Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

In our recent themed group reads, we've been traveling around the globe and we've been in space. Those books were all about the journey. This challenge is going to be all about the vehicle.

The Challenge: Read a book where the primary theme or setting is a mode of transportation. It may be any mode of transportation, use your imagination.

1. Primary theme, for the purposes of this challenge, means that the book is about that mode of transportation. Examples - Christine, Wheels, Boeing Versus Airbus: The Inside Story of the Greatest International Competition in Business.

2. By setting of the story, I mean the story takes place almost entirely on a vehicle as in Murder on the Orient Express, The Hunt for Red October, or James Cameron's Titanic.

3. The book may be earthbound, on the sea, under the sea, in space, or in a fantasy world.

General Rules:

1. The book may be in any format - paperback, ebook, audiobook.
2. The book may be in any genre.
3. The book may NOT be combined with the Year Long Series Killer Challenge. You may read a series book and count it towards the completion of a series, but you may not score the book in the series challenge.
4. The book must be read between June 1 to June 30 (based on your own time zone).
5. The challenge is for one book. You may read more books if you chose.
6. The book must be 150 pages or more determined by the issue you read. If reading eBook or audiobook page numbers will be determined by the issue that comes up on a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ search.


There will be no scoring. In the reporting thread:

- give the name of the book and briefly explain how it meets the challenge.
- tell one thing (or more) you learned about the vehicle you read about.
- give your rating and briefly explain your rating.

Nice challenge!

The first book that comes to my mind is Orphan Train, but I don't know how much of it is actually set on a train. Anyone who read it?

edit: and it that doesn't work, how about Long Way Down? It's a memoir of two guys travelling through Africa on a motorcycle. If it is anything like the first book, there's A LOT of motorcycle riding in it, but obviously they also have to get off to sleep and eat ;-)

I'm sorry for the questions, usually I can decide for myself whether something will count or not, but I find it a bit difficult to know what counts as 'almost entirely', especially when the vehicle is the setting and I haven't read the book yet.

What a great challenge. I was thinking maybe The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Would horses be considered ok as a means of transport? If so, I might go with The Language of Hoofbeats

Excellent! Well I feel like I have to read something set on a boat. I was thinking of Jaws but I don't own that one so I think I'll go with Ship Breaker instead as it's already downloaded and waiting for me on my kindle.

Has anyone read The Girl on the Train? How much of it is set on the train?

Thanks for the diversion from Toppler obsessing!

This is hard! Difficult to know how much of a story takes place actually using the transportation.

Here's what I seem to have:

Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith - I think they met on a train, but the suspense is not on board
The Edge by Dick Francis
4.50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie Very little of the story is actually on a train.
The Necropolis Railway by Andrew Martin
The Wheel Spins by Ethel Lina White
Driving Miss Daisy by Alfred Uhry - not sure how much of this is actually set with the two in a car
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values by Robert M. Pirsig
The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Murder on the Ballarat Train by Kerry Greenwood
Ship of Fools by Katherine Anne Porter
Dead Calm by Charles Williams

Would be a good time to read Life of Pi

I also found The Ship of Brides which I'm pretty certain will fit the challenge.

Ooohhhh!! I really really want to read Life of Pi! I loved the movie!! Have to see if the library here has it :)

Suppose its Christine, The Brass Verdict as long as he still works out of his lincoln or Master and Commander for me

Interesting challenge! I think I'm leaning towards non-fiction for this. Some possible candidates:
Confessions of a New York Taxi Driver
Trucking in English
Travels With Tinkerbelle - 6000 Miles Around France In A Mechanical Wreck
Cruise Confidential: A Hit Below the Waterline: Where the Crew Lives, Eats, Wars, and Parties: One Crazy Year Working on Cruise Ships
The Motion of the Ocean: 1 Small Boat, 2 Average Lovers, and a Woman's Search for the Meaning of Wife

Can't decide yet, will have to see what I can get cheap from Amazon.

Does stuck in a train station count? Metro 2033

Looks like my A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian isn't actually about Tractors...

Lol Rusalka, how misleading a title can be!

Lol I know! Of course, I wouldn't have bought it if the title was an accurate description. My Ukrainian is pretty useless, all I can say is "Cheers!"

Very creative, Janice!

@Peggy, I don't think Orphan Train qualifies. The train part is only in the beginning. The novel is more about the life of those kids after they were sent in the trains to be adopted. It's a great book, though.

@Lisa, Although the train commute has a lot to do this the story, I'm not sure is it is enough for the challenge. It might be. Second opinion anyone?? Another great book. :)

Gophering in three, two, one...

Great challenge. If The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics qualifies, I'll go for it. I've had it for a while and would be a great time to read it.

Regarding Orphan Train, the story setting is not on a train - the train transported the kids. I'm guessing it wouldn't work for this challenge.

Rusalka wrote: "Looks like my A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian isn't actually about Tractors..."

That's hilarious!

Found Three Men in a Boat in my TBR shelf. So far is a good option for me.

Other options:
Last Train to Istanbul: A Novel
A Train in Winter: An Extraordinary Story of Women, Friendship, and Resistance in Occupied France

Thanks Sandra and Lilisa. Hopefully I can read it soon anyway :)

I'll wait for judgment on Long Way Down, and otherwise the only fitting book I own is Ship of Brides.

Some of my options are:


Ghost Ship
The Ship Who Sang
Cold April (Titanic)
The Driving Lesson
Death in the Clouds
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific by Raft
Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod

I'm sure I'll find more within the next few days.

Three Men in a Boat

I've decided to read Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car.

Life of Pi is definitively a book for this challenge! Another great book. :)

Sandra wrote: "Found Three Men in a Boat in my TBR shelf. So far is a good option for me.



I forgot about that book. I'm adding it to my list. Thanks.

I think I will plan to read Life of Pi, I added it over a year ago and I think I will like it

I'm checking to see if I can get hold of Sailing Alone around the World at my local library. Cool challenge.

Thanks Sandra. Looks like I had better wait for a second opinion on that one :) I'm off to gopher again in the meantime.

Peggy wrote: "Nice challenge!

The first book that comes to my mind is Orphan Train, but I don't know how much of it is actually set on a train. Anyone who read it?

edit: and it that doesn't wor..."

Orphan Train won't work because the train is very little of the story. It's not about the train, nor is it set on a train.

I think Long Way Down will work though.

Would The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making work for this challenge?

Kerri wrote: "What a great challenge. I was thinking maybe The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Would horses be considered ok as a means..."

Yes, horses can be a mode of transportation. At first, I was going to disallow them from the challenge and had written the challenge out to exclude them. But then, I got thinking about horse drawn carriages and thought that perhaps I would exclude books set in a time period when there weren't planes, trains, automobiles. So I changed my mind and included all animals in the equation.

Lisa wrote: "Would The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making work for this challenge?"

She didn't build the ship until over halfway through the book, and only a small part of the book is set on the ship, so my guess would be that it doesn't qualify. Great book though! Reminds me that I should read the others for the series challenge :)

edit: Thanks Janice!

Lisa wrote: "Has anyone read The Girl on the Train? How much of it is set on the train?"

If 70% is set on the train, we'll count it. What say you, Sandra? Do you think 70% of it is on the train?

Almeta wrote: "Thanks for the diversion from Toppler obsessing!

This is hard! Difficult to know how much of a story takes place actually using the transportation."

You really must have been obsessing because you attacked this with gusto. Yes, the challenge is deceptively simple.

We may have to utilize the much maligned "Q & A" section on the book page. Just don't ask where you can obtain the book for free and you should be fine.

Peggy wrote: "I also found The Ship of Brides which I'm pretty certain will fit the challenge."

I think so too. It sounds interesting!

Travis of NNY wrote: "Suppose its Christine, The Brass Verdict as long as he still works out of his lincoln or Master and Commander for me"

I am debating The Lincoln Lawyer for myself, but the second book sounds like it's more a courtroom drama. It's really hard to determine isn't it? You may need to ask someone who's read it.

Rusalka wrote: "Does stuck in a train station count? Metro 2033"

No. I don't think so. I was going to use Airport as an example, but if memory serves me correctly, it's more about the airport than the planes. I could be wrong though. Metro doesn't sound like it's even remotely about the trains.

Rusalka wrote: "Looks like my A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian isn't actually about Tractors..."

Have I stumped you? Have I... have I... huh?

Lilisa wrote: "Great challenge. If The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics qualifies, I'll go for it. I've had it for a while and would be a ..."

I think it will work. It sounds like it's set on the boats and about the boats.

Lisa wrote: "Would The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making work for this challenge?"

We'll go with Peggy's assessment and say no.

I hope I haven't missed anyone's questions. Holler again if I did.

For those who love mysteries, I suggest Murder on the Flying Scotsman by Carola Dunn.

Janice wrote: "Travis of NNY wrote: "Suppose its Christine, The Brass Verdict as long as he still works out of his lincoln or Master and Commander for me"

I am debating..."

No worries I'll just scratch it got 2 other options there.

Would The Dog Who Could Fly: The Incredible True Story of a WWII Airman and the Four-Legged Hero Who Flew At His Side count for this challenge?

Janice wrote: "If 70% is set on the train, we'll count it. What say you, Sandra? Do you think 70% of it i..."

I think is accurate. And the train is really important. Almost another character.

That is great I wanted to read The Girl on a Train so now I have options

I think Jules Verne has several books we could use...

Elsbeth wrote: "I think Jules Verne has several books we could use..."

I thought about Five Weeks in a Balloon but it's kinda long.

Lanelle wrote: "Elsbeth wrote: "I think Jules Verne has several books we could use..."

I thought about Five Weeks in a Balloon but it's kinda long."

That's one of the books I was thinking about as well!

Sandra wrote: "Janice wrote: "If 70% is set on the train, we'll count it. What say you, Sandra? Do you think 70% of it i..."

I think is accurate. And the train is really important. Almost another character."

Yay! Thanks for that Sandra! That means I have two options, 'The Girl on the Train' and Retribution Falls which is about sky pirates so I am guessing it will fit this challenge.

Looks like it will be a train ride for me. I have Ghost Train to the Eastern Star . and Murder on the Orient Express on the shelf.

I found one which takes place aboard a sailing ship in 1876: De reis van de gazelle .

Ok, now I'm concerned about my choice. The main character is a light crew member on a ship, he scavengers the ship for parts and resumes someone from another ship. Is that ok? Camilla - I see you read it, would you say it would qualify?