Sorry, I meant task 30.10.

I finished Watership Down by Richard Adams for task 10.10. My total 175... Now I'm going to bed!

Oh no- I'm an hour too late!!!!! I was totally thinking midnight my time as the posting deadline, so I missed out on 80 points even though the books were done. Phooey!

For the record, I completed 30.6 (Bridget's short story and novel task) with Best American Mystery Stories 2004 and Jeff Abbott's Collision, as well as Roseann's 50-pointer with Ronald Shwartz's For the Love of Books and Stephen Ambrose's Undaunted Courage (recommended by Dave Barry).

Congrats everyone!! I didn't do as well in this challenge as I would have liked to..but there is always the next one! :)

That's it put the books down. This challenge is over. I hope everyone had just as much fun participating in it as I had running it. I look forward to seeing you all in the Fall Challenge in the new group.

I also want to congratulate all of those who completed the challenge and announce...

The Most Improved Player for this Challenge is Julie KS.
&
The Rookie Of The Season is Erin.

Thanks A Bunch
Cynthia

I JUST finished Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with 3 minutes to spare. I also finished The Carniverous Carnival of the Series of Unfortunate Events Series and had finished Flight 116 is down by Caroline B. Cooney about a month ago. This is for the 3 YA books for 30.5.

Total: 140
~Elizabeth B.

LEADERBOARD
CHALLENGE COMPLETED (940 POINTS)
1. ROSEANN
2. DONNA JO
3. WENDY
4. CANDACE
5. JANICE
6. BJ ROSE
7. CINDY
8. CAIT
9. DIANE
10. SAM
11. NICOLE OH
*************
SARA E - 855
KRISTENR - 840
ERIN - 810
ANGELA IL - 805
BETH US - 755
JAYME - 740
KRISTA OR - 715
BONNIE - 690
JESSICA OR - 655
RORA - 630
HEATHER WI - 625
LAURA NY - 625
NICKI - 620
CYNTHIA SCM - 600
APRIL NY - 580
LEORA - 580
ANDREEA - 565
RACHEL WA - 565
REBECCA - 565
MINDY - 560
GRACE - 555
MANDAY - 540
PETRA - 515
KAREN OR - 505
KRITIKA - 505
LIZ BROOKLYN - 505
NICOLE NC - 505
TAMMY - 505
LESLIE CA - 500
KRISTEN IL - 480
ELIZABETH NC - 475
JENNIFER L - 470
BRIDGIT - 465
SHELLEY - 460
WV HEATHER - 460
DIONISIA - 450
LIZZI - 450
LORI BNPL - 450
KATHLEEN - 440
JOANIE - 430
SUSAN - 430
ELLEN - 425
SANDIE - 425
AMYMK - 410
SANDY - 410
KRISTINA UK - 405
AMY MA - 400
EL - 400
HEATHER KS - 400
ALICE - 385
COLLEEN - 385
JACLYN - 380
JULIE KS - 365
SARAH PA - 365
KRISTA MA - 360
NIKOLE - 360
STEPHANIE CA - 360
KATE KS - 355
BETH MN - 350
JULIA - 350
KRISTEN MA - 350
MARIE - 350
MELODY - 350
HEIDI - 345
ITPDX - 340
JILLIAN - 335
SERA - 325
TANI - 325
MANDY - 320
TANYA - 320
LIZ VEGAS - 315
LULU - 315
MAGGIE - 315
TERRI - 315
JENNIFER US - 310
POTJY - 310
ADRIENNE OK - 305
AMANDA VA - 305
JENNIFER - 305
RACHEL DC - 295
TANJA - 285
AMBER REBMAV - 280
SUZIER - 275
ASHLEY ID - 275
REBECCA MA - 275
KATE GA - 270
PERS - 270
RHIANNON - 270
KATHY - 265
EMU - 260
NATALIE - 260
JENNA - 255
KIM UK - 250
ALICIA - 245
BETH - 245
JOEY - 245
WHITNEY - 245
KATIE OH - 240
MARY BETH - 240
MIKE - 240
SINGURL - 240
JESSICA CA - 235
MICKEY - 235
SARAH CA - 235
SLAYERMEL - 230
LAURA FL - 225
MARY - 225
PATRICIA - 225
JOY MARIE - 220
LINDSEY CO - 220
SHANNON - 220
BRIDGET MA - 210
BARB - 205
DREE - 205
JUDITH MD - 205
LISA NV - 205
ANGIE CA - 200
STARCATCHER - 200
STEPH - 195
DAWN - 190
RYAN - 190
AMANDA CA - 185
SARAH OH - 185
SHELLIE - 185
JESSICA SC - 180
JENNIFER P - 175
LAURA ME - 175
TAIJA - 170
JAMIE 23 - 165
JEN B - 165
JAMIE WA - 160
LACY - 160
MADELINE - 160
RUBY - 160
TERAD - 160
ALYSSA - 155
DEIRDRE - 155
KATIE TX - 155
LORI TX - 155
ANGIE PA - 150
JULIE TN - 150
BIRISH - 145
KELLY MA - 145
LINDA TX - 145
SUZANNE - 145
APPLE - 140
ELIZABETH B - 140
FELINA - 140
HANNAH - 140
INES - 140
LYNLEE4 - 140
MORGAN - 140
TRISHA - 140
JENNIFER OH - 130
JUDITH NY - 125
LOUISE - 125
TERESA - 125
JENNIFER IN - 120
JNENI - 120
DREE - 115
JESSICA - 115
LORI ANN - 115
MACKENZIE - 110
RACHEL VA - 110
AMY TX - 105
LIZ MN - 105
CAROL - 100
JENSOWNZOO - 100
KRISTINA GA - 100
VICTORIA - 100
MEGAN - 90
ALISHA - 85
EBOSTDORFF - 85
LDB - 85
JESSICA MI - 80
ROBYN - 80
TRYPHENA - 80
CHERYL - 75
LARISSA - 75
BUDDHAFLAKES - 70
ERICA - 70
JEN WA - 70
ALLISON MO - 65
FALLON - 65
JESS - 65
LAUREN CT - 65
TRACY - 65
TURNER - 65
BUCKET - 55
ELIZABETH P - 55
JEN NY - 55
KAREN H - 55
SLAMI - 55
ASHLEY AL - 50
LINDA US - 50
LU - 50
TALIA - 50
NIGHT - 45
AMBER - 40
ANN FROM SC - 40
JEANE - 40
LAUREN H - 40
MICHELLE CA - 40
JACKIE - 35
KRISTY - 30
KT - 30
LIZ SWEDEN - 30
ASHLEY UT - 25
CLAIRE - 25
FIONA TITCH - 25
SARA TN - 25
ANNA - 20
BECKY PA - 20
JAMIE MN - 20
KATHRYN - 20
STACY - 20
NATALIA - 15
BECKY SC - 10
KAREN V - 10
RONDA - 10
ANGIE TX - 5
KATHY R - 5
LINDSEY TX - 5
MARY M-B - 5
NICOLE NJ - 5

Just wanted to sneak in one last task!

30.7 Mildred Pierce (1941) and All Creatures Great and Small (1972).

Total points: 410
I was going for 470, but I'm ok with that.....

Congrats to all the finishers and thanks to Cynthia for all the work!

Whew- finally finished with what I'm going to get done. Didn't finish but I'm pretty proud of what I did read. I read quite a few books I wouldn't have picked up and worked my way through my TBR pile. Congratulations to everyone who did finish and thank you for everything, Cynthia. This has been a lot of fun!

This should give me a points total of 740.

5.6: Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris (6/18)
5.7: Gate of the Giant Scissors by Annie Fellows Johnston (8/7)
5.9: A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (read 6/5/09)
5.10: In the Fall by Jeffrey Lent

10.2: Black Beauty by Anna Sewell (read 6/12/09)
10.3: Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire (6/16/09)
10.4: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (6/19)
10.5: The Stranger by Albert Camus (7/13)
10.7: The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
10.8: 6 Rainier Drive by Debbie Macomber (8/19)
10.9 The Natural by Bernard Malamud (7/24)
10.10: The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (6/19)

15.1: Dream Vacation: On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan 8/31

Depressing novel, but still a nice location...

My Itinerary:
While visiting the English seaside, specifically Dorset where this is set, I would:
Day 1: visit Brownsea Island and see the castle built by Henry VIII
Day 2: Walk to Corfe Castle
Day 3: take a boat trip in Poole Harbour
Day 4: visit Bournemouth Beach and a trip to the aquarium. While at the beach I'd take a hot air balloon ride, which I've always wanted to do.
From there I would visit London and drive around England, then on to Ireland and Scotland

15.2: Casting call: The Beach House by Jane Green (7/7)

15.3: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (8/31)

What a perfect way to finish up this challenge. We had a relief from the heat in Northern VA today and I was actually cold as I sat outside and read!

15.4: The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera (8/9)
15.5: O Pioneers! by Willa Cather (7/6/09)
15.6: The Last Battle and Abraham Lincoln, the First American (completed 8/29)
15.10: The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling (8/5) and Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley 8/6)

20.1: Continental Drift by Russell Banks (7/4)
20.2 Maus I A Survivor's Tale My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman (7/20)

25.2: The Giver by Lois Lowry (8/28)
25.3: Lori: Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson (7/29) and Cynthia: The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch (read 6/14/09)
25.4: Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier (read 6/8)
25.6 The Washingtonienne A Novel by Jessica Culter (7/29)
25.8 Little Altars Everywhere by Rebecca Wells and The Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner (completed 8/29)
25.9: 1800's The Time Machine by HG Wells (7/31)
1900's: The Call of the Wild by Jack London (8/3)
2000's: The Rule of Four (8/11)
25.10: The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury (8/27)

30.1 Versailles A Novel by Kathryn Davis and Last Days of Marie Antoinette An Historical Sketch
30.2 The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian (completed 6/24)
30.3: Persepolis 2 The Story of a Return (8/14) and Maus II A Survivor's Tale And Here My Troubles Began (8/17)
30.4: Thomas Jefferson (8/30)
30.5 Walk Two Moons, The Magician's Nephew, The Horse and His Boy (completed 6/20)
30.6 Rachel's Holidayby Marian Keys (7/19) Girls' Night Out (8/19)
30.7 The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis (7/26) Ironweed by William Kennedy (8/1)
30.8 The Passion by Jeanette Winterson and The Optimist's Daughter A Novel By by Eudora Welty (complete 6/5/09)
30.9 The Sand Castle by Rita Mae Brown

50.1 So Many Books, So Little Time A Year of Passionate Reading by Sara Nelson (7/26) and Charlotte's Web by EB White (7/27)

Krista wrote: "Donna Jo wrote: "This challenge was so daunting looking at the beginning of the summer that I think everyone who even started one book for it deserves some credit.
BTW, for everyone who tackled my..."

I always think of Cynthia's job as herding cats. Some of us readers have our own little quirks. (Surprise!) I'm certainly glad Cynthia organized us all and that so many people contributed such great tasks.

Donna Jo wrote: "This challenge was so daunting looking at the beginning of the summer that I think everyone who even started one book for it deserves some credit.
BTW, for everyone who tackled my task 30.1, thank..."

I loved your task Donna Jo. It gave a fuller perpective to the historical fiction books I tend to gravitate to. I read about Josephine Bonaparte, and have a more clearer understanding about her life because of the biography.

I'd also like to send a shout out to Cynthia for a fantastic job keeping this mob running on track. We couldn't do it without you!!

Whoo hoo!!! I met my personal goal of 400!

Task 10.6 The Last Battle

Task 30.8Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll and Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There

Final total: 400 points. My highest point total in any challenge!

Heather in KS

-------------------- << 5 Points >>
--------------------
--------------------

1. Read A Book That Takes Place In A Small Town:
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

3. Read A Fiction or Non-Fiction Book about A Musician:
The Piano Man by Marcia Preston

7. Discover Hidden Gems:
Death's Little Helpers by Peter Spiegelman

-------------------- << 15 Points >>
--------------------
--------------------

1. Dream Vacation – When Finished Reading Create And Post An Itinerary Of Things You Would Do If You Were To Visit That Location:
The Ruins by Scott Smith
Were I to visit the location, I would definately have this on my places to visit:

- Mayan temples
- All the small little villages
- Basically just lurk through the jungle (with tour guide)
- Chill at the beach
- Hit up parties
- Check out the small mercados

2. Casting Call – Read A Book That Hasn’t Already Been Made Into A Movie And Post A List Of Who You Would Cast If You Were Making The Film.
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
I'm in love with Lost, so basically I'm rearranging the cast of Lost to fit this book. :D

Yann Martel - Henry Ian Cusick
Piscine (Young) - Malcolm David Kelly
Piscine (Old) - Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Pi's Mom - Michelle Rodriguez
Pi's Dad - Harold Perrineau Jr.
Pi's Dad's "Good Friend" - Dominic Monaghan
Pi's Brother - Orlando Brown
The Chef - Michael Emerson


-------------------- << 25 Points >>
--------------------
--------------------

9. April's Task - Reading Through The Ages:
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
Holes by Louis Sachar
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

-----------------------------------
Well I have a grand total of 70 Points. I was almost finished with the 50 point task as well as some ten pointers... but I couldn't quite get it in time. I'm still pretty proud though! :D This was really fun and a great motivator!

Dionisia wrote: "Finished my last book!

Task #10.4 complete by reading Black Fairy Tales. This was my first challenge and I did better than I thought I would.

Final total = 450 points"


Way to go! I love it when you do better than you think you can. :-)

Roseann wrote: "Hi everyone,

I've been away--new classes and the flu (not swine) had me down for quite a few days.

Congrats to Diane and Sam and a hearty WAY TO GO GIRL! to Nicole OH (I know you wanted it ba..."

Hey Roseann, Congrats on getting into school. That is fantastic!

This challenge was so daunting looking at the beginning of the summer that I think everyone who even started one book for it deserves some credit.
BTW, for everyone who tackled my task 30.1, thanks. I know some of you really didn't want to read a biography or the fiction that went along with it, but I appreciate your being game enough to try.

Nicole wrote: "You underestimate how fast I read. I AM DONE!

Completed the final task for me- 25.9!

Read
1800s Little Men by Louisa May Alcott (did not like it ANYWHERE near as much as Little Women
1900sRevolu..."

Congratulations Nicole!!!!!!!

Sara wrote: "Did not finish, but got pretty darn close. Final tally:


5.1 Small Town -Alive and Well in Prague, New York by Daphne Grab
5.2 Dance -Ten Cents a Dance by Christine Fletcher
5.3 Musician -Plastic ..."

Great job Sara!!!!!!!

Finished Dark Lover by J.R. Ward to go with Key of Light by Nora Roberts that I finished on 6/26 for 15.6 Opposites Attract. Great fluff book. I enjoyed it. That's the last for this challenge for me! Look forward to seeing everyone in the Fall Challenge. Thanks again Cynthia for all you do to keep us entertained!

5.1 Dead Until Dark - Charlaine Harris 6/14/09
5.2 Dance Through Time - Lynn Kurland
5.3 Heart-Shaped Box - Joe Hill
5.4 Something Borrowed - Emily Giffin 7/14/09
5.5 Tomato Girl - Jayne Pupek 6/30/09
5.6 A Game of Thrones - George R.R. Martin
5.7 Tall Skinny Cappuccino - Kimberly Huff
5.8 Beach Road - James Patterson 8/11/09
5.9 Eleven On Top - Janet Evanovich
5.10 TBD

10.1 I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti - Giula Melucci 6/10/09
10.2 Mansfield Park - Jane Austen
10.3 Enchantment - Orson Scott Card
10.4 TBD
10.5 TBD
10.6 Shogun - James Clavell
10.7 The Eight - Katherine Neville
10.8 The Street Lawyer - John Grisham
10.9 Bo Knows Bo - Bo Jackson
10.10 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime - Mark Haddon

15.1 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Luis Zafon - Barcelona Spain 8/19/09
15.2 The Book of Air and Shadows: A Novel - Michael Gruber
15.3 Ten Big Ones - Janet Evanovich 7/10/09
15.4 All The Kings Men - Robert Penn Warren
15.5 In Defense of Food - Michael Pollan my article 6/12/09
15.6 Key of Light - Nora Roberts 6/26/09 / Dark Lover - J.R. Ward 8/31/09
15.7 TBD
15.8 From Lisa - 5 stars: Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon / 1 star - We Were The Mulvaneys - Joyce Carol Oates
15.9. Second Sight - Amanda Quick / Night's Kiss - Amanda Ashley
15.10 Initials J.W.: Just Listen - Sarah Dessen / When I Fall in Love - Lynn Kurland

20.1 April 4 - I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou
20.2 TBD

25.1 TBD / TBD
25.2 The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins 7/9/09
25.3 Cynthia's: People of the Book - Geraldine Brooks 8/26/09 / Lori's: Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen 7/5/09
25.4 TBD
25.5 Outlander - Diana Gabaldon 8/5/09 / The Host - Stephanie Meyer 6/21/09
25.6 Lost in Austin - J.R. Ripley 7/21/09
25.7 World Without End - Ken Follett
25.8 Night's Touch - Amanda Ashley / Once Bitten Twice Shy - Jennifer Rardin
25.9 1800: Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy / 1900: Life, the Universe, and Everything - Douglas Adams / 2000: Undead and Unwed - Mary Janice Davidson
25.10 TBD

30.1 TBD
30.2 The Second Coming of Lucy Hatch - Marsha Moyer / Twelve Sharp - Janet Evanovich
30.3 Muslim: Reading Lolita in Tehran - Agar Nafisi
Jewish: TBD
30.4 Lyndon B. Johnson: Portrait of a President - Robert Dallek 362pgs
30.5 Uglies - Scott Westerfield / TBD / TBD
30.6 The Queen in Winter - Claire Delacroix, Lynn Kurland, Sharon Shinn, & Sarah Monette / Dreams of Stardust - Lynn Kurland
30.7 1949: Crooked House - Agatha Christie / 1977: Song of Solomon - Toni Morrison
30.8 #49 The Life of Pi - Yann Martel / #254 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
30.9 The Red Tent - Anita Diamant 6/8/09
30.10 Seventh Son - Orson Scott Card

50.1 TBD/TBD

# of Pages Read - 6403
# of Books Read - 17
# of Tasks Completed - 14
# of Tasks in Progress - 0

* Currently reading

My last post for this challenge! It's been fun. I finished up the outdoor task, the 2 555+page books and the through the ages task!

Brings me to 315!

Read:

5 Points
4. Wedding: Peony in Love 6/10/09
6. Christmas: Visions of Sugar Plums 6/23/09
9. Mystery: Eleven on Top 6/12/09

10 Points
1. Waitress: Dead and Gone 6/1/09
8. Street: 74 Seaside Avenue 6/11/09

15 Points
4. Quiz : Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass 8/9/2009
3. Outdoor: Mortified 2 Love is a Battlefield 8/26/2009
6. Opposites: The Almost Archer Sisters A Novel 7/15/2009 and The Brothers of Glastonbury 7/21/2009
10. Initials: M: Mistress of the Art of Death 6/15/09, H: The History of Love A Novel 8/7/2009

25 Points
2. Ashely ID Dystopian Novel: Uglies 6/4/09
5. Beth MN's Task - Read two books over 555 pgs: Obsidian Butterfly 596 pgs. 8/26/2009 and Narcissus in Chains 644 pgs 8/31/2009
9. Reading Through the Ages: 1800s: Madame Bovary 8/31/2009 1900s: The Clan of the Cave Bear 6/8/09 2000s: Twelve Sharp6.28.09
10. Kristina GA's Task - Secret Society: Second Sight 7/24/2009

30 points
5. Kristen IL's (3 YA): Pretties 6/12/09, Rebel Angels 6/20/09, The Sweet Far Thing 6/21/09
6. Bridgit’s: Short Stoires Dead After Dark (Includes Dark-Hunter, #24) 7/3/09 and Seize the Night, Sherrilyn Kenyon 8/13/2009
8. Leora’s (2 from 1001 books): The Poisonwood Bible, 7/3/2009 The Sea 8/14/2009
9. Lizzi’s (book cover): Crocodile on the Sandbank 8/14/2009

Totals:
Points: 315
Tasks: 17
Books: 26
Pages: 12799

Finally got a chance to get on computer tonight - kids doing homework delayed me! I finished "Book Lust" by Nancy Pearl and "The Inn at Lake Devine" by Elinor Lipman for the 50 point challenge...Not really impressed with Book Lust, The Inn at Lake Devine was just ok if you ask me. I think I broke 200 points!

On to the Fall Challenge!

I can't believe summer is just about over (though for the summer challenge and for summer vacation it is sadly completely over!!!!)

I squeezed in a couple more tasks over the last week to up my points a bit; I'm a bit disappointed about the ones I didn't get to read though! lol! Here are my new tasks:

50.1 (Roseann's task) So Many Books, So Little Time A Year of Passionate Reading by Sara Nelson. This book was all right...I didn't like it as much as I expected to, though I did find it kinda interesting. I had a hard time choosing a book from it though. In the end I chose Playing Botticelliby Liza Nelson. This book was actually written by Sara Nelson's sister. Sara really liked the book;I personally liked the storyline, and really got into it in the end. I thought that it took way too long to get into the action of the story though- I lost interest many times and pushed myself to keep reading. I think I chose this book because Sara mentioned in the book that it was about a rural life, which I've always found fascinating.

30.9 Read a book based on the cover: Decipher by Stel Pavlou

30.5 Three YA books: A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin; Grey Griffins #1 The Revenge Of The Shadow King by Derek; Lewis, J.S. Benz and Tangerine by Edward Bloor

15.10 Initial Thoughts: My initials are RM so I read R is for Ricochet by Sue Grafton and Mr. Monk and The Blue Flu by Lee Goldberg

New Points: 125
Total points: 275

I came so close to making it to my goal of 300! Oh well, maybe next challenge when I can start on time! Now it's off to finish schoolwork for the first day of school so I can finish my fall challenge list!!!!

Ok, here is my last posting for the Summer Challenge! This weekend, I finished 2 books that allowed me to finish 2 multi-book tasks, so I have 5 books to report. :P

For 25 Point Task #9, April's Reading through the Ages task, I read:
- The Time Machine by H.G. Wells (1895)
- The Deeds of the Disturber by Elizabeth Peters (1988)
- The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (2001)

For Roseann's 50 Point Task, I read:
- The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

I really enjoyed the uniqueness of The Eyre Affair and look forward to reading the rest of the books in the Thursday Next series. The Time Machine was interesting, and I'm glad I read it, but I can't say it's one of my favorite books. The Deeds of the Disturber is probably my least favorite in the Amelia Peabody series, but only because it is set in London instead of Egypt. Amelia and Emerson themselves are as engaging as ever.

I've been a fan of Nick Hornby for a while and found The Polysyllabic Spree, his first book of columns on what he was reading, to be delightfully honest and quite interesting. I literally had to stop myself from continuing right on to reading his second book of columns - hopefully I can find a place to stick that one during the Fall Challenge! The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is one of the books Hornby reads, and I am glad I was able to read it as well. It was funny, honest, and heartbreaking, all at the same time.

Funnily enough, these last 2 books I read (The Eyre Affair and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time) were both partially set in Swindon, England. :P Oh, the funny coincidences in life!

Here are my final totals for the Summer Challenge:
Points: 565/940
Tasks completed: 29/53
Books read: 41/73
Pages read: 13,007

Congrats to everyone who finished this "impossible" challenge, and good luck to everyone in the Fall Challenge! See you there! :)

Finished my last book!

Task #10.4 complete by reading Black Fairy Tales. This was my first challenge and I did better than I thought I would.

Final total = 450 points

Task 30.9 9:25 EST - Just finished The Most Beautiful Book in the World by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt. Kind of a French Lives of the Poets by Doctorow. I read it because of the cover when I saw it at Borders. Here's an image:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51...

Points: 240
Books completed: 19

5.9 Playback by Raymond Chandler
5.10 Undying Glory by Clinton Cox
10.9 Koufax by Jane Leavy
15.5 Cold Mountain by Fraser & Hot Kid by Elmore Leonard
15.6 Zeitoun by Dave Eggers
15.10 The Match by Mark Frost & Twilight by Meyer
20.1 Among Schoolchildren by Tracy Kidder
20.2 Beyond Band of Brothers by Dick Winters
25.9 Life on the Mississippi by Twain
Message from Nam by Danielle Steel
Plot Against America by Philip Roth
30.5 The Chocolate War by Cormier
The Diary of Anne Frank
We Will Not Be Moved by Joan Dash
30.9 The Most Beautiful Book in the World
by Eric-Emmanule Schmitt
50.1 Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading by Maureen Corrigan
Black Boy by Richard Wright

- Mike

I did finish a book last night but it would not have fit into the challenge. Here is my completed list of books and tasks finished.

5 Points
2. The Dead Don't Dance by Charles Martin-8/19 (326 pgs)

3.Fame Junkies: The Hidden Truths Behind America's Favorite Addiction by Jake Halpern-8/22 (198 pgs)

4.Jack with a Twist: Engaging Your Adversary and Other Things They Don't Teach You in Law School by Brenda Janowitz-6/30 (373 pgs)

5.Orange Mint and Honey by Carleen Brice-8/17 (303 pgs)

6.An Idiot Girl's Christmas: True Tales from the Top of the Naughty List by Laurie Notaro-8/5 (137 pgs)

7.Little Miss Smarty-Pants by Suzanne Kopoulos-6/3 (308 pgs)

8.Swallow the Ocean: A Memoir by Laura Flynn-8/21 (272 pgs)

9.Swimsuit by James Patterson-7/5 (391 pgs)

10.The Help by Kathryn Stockett-8/10 (451 pgs)

10 Points
1. Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs-8/8 (341 pgs)

5.Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay-8/23 (293 pgs)

6.Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro-8/23 (288 pgs)

7.8th Confession by James Patterson-6/8 (352 pgs)

8.Two-Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt-8/25 (288 pgs)

9.The Girl Who Threw Butterflies by Mick Cochrane-8/26 (177 pgs)

10.The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon-6/13 (221 pgs)

15 Points
2.The Abortionist's Daughter by Elisabeth Hyde-8/17 (285 pgs)

3.Dune Road by Jane Green-8/2 (341 pgs)

4.The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger-7/29 (537 pgs)

5.Crazy Love by Leslie Morgan Steiner-6/16 (322 pgs)

6.The Angels of Morgan Hill by Donna VanLiere-8/16 (228 pgs)
Devil in the Details:Scenes from an Obsessive Girlhood-8/20 (242 pgs)

7.Popular:The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls-7/22 (288 pgs)
Unpopular:The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler-6/11 (250 pgs)

8.5 Star book: Cloud Nine by Luanne Rice-7/10 (331 pgs)
1 Star book: Prozac Nation by Elizabeth Wurtzel-7/16 (311 pgs)

9.The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner-6/19 (369 pgs)
Still Alice by Lisa Genova-7/13 (292 pgs)

10.A:April and Oliver by Tess Callahan-6/14 (326 pgs)
F:Finding Me by Darnella Ford-6/2 (280 pgs)

20 Points
1.Star by Pamela Anderson-7/26 (406 pgs)

2.Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum-7/18 (482 pgs)

25 Points
1.The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald-7/17 (180 pgs)
The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian-7/12 (384 pgs)

2.Uglies by Scott Westerfeld-7/3 (425 pgs)

3.Lori= You're Not You by Michelle Wildgen-6/27 (274 pgs)
Cynthia=Scot On The Rocks: How I Survived My Ex-Boyfriend's Wedding With My Dignity Ever-So Slightly Intact by Brenda Janowitz-6/15 (293 pgs)

4.Ruby Among Us by Tina Ann Forkner-7/14 (318 pgs)

5.Holly's Inbox by Holly Denham-7/13 (665 pgs)
True Evil by Greg Iles-8/24 (637)

6.Invitation to a Murder: 48 Hours] by Gail A Zimmerman-7/15 (336 pgs)

8.Names My Sisters Call Me by Megan Crane-6/24 (318 pgs)
Columbine by Dave Cullen-6/29 (360 pgs)

9.1800's:The Awakening by Kate Chopin-8/17 (221 pgs)
1900's: Midwives by Chris Bohjalian-6/5 (370 pgs)
2000's: Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella-7/24 (485 pgs)

10.Under the Rose: An Ivy League Novel by Diana Peterfreund-8/26 (352 pgs)

30 Point Tasks
1.Blonde by Joyce Carol Oates-8/12 (738 pgs)
The Many Lives of Marilyn Monroe by Sarah Churchwell-8/30 (338 pgs)

2.Lucie:The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs-6/22 (345 pgs)
Lucy:Knitting Under the Influence by Claire LaZebnik-8/14 (397 pgs)

4.Obama: From Promise to Power] by David Mendell-6/16 (387 pgs)

5.Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott-6/26 (276 pgs)
Just Listen By Sarah Dessen-7/20 (371 pgs)
Pretties by Scott Westerfeld-7/21 (370 pgs)

6.Everything I Needed to Know about Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume by Jennifer O'Connell (Editor), Meg Cabot, Megan McCafferty, Melissa Senate, Diana Peterfreund-6/7 (275 pgs)
Secret Society Girl: An Ivy League Novel by Diana Peterfreund-6/10 (291 pgs)

8.I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou-7/8 (281 pgs)
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides-7/8 (249 pgs)

9.Little Lamb Lost by Margaret Fenton-6/24 (254 pgs)

10.Only Begotten Daughter by James Morrow-8/2 (312 pgs)

50 Point Mid-Way Task
1.So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading by Sara Nelson-7/31 (242 pgs)
Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson by Mitch Albom-8/12 (192 pgs)

Update: 8/31/09
Points:805/940
Tasks: 45/53
Books Completed: 63/73
Pages Read: 20,945

It looks like I may finish fourth after those who have finished. I really wanted to finshed (only needed to read 10 more books), but I had some challenging life issues to tackle that were unexpected.
See you all at the new group!! Thanks Cynthia :)

Did not finish, but got pretty darn close. Final tally:


5.1 Small Town -Alive and Well in Prague, New York by Daphne Grab
5.2 Dance -Ten Cents a Dance by Christine Fletcher
5.3 Musician -Plastic Fantastic by Simon Cheshire
5.4 Marriage -That Summer by Sarah Dessen
5.5 Fruit/Vegetable- The Poison Apples by Lily Archer
5.6 Christmas in July- Mistletoe by Hailey Abbott
5.7 <50 ratings, Genre=Young Adult-Soul Enchilada by David Macinnis Gill
5.8 Beach Book-Island of Lost Girls - Jennifer McMahon
5.9 Mystery- The Christopher Killer by Alane Ferguson
5.10 American Revolution - Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

Total: 50

10.1 Waitress-Turning Tables by Heather MacDowell
10.2 Percy Shelley-Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
10.3 Fairy Tale - Tender Morsels by Margo Langan (Snow White and Rose Red)
10.4 Africa- The Bite of the Mango by Mariatu Kamara
10.5 France - Hungry Woman in Paris by Josephina Lopez
10.6 Japan- Turning Japanese by Cathy Yardley*
10.7 6/7/8- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6) by J.K. Rowling
10.8 Boulevard- Angels on Sunset Boulevard by Melissa de la Cruz
10.9 Baseball- The Natural by Bernard Malamud*
10.10 Dog- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

Total : 100

15.1 Dream Vacation - Iceland- Pets by Bragi Olafsson
15.2 Casting Call -Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty
15.3 Great Outdoors -The Reader by Bernard Schlink
15.4 Quiz Me- Carrie by Steven King
15.5 Current Events - Sex Slavery of Young Women in South East Asia- Sold by Patricia McCormick
15.6 Opposites Attract
SKINNY Dip by Carl Hiaasen
FAT Hoochie Prom Queen by Nico Medina
15.7 Popular- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Unpopular- Citizen Girl by Emma McLaughlin
15.8 Friend - Jenn
5 Star- Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
1 Star- Bliss by Lauren Myracle
15.9 Name
Lucas by Kevin Brooks
Mistik Lake by Martha Brooks
15.10 Initial thought - SE
Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
Evernight by Claudia Gray

Total : 150

20.1 Same Bday
Is Paris Burning? by Larry Collins
20.2 WWII
Anne Frank and Me by Cherie Bennett and Jeff Gottesfeld
Total : 40

25.1 Classic Re-invented
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
& Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
25.2 Dystopian- The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood
25.3 Mod Squad
Lori's Shelf - A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore
Cynthia's Shelf - The Heroines by Eileen Favorite
25.4 Ruby, Pearl, Peridot- Good Girls by Laura Ruby
25.6 Washington DC
Ready or not by Meg Cabot
25.7 900+ pages
The Stand by Stephen King
25.8 2 Good Reads Authors
Marlene Perez - Dead is the New Black*
Cecil Castelluci - Beige
25.9 1800s, 1900s, 2000s
1800s - Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
1900s - Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block
2000s - Looking for Alaska by John Green
25.10 Secret Society
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E.Lockhart
Total : 225

30.2 Lucy, Ricky, Fred, Ethel
Sweetblood by Pete Hautman (Lucy)
Bitter Sweets by Farooki Roopa (Ricky)
30.3 Summer Peace Accord
Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye (Muslim, actually Palestinian heroine/protagonist)
How to Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone Elkeles (Jewish protagonist)
30.5 Three YA Books
Wake by Lisa McMann
Ghosts of Kerfol by Deborah Noyes
Wonder when you'll miss me by Amanda Davis
30.6 Short Story & Author Never Read
Many Bloody Returns by Charlaine Harris, P.N. Elrod, Jim Butcher, Kelley Armstrong, etc.
The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
30.7 Daddy's Birth Year and mine
1940 - Farewell my Lovely by Raymond Chandler
1981 - Tar Baby by Toni Morrison
30.8 1001 Books to read before death
Morvern Callar by Alan Warner
Breakfast at Tiffanys by Truman Capote
30.9 Book Cover- Generation Dead by Daniel Waters
30.10 Mythopoeic-The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley

Total : 240

50 pt Book about books and rec.

Beyond Heaving Bosoms by Sara Wendell and Candy Tan
Anyone but you by Jennifer Crusie

Total : 50 points


Total:855

Congrats to all who finished, plus those of us who made personal goals that they met!

See ya at the fall challenge!

Unexpectedly finished one more :D Podkayne of Mars by Robert A. Heinlein for task 15.2 Casting Call.

Cast:
Podkayne Fries: Dakota Fanning (Sadly I just don't know many other actresses that age, I would probably pick an unknown)
Clark Fries: Hero Fiennes-Tiffin
Uncle Tom: Morgan Freeman
Girdie: Tricia Helfer
Mrs. Grew: Kathy Bates
Captain Darling: Dennis Quaid
Dexter: Sung Kang
Mommy: Charlize Theron
Daddy: Ioan Gruffudd
Mr. Cunha: George Takei

So my final tally is 160 :P Congrats to everyone who finished! That really is amazing!

Nicole wrote: "You underestimate how fast I read. I AM DONE!

Completed the final task for me- 25.9!

Read
1800s Little Men by Louisa May Alcott (did not like it ANYWHERE near as much as Little Women
1900sRevolu..."

Congrats - I've been pulling for you.

My last post for the Summer Challenge. I finished The Book of Lost Things for task 10.3. My final point tally is 505.

Adrienne wrote: "Hey Cynthia,

Not that it really matters at this point, but I think you missed my post for task 30.6. It was post number 6610.

I just really wanted to get over the 300 mark.

Thanks."Sorry about that - I've got it fixed now. I want everything to be as accurate as possible so thanks for letting me know.

Hey Cynthia,

Not that it really matters at this point, but I think you missed my post for task 30.6. It was post number 6610.

I just really wanted to get over the 300 mark.

Thanks.

Just finished task 25.1 read Pride and Prejudice and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Final total 430 pts!!

Here is my Final List Aug. 31, 2009
5 Point Tasks
1.) Small Town - The Last Bridge by Terri Coyne (read 6/5)
Review link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61005...
4.) Wedding - changed to The Lie by Fredrica Wagman from Summer Sisters by Judy Blume (read 7/28)
Review link:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63258...
6.) Christmas in July - Benny & Shrimp by Katrina mazetti
Review link:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62816...
7.) Hidden Favorite - A Circle of Souls by Preethem Grandhi (read 7/15)
Preview link:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65454...
9.) Mystery or Crime - Wait Until Twilight by Sang Pak
Review link:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60820...
15 Point Tasks
1.) Dream Vacation - National Geographic Traveler: San Diego
Review link:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13116...
Travel data from my blog post at Layers of Thought:
http://layersofthought.blogspot.com/2009...
2.) Casting Call - Barrar by Lois McMaster Bujold
Cordelia Naismith - Sandra Bullock but with dyed red hair.
Aral Vorkosigan - Tom Cruz
Review link:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61905...
3.) The Great Outdoors - This Will Kill You by Rich Maloof and HP Newquist (read 6/15)
Preview link:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59584...
10.) Initials - S and N Shards of Honor by Louis McMaster Bujold and Night by Ellie Wiesel (read 6/9 and 6/10 respectively)
Review link of Shard of Honor linked below:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61903...
Review of Night link below:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1617....
25 Point Tasks
2.) Dystopian Read - Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (read 7/27)
Review link:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/89316...
3.) Mod Squad Reads - Cynthia: Garden Spells by Sara Addison Allen
Lori - The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Review link for Garden Spells:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11589...
Review link for The Road:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6288....
5.) Two 555 plus page SF/Fantasy Reads - The Mote in God's Eye by Niven and Pournelle and Mistborn by Brian Sanderson
Review link for The Mote in God's Eye:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10036...
Review link for Mistborn:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27050...
10.) Good Reads Authors - The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan and Speak by Laurie Halse (read 6/25 and 6/15)
Review link for The Forest of Hands and Teeth link below
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34324...
Review link for Speak below
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43928...

Total Points 185/970
Books Read 16/71
Tasks Completed 13/53
Pages Read 4762


Next time I'm going to figure out how to post this so all the html is not showing. Congrats to everyone on completing the challenge!

25. 10. Kristina GA's Task - Read A Book About A Secret Society And Post A Little Review About It. It Could Be Fiction Or Non-Fiction.
Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

10.7. June, July, August Are The 6/7/and 8th Months in the Year – Pick and Read ONE book that has…
• Or is the 6th/7th/or 8th book in a series.
The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis

TOTAL for CHALLENGE = 240

Donna Jo wrote: "Krista wrote: "Newly Completed Tasks: -- (Final tasks for the Summer Challenge)

15.9 – What’s In a Name? – Read 2 Books Written By 2 Different Authors Who Share Either A First Or Last Name:
1..."

Thanks! That last book was a challenge, but I do have a great sense of accomplishment now. :-)

Krista wrote: "Newly Completed Tasks: -- (Final tasks for the Summer Challenge)

15.9 – What’s In a Name? – Read 2 Books Written By 2 Different Authors Who Share Either A First Or Last Name:
1) [book:Murder..."


Glad you finally mastered the Thomas Jefferson book. It's no fun to slog through a book that feels like it has no end. Looks like you've made a good showing.

My final points are for 15.4 for which I read Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Brings my final total to 405 just scraping past my personal goal of 400 :)

Kristina

Newly Completed Tasks: -- (Final tasks for the Summer Challenge)

15.9 – What’s In a Name? – Read 2 Books Written By 2 Different Authors Who Share Either A First Or Last Name:
1) Murder by the Glass by Michele Scott
2) I'm the Vampire, That's Why by Michele Bardsley

30.4 – Bio of a US President: American Sphinx The Character of Thomas Jefferson

This book was a bit of a slog, but I finally conquered it!!

I can’t believe I read 50 books and 15,000 pages in three months! Earlier in the year I thought folks that set a reading goal of 50 books a year were ambitious. Look what a little friendly competition will produce. :-) My original goal for the challenge was 500 points, and am happy to have gotten as far as I did in my first challenge. After I reached the 500 point mark, my new goal was to finish in the top twenty. I think I may squeak by in the top twenty. Wa-hoo.

Congratulations Nicole for finishing up in under the wire. I really like the poetry task you devised. That’s one genre I don’t delve into very much. It’s been so much fun getting to meet so many dedicated readers during this challenge. Now, it’s on to the Fall Challenge. I can’t wait!!

Books Read for Completed Tasks: 50
Pages Read: 15.006
Total Points: 715

My final points for this challenge:

10.1: Julie and Julia My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell

and

10.2: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

That brings my total up to: 260 pts.

My final post -

5.5 Strawberry Hill by Mary Ann Hoberman
5.6 Visions of Sugar Plums by Janet Evonovixh
30.6 A Short Wait Between Trains and The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner

Point Total: 540
Page Total: 14620

My original goal was 475, so I am quite pleased with the results :-)

Angie wrote: "Roseann wrote: "Hi everyone,

I've been away--new classes and the flu (not swine) had me down for quite a few days.

Congrats to Diane and Sam and a hearty WAY TO GO GIRL! to Nicole OH (I know you ..."

I'd love to go to the Bay Area, but I am doing the Online program and will be staying at home in San Diego.

Moving some around. I am moving 5.1, Winesburg, OH and 15.3, The Last Lecture, to 25.3. This should give me a points total of 710.

5.6: Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris (6/18)
5.7: Gate of the Giant Scissors by Annie Fellows Johnston (8/7)
5.9: A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (read 6/5/09)
5.10: In the Fall by Jeffrey Lent

10.2: Black Beauty by Anna Sewell (read 6/12/09)
10.3: Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire (6/16/09)
10.4: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (6/19)
10.5: The Stranger by Albert Camus (7/13)
10.7: The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
10.8: 6 Rainier Drive by Debbie Macomber (8/19)
10.9 The Natural by Bernard Malamud (7/24)
10.10: The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (6/19)

15.2: Casting call: The Beach House by Jane Green (7/7)
15.4: The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera (8/9)
15.5: O Pioneers! by Willa Cather (7/6/09)
15.6: The Last Battle and Abraham Lincoln, the First American (completed 8/29)
15.10: The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling (8/5) and Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley 8/6)

20.1: Continental Drift by Russell Banks (7/4)
20.2 Maus I A Survivor's Tale My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman (7/20)

25.2: The Giver by Lois Lowry (8/28)

25.3: Lori: Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson (7/29) and Cynthia: The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch (read 6/14/09)

25.4: Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier (read 6/8)
25.6 The Washingtonienne A Novel by Jessica Culter (7/29)
25.8 Little Altars Everywhere by Rebecca Wells and The Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner (completed 8/29)
25.9: 1800's The Time Machine by HG Wells (7/31)
1900's: The Call of the Wild by Jack London (8/3)
2000's: The Rule of Four (8/11)
25.10: The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury (8/27)

30.1 Versailles A Novel by Kathryn Davis and Last Days of Marie Antoinette An Historical Sketch
30.2 The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian (completed 6/24)
30.3: Persepolis 2 The Story of a Return (8/14) and Maus II A Survivor's Tale And Here My Troubles Began (8/17)
30.4: Thomas Jefferson (8/30)
30.5 Walk Two Moons, The Magician's Nephew, The Horse and His Boy (completed 6/20)
30.6 Rachel's Holidayby Marian Keys (7/19) Girls' Night Out (8/19)
30.7 The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis (7/26) Ironweed by William Kennedy (8/1)
30.8 The Passion by Jeanette Winterson and The Optimist's Daughter A Novel By by Eudora Welty (complete 6/5/09)
30.9 The Sand Castle by Rita Mae Brown

50.1 So Many Books, So Little Time A Year of Passionate Reading by Sara Nelson (7/26) and Charlotte's Web by EB White (7/27)

Ooh I made a mistake on my final. Here is the revision. And this is it the official official final. No more changes.

haha

5.1 Small Town: Anne of Windy Poplars by LM Montgomery
5.6 Christmas in July: The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans
5.7 Discover Hidden Gems: Mr. Pudgins by Ruth Christoffer Carlsen
5.9 Mystery or Crime Fiction: The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Lilian Jackson Braun
10.3 Adaptation of Fairy Tale: Once Upon A Marigold by Jean Ferris
10.6 Japan themed: Silk by Alessandro Baricco
10.7 Book to Cast Movie: The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah by Stephen King
10.10 Dogs Days of Summer: The Doberman Wore Black by Barbara Moore
15.7 Popularity Contest: The Adventures of Huck Finn by Mark Twain & Maggie: A Girl of the Streets by Stephen Crane
25.1 Classic Novel and Modern Reinterpretation: Peter Pan by JM Barrie & Hook by Terry Brooks
25.4 Birthstone: The Pearl Diver by Jeff Talarigo
25.9 Reading Thru the Ages: 1800's: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, 1900's Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini, 2000's Asta in the Wings by Jane Elizabeth Watson
25.10 Secret Society: Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society by Adeline Yen Mah
30.9 Book by the Cover: Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson

Total Points: 200/940
18/73 books
14/53 tasks

My last post! I just finished The Pillars of the Earth for task 25.7 (seems I wasn't the only one either!) which brings my final point total to 295. So close to breaking 300 but I'm pretty proud of my first challenge total. I wish I could participate in the Fall challenge but I'll be going back to school for my certificate in Children's Literature and I want to devote my time to that.

I did manage to read 22 books, 8,247 worth.

Congratulations, Sam, Diane and Nicole.

All 375 of us are awesome.

Congratulations to all the readers out there. Goodness gracious that's a lot of books to get thru in 3 months.

Roseann wrote: "Hi everyone,

I've been away--new classes and the flu (not swine) had me down for quite a few days.

Congrats to Diane and Sam and a hearty WAY TO GO GIRL! to Nicole OH (I know you wanted it ba..."


Congratulations. SJ State I've been told is a very good school. Not to mention there's lots to do in the bay area. :) And great restaurants down there.

Hi everyone,

I've been away--new classes and the flu (not swine) had me down for quite a few days.

Congrats to Diane and Sam and a hearty WAY TO GO GIRL! to Nicole OH (I know you wanted it bad).

Can't wait to see the final challenges and hope to see everyone in the Fall Challenge (masochistic readers unite!!!).


BTW--I think I posted before that I wanted to go to San Jose State in the Spring for their online MLIS program---I got my acceptance letter today!!!!

Now comes the hard part-applying for scholarships and financial aid ;-).