www.librarything.com/topic/303888)

April: "Sword & Sorcery" hosted by Kristelh
(https://www.librarything.com/topic/304923#)

May: "International Sci-Fi/Fantasy by Non-US/UK authors" hosted by whitewavedarling
(https://www.librarything.com/topic/306127)

June: "Road-trip" hosted by mathgirl40
(http://www.librarything.com/topic/307014)

July: "Space Opera" hosted by h-mb
(https://www.librarything.com/topic/308041#)

August: "Alternate History" hosted by LisaMorr
(https://www.librarything.com/topic/309138)

September: "Series" hosted by Tanya-dogearedcopy
(https://www.librarything.com/topic/310207)

October: "Comedy" hosted by RobertGreaves
(https://www.librarything.com/topic/311227#)

November: "Award Winners (Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy Award,...)" hosted by scaifea
(https://www.librarything.com/topic/312082)

December: "End-of-the-Year Wrap Up" hosted by DeltaQueen50
(https://www.librarything.com/topic/313136#)

Last year's challenges can be viewed here:

(https://www.librarything.com/topic/272659#)

I kept the January theme from last year, but if anyone has a good suggestion for a different challenge, just let me know.

Yay! We're up!

wiki: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2019_SFFKIT

>3 majkia: yippee!!! (and thanks)

I think that is a good theme for January, because time is already running away from me and it is not even December yet. There'll be many books to choose for this, come January.

I'll take February with a topic of Colonization

How would you guys feel about me reviving the 'International Sci-Fi/Fantasy by non-US/UK authors' theme from a few years ago? I discovered a few great authors that month, so it seems like it would be worth bringing it up again :) I could do it in either May or June. (Or, later in the year, August, September, or October :) )

>7 whitewavedarling: sounds like a plan!

>7 whitewavedarling: I agree!

I could do sword and sorcery theme if that sounds different enough from previous years?

I could do December and make it an end-of-the-year wrap up month or Reader's Choice, a time to read the book you either couldn't fit in earlier or a book that you want to read and haven't been able to get to it during the year.

>10 Kristelh: I like the idea of a sword and sorcery theme!

>10 Kristelh:, I like the idea of a sword and sorcery them also, and I'll never argue against an end-of-the-year wrap-up thread! (Especially right now, with a stack of books to be completed in 2018 starting at me if I want to finish all of my challenges...)

Ok, Sword and Sorcery for April.

Sword a d sorcery was a theme I considered

>5 MissWatson: thanks!

>6 majkia: added!

>7 whitewavedarling: pick a month, any month...

>11 DeltaQueen50: added!

>13 Kristelh: added!

>15 fuzzi:, We'll say May, then :)

I love road-trip books, so how about a road-trip theme in June? I'm thinking it could include everything from Frodo and Samwise's hike to Mordor to the intergalactic journey in The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet.

>16 whitewavedarling: and >17 mathgirl40: have been added!

It looks like the list is a little slow to fill up and I love this challenge, so I'm hesitantly stepping forward to host a month.

Caveats: This is only my second year in the Challenge group and I've never hosted a theme, so I'm not sure how this goes - I post the thread when the time comes and sort of maintain it, right? Anything else I'd need to do?

Also, as far as a theme goes, how about Award Winners (Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy Award,...)? Again, I'm still fairly new at this, so if that's an old, worn-old category, let me know and I'll try to think of something else. I'd be happy to take March, if that's okay, but honestly any of the open months would be fine.

>19 scaifea: I don't want to speak for everyone else, but I love reading from awards lists, especially the new ones each year!

Will you be allowing nominees as well as winners? If so, would you consider hosting a bit later in the year? The Nebula shortlist usually appears in February with the winners announced in May, while the Hugo shortlist appears in April with the winners announced in August. The Locus awards are announced in June.

So if you pick a later month, we'll have several 2019 lists to choose from. BTW, I've got June at the moment, but I'll be happy to change if that's a month you (or anyone else) wants.

>20 mathgirl40: Good point about doing it later in the year - I'll take November, then, if that's okay with everyone. And yes, nominees would definitely count!

>21 scaifea: welcome! You've been added to November.

All you need to do is start a thread before November 1st, but mid-October is okay as many here are early birds, like to start posting their planned reads before the challenge month starts.

Feel free to do as you like with your November thread, add pictures, encourage discussion, etc. We're very relaxed about this challenge.

I've invited people from the SciFi group to join us, the more the merrier!

https://www.librarything.com/topic/299540#

>21 scaifea: Sounds great, thanks!

I've never hosted before, but I'd be willing to give it a try. For a theme, what about mystery/police procedural/detective Science Fiction or Fantasy? Would that be acceptable? If so, you could put me down for March.

>25 owlie13: oh that sounds good.

>22 fuzzi: Okay, great - thanks!

>24 mathgirl40: Woot!

I was thinking about alternate history or dystopian - does anyone have a preference? March, August or September would work for me.

>28 LisaMorr: Personally, I prefer alternate history, but happy to go along with group.

I prefer alternate history too!

>25 owlie13: updated!

>28 LisaMorr: I put you down for August, okay?

That works!

I've never hosted either but I'll give it a try, with space opera if that's OK. I'd like to do it in July.

Yay! Filling up!

>33 h-mb: added...and that's one of my favorite types of SciFi!

Only September and October have not been chosen...

I was reluctant to host a month as I seem fated to never actually complete the challenge for the month I'm actually hosting (!) but I think this time I can actually handle September, with the theme of "Series." DeltaQueen50 hosted it last year, so I'm admitting that I'm stealing the idea from her, but I like the idea of taking on the month that begins with the letter "S" with a theme also beginning with "S" ("S" being the 19th letter of the alphabet = 2019.) I did think about "Steampunk, but I hosted that for a couple of years in the past with mixed results.

How does that sound? If the response is only lukewarm I can brainstorm with something else: Sagas? Singularity? Something Wicked This Way Comes (Classic SFF of the '40s-60s?) I'm totally open to suggestions! :-)

>37 Tanya-dogearedcopy: Series sounds great to me!

Series is always useful

>1 fuzzi: Please put me down for September, “Series” :-)

>40 Tanya-dogearedcopy: you got it! I like that topic, as I've yet to find anything "Steampunk" that interests me...I'm more into Space Opera stuff! ;)

>41 fuzzi:, I'm the same--I haven't had much luck with the Steampunk I've picked up. I'm committed to trying some more at some point, but it might be a while. I'm glad it's series, >40 Tanya-dogearedcopy:.

>41 fuzzi: and >42 whitewavedarling: Try Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld. It hooked me on steampunk.

>43 majkia:, Good to know! Consider the bb taken :)

>43 majkia: putting on my "Recommended" list, thanks!

>43 majkia: - Leviathan is the book/series that got me hooked on steampunk as a genre.

Other steampunk suggestions:
The Affinity Bridge by George Mann - a Victorian mystery with steampunk elements
Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding - a swashbuckling pirate adventure theme (think sea pirates with air ships)
Boneshaker by Cherie Priest - more dystopian/ end of world
Soulless by Gail Carriger - a romance romp with vampires and werewolves
The Alchemy of Stone by Ekaterina Sedia - a strong automaton element
The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi - dystopian, genetic engineering elements

>43 majkia: >46 lkernagh: I really liked Leviathan too. If you like YA adventure, I'd also recommend Airborn by Kenneth Oppel.

Other steampunk novels I loved include Perdido Street Station by China Mieville and The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson.

I've read both Leviathan and Airborn that I read just recently and Mieville and Stephenson are both very good authors. I've also read Soulless which was a fun book.

October is still available...

>46 lkernagh: and >47 mathgirl40:, Noted! And, thank you :) I'd never heard of some of those, but I've got them down now. Perdido Street Station and Retribution Falls are both books I've been meaning to get to for too long, so I really need to try. I want to read Windup Girl also, but got put off of it because I read his Ship Breaker and wasn't all that impressed. I'll get to it eventually, though!

>50 whitewavedarling: Chiming in to say that I recently read Perdido Street Station and absolutely loved it (and I'm generally not a huge fan of steampunk)!

>50 whitewavedarling: Another suggestion: the Arabella of Mars trilogy by David D. Levine. Think Regency romance with interplanetary sailing ships.

Since nobody else seems to want it, I'll take October, with the theme comedy.

I agree to host the July thead but I don't know where and how to open it ! Help, please.

>53 Robertgreaves: :-)

>54 h-mb: In mid-June, you'll be asked to set up a separate thread for "Space Opera." That's it! There's nothing to open or do right now :-)

>53 Robertgreaves: thank you, updating it now...

>54 h-mb: what Tanya said. Wait until a couple weeks before your month starts.

I originally wanted to join the Category Challenge for 2019 than left the group as I couldn't figure out how to do it then I saw this update in the Science Fiction group's *thread. I'd love to participate - can someone help a newbie out and explain how this works? Do we pick / choose which category challenges we want to participate in during the year or is there a main challenge and say, this one is in 'addition'? I've tried to get my bearings but it could be the virus I'm fighting my way through ATM is muddling the obvious here -- just a few pointers would be helpful.

Also, love the themes/categories - I would love to join you!

>58 joriestory: Just start a new thread in the group with your username in the title. Then, you can structure the challenge in any way you want. You could browse through a few members' threads for ideas.

When the challenge first started in 2010, the common goal was to read 10 books in 10 categories. In 2011, it was to read 11 books in 11 categories. When the numbers got higher, people ended up customizing their challenge to fit more realistic goals. This year, I'll be doing 5 books in 19 categories. Others might do 19 books in 5 categories, while others don't worry about the 19 aspect and just create categories to suit their goals.

The extra challenges (CATs, KITs, BingoDOG, group reads) are all optional. Just choose whichever ones interest you and drop in and out throughout the year as you like.

mathgirl40

Ooh! I see -- we each have a baseline of 19 categories which equals 19 books (on the max end) but can do whichever number of books/categories we prefer? Then, those secondary options you've mentioned are 'added-in' throughout the months of the year whilst we're already reading the other stories per theme/category? Okay, it looked Greek to me but I think I get it now! I'll do what you said and stroll through people's lists and see if I can sort this out before I post to the main *thread Thanks for the advice!

So far, though - I need a 'main' *thread of categories to anchour this SFF-KIT too right? Awesome!

>60 joriestory: Yes, some people still like the 19 theme and plan to read X number of books in 19 categories, for example. Others choose arbitrary categories and numbers to suit their needs. It might help to browse through the 2018 group rather than the 2019 group, as you'll see the categories filled out instead of in the planning stage.

That's correct -- create a new thread with a title to help us identify it as yours. You might want to reserve the first few posts for you to edit with your progress during the year. Do this by posting a note like "reserved for later" or "details to be added". Then later on, you can add your categories to these posts.

mathgirl40

Thank you so much for your lovely advice!! I think you could say I took the ball and ran with it!! lol Did you post your list? I couldn't sort out where it was added - unless your still planning yours?

>62 joriestory: Welcome!

We're a friendly group and the only goal here is to enjoy reading and chat about that reading as we do it.

I've been using months as categories but this year I'm using genres as my groups. I read for many of the KITS and CATS and BingoDog but not every month, since I'm trying to read my TBR.

Set up your thread and your challenges (which aren't really contests, just planning really) as you like and it isn't set in concrete. You can change things if they don't work for you. Flexible and easy is my motto.

>62 joriestory: I'm still frantically trying to finish up my 2018 challenge and catch up on my backlog of reviews. I won't be starting anything here or visiting threads (other than the ones for CATs and KITs) until Jan. 1, I expect. However, I will be sure to star yours and follow your progress!

>63 majkia: "Flexible and easy" is a good motto -- one that I should follow more often. :)

Flexible and easy is the way to go.

So glad you joined us, joriestory. Don't let any of the challenges stress you, just do what you want to do, when and how you want to do it. I don't always get a book done for each month's challenges, but I get ideas for future reads and enjoy the comments.

I am sure I won't finish the books in a month. I am hoping to find a book that I can use for multiple challenges.

January's thread is UP!

https://www.librarything.com/topic/301204

No excuses...

Woo, CJ Cherryh just released a new Alliance Universe book, Alliance Rising! I can't wait to read it.

Sci Fi isn't a genre I am familiar with, hence why I am joining in! I am going to be looking here for lots of ideas.

Just wondering if anyone has read any Matthew Reilly books? I saw an article about his latest, due out soon, and it looks really interesting - it is called The Secret Runners of New York.

Looking at some of his other titles, there seems to be a wide spread of time periods, places, etc. in his works. I would be interested for any info as to where any of his titles 'fit in' to the categories here.

Thanks for any help!

>69 JayneCM: I read The Great Zoo of China by Matthew Reilly last year for July's ScaredyKit theme to read a techno thriller. It was a fast and fun read but also I felt very predictable, and it felt very much like a movie script (and a little too much like Jurrassic Park).

>70 DeltaQueen50: My library had that one, but I wasn't too fussed on the blurb. Maybe I'll still choose one of his titles if they are fast and fun!

February thread is up : https://www.librarything.com/topic/302399

Excellent! And I think it'll fit CJ Cherryh new book, Alliance Rising!

Great deal for CJ Cherryh's Downbelow Station:

https://www.amazon.com/Downbelow-Station-Company-Wars-Book-ebook/dp/B00HFXK6KE?_...

>74 fuzzi:, I got it. I've not tried this author.

>75 Kristelh: oh, great! I love Cherryh. Downbelow Station was one of her Hugo award winning books.

Note: she starts slow, like a roller coaster, and then suddenly you are going at breakneck speed.

March thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/303888

I will get April thread up tomorrow.

April topic is up https://www.librarything.com/topic/304923#

Just dropping by to let everyone know my schedule's been crazy, so I'm a bit behind on things, but I'll get the May thread up in the next few days. It's on my mind!

We're good, get to it when you can. :)

Month of May thread posted! https://www.librarything.com/topic/306127

>82 whitewavedarling: thank you!

>83 fuzzi:, you guys are more than welcome! I hated doing it later than the 15th--I'm one of those who normally lurks around mid-month and looks forward to the new thread!--but alas, life got in the way...

>84 whitewavedarling: RL (real life) does take precedence, doesn't it? :)

Confession: I, too, lurk mid-month...

>84 whitewavedarling: >85 fuzzi: another mid-month lurker here. Even though I don't really plan my reading properly till the end of the month, I still like to throw out ideas early just to mark the threads.

I've posted the June SFFKIT thread here:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/307014

>87 mathgirl40: thank you!

>87 mathgirl40: thanks! Hmmm. Surely I have something that will fit.

Here's the July thread :
https://www.librarything.com/topic/308041
text

August thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/309138

The September thread is up!: https://www.librarything.com/topic/310207

October thread is up.

The November thread is up and running:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/312082

>94 scaifea: yay! Thanks!

The 2020 Planning Thread for CATs next year has started here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/312074#6945930

>94 scaifea: >96 kac522: thank you and thank you!

Er....we are planning on having a SFFKit again next year, right? It's my favorite.....

>98 Dejah_Thoris: I do hope so !

Moi aussi

>98 Dejah_Thoris: if people want SFF KIT again in 2020, I'll be happy to "host" it. :)

>101 fuzzi: Thank you!

>101 fuzzi: Excellent!

>101 fuzzi: Do you want to start a interest or planning thread over in the 2020 group? I actually have an idea for a month and am willing to attempt to host.....

> 104 I also have an idea and am tempted to host a month for the first time, if people are interested. :)

I loved this KIT as I do not usually read sci fi. But my sci fi reads this year were some of my absolute favourites. I would love to see it in 2020.

I will continue as well

>104 Dejah_Thoris: oh, is it already up?

>108 fuzzi: yup it is.

I am also looking forward to participating in this Kit next year - and of course can hardly wait to see it take shape!

I'll get a thread up, very soon. My RL has been very, very busy.

we'll do our best to be patient ;)

>111 fuzzi: No hurry! But I am excited to see what the last month has in store for us. I much prefer not knowing exactly what it will be in advance.

>111 fuzzi: Definitely no hurry! RL has a way of interfering with reading and reading related activities. I just wanted to make sure that there was enough interest to keep going - the other CATs and KITs have been thoroughly discussed over on the 2020 thread, and I was worried SF&F might get left out. We really have plenty of time to plan. Thank you for being willing to host!

Love it, will always support it, I'll be there when it's ready!

It's up:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/313056#6969170

Thank you for your patience.

>116 fuzzi: Oh dear, I hope I wasn't pushy about it! But thank you for posting it - I've already requested my month.

>117 Dejah_Thoris: nope, we're good.

December's thread is up - https://www.librarything.com/topic/313136#

>119 DeltaQueen50: thank you!

Thank you for having a thread for 2020 and for all your hard work putting it up and hosting it and *gasp* fighting for it! I have enjoyed being able to plan my huge shelf of reading and re-reading in SFF and look forward to reading more in 2020!

>121 threadnsong: Yes! Thank you to organiser and all hosts. I have always thought I didn't like sci fi, which apparently is totally untrue! Some of my favourite reads this year have come from this thread. So glad I branched out!

>121 threadnsong: >122 JayneCM: love your feedback, thank you!

A big thank you to each and every person who has hosted a challenge. Their ideas, input, and organization have helped us to discover new authors, new worlds, and we're the richer for it.