SRC Moderator’s Comments (group member since Aug 19, 2016)

SRC Moderator’s comments from the The Seasonal Reading Challenge group.

20.1 - Most Improved - Jenny H's Task: Go to Jail

One of my favourite boardgames is Monopoly. I remember playing it with my mum a lot when I was a kid - and getting my butt kicked! I was so proud the first time I managed to beat her. The original Monopoly board takes its inspiration from the streets of Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA with 22 streets lining the board. There is also a UK version which uses London street names.

Read a book whose title includes one word (that is not "the") from this list of Monopoly street names: https://monopoly.fandom.com/wiki/Street
The word in your book title needs to be an exact match to the word on the list.

Graphic novels that meet SRC requirements may be used for this task.

Required: State the word and the street it matches.

20.8 - Nickels & Dimes - Kathy P's Task: Back To School

September will always remind me of school so I have designed this task around some school subjects.

Choose one option and read a book for that option.
Required: State which option you choose.

Option 1: English

Read a book off this list:
Required Reading in High School

Required: State which page your book is found on.

Option 2: History

Read a book with a MPG of History or Historical Fiction. Variations are acceptable. Ex: American History

Option 3: Science

Read a Non-Fiction book with a MPG of Science.

20.9 - Moderator's Pet - Jasmiina F's task: Feels & Thrills.

This is a one-book task. Choose an option and read one book for that option.
Required: State the option.

Option 1: Emotional Skills Matter!
I'm currently working on my thesis, which is about emotional skills and how they play a crucial role in adulthood. For this task, read a book with a MPG of Self-Help or Personal Development.

Option 2: The Grown-Up Life.
Because of my thesis I've been thinking a lot about adulthood, and also how I want to live my life as an adult (although I don't always feel like one). For this task, choose a book that features at least one adult person on the cover. The book can be any genre, but the cover should clearly depict an adult character.

Examples:

REQUIRED: Include the cover in your post.

Option 3: The Next Adventure.
I haven't been traveling nearly enough because of school, but my next trip will likely be to Japan, South Korea, Taiwan or/and China. For this option, choose a book where at least 50% of the setting is in one of these countries, or by an author from one of these places. The book can be any genre, but it should give you a taste of the culture or landscape of East Asia.

Required: If the setting is not obvious from the GR blurb or metadata, or author's residence/birthplace is not obvious from the GR author page, provide a reference.

Option 4: Need a Laugh.
I’ve been stressed lately with all the demands of school and life, so let’s lighten the mood. For this option, read a book with a MPG of Humor. The book can be fiction or nonfiction.

Shelby wrote: "Would Playing with Fire work for superhero?"

Is the MC using their powers for good or to help others?
It doesn't seem like they are from the description.

Andy wrote: "Does tthis one work? Force Of Nature. The main character, Joe Pickett has a friend Nate who has his own sense of justice, Since Nate is one of the main characters"

They have to be fighting crime. I'm not sure what his own sense of justice means exactly.

20.4 - Golden Oldies - Kai's Task: Gilmore Girls

No other show makes me think of Fall as much as Gilmore Girls. This task is an ode to three of my favorite TV characters of all time.

This is a one book task. Please choose an option and read a book that meets the requirements.
REQUIRED: State the option.

OPTION 1: LORELAI: After giving birth to Rory at age 16, Lorelai left the home of her wealthy and controlling parents to live in a potting shed and work as a maid at the Independence Inn. From there, she worked her way up to Executive Manager and eventually became the co-owner and operator of the Dragonfly Inn with her best friend Sookie.

Read a book that features characters staying in or working at a hotel or inn. A Bed and Breakfast does not count, because Lorelai hates a B&B. All other types of inns/hotels are acceptable (guest lodge, pension, hostel, etc.), but not house rentals (like Airbnb).

REQUIRED: If the setting is not evident from the description or the GR metadata, provide a reference.

OPTION 2: RORY: It seems like all fictional teenagers these days easily get into Ivy League schools despite never opening a book or even appearing remotely studious. The same cannot be said for Rory Gilmore: dedicated student and avid bookworm. One of my favorite things about the series are the number of literary references they throw in.

Read one book from the Gilmore Girls Complete Reading List. All other SRC rules apply (not all books on the list may be eligible).

REQUIRED: State the list page your book was found on.

OPTION 3: EMILY: The matriarch of the family has a battle-axe exterior and can be both calculating and cold-hearted, but she's also one of the most insecure characters on the show. While her daughter and granddaughter blaze their own trails through life, Emily belongs to a class of women who were seen as ornamental and supportive, never truly independent. Her most vulnerable moments usually involved some great freak-outs and classic quotes. My favorite is when she is told by her husband Richard, "Only prostitutes have two glasses of wine at lunch" and Emily responds, "Well then, buy me a boa and drive me to Reno because I am open for business!"

Read a book with all of the letters RENO in the title (not subtitle). Letters can be in any order.

25.9 - Bookwrm256's Task: Fall in the Southland

Fall is my absolute favorite season, and as a born and raised southerner, I feel this saying in my heart "Fall is a Southerner's Reward for Having Survived Summer". I'm basing this task around this phrase. For this task, read two books:

Required: State which option you used for book 2.

Book 1: Read a book with a word of five or more letters that can be made from the phrase "Fall is a Southerner's Reward for Having Survived Summer".. Letters can only be used as often as they appear in the phrase. Titles only, ignore subtitles.

Required: State the target word.

Book 2 Option 1: Read a book with an anagram of your target word from book 1 in the title (ignore subtitles).

Required: State the word.

Book 2 Option 2: Read a book by a single author where all the letters of the author's last name can be found in the phrase. Letters can only be used as often as they appear in the phrase.

25.8 - Shelby's Task: Are You Ready For Some Football???

So, I am a HUGE Seahawks fan, and I am ecstatic that it is finally time for football to start up again. Opening weekend cannot get here soon enough for me. I love talking football and often surprise people, ok let’s be honest mostly guys, with how much I know about the game. I am not your “oooh, I like their colors” fan. I can tell you pretty much all of the players on our 53-man roster and who’s going to start and how things look for the season. This year has a lot of budding hope developing in the Seahawks fan base. A large part of that is that we have a brand-new coaching staff this year. We moved on this season with our long time Hall of Fame coach for a new regime, but there’s a lot of momentum developing behind it. With that in mind I’m honoring my Seahawks and the potential for new exciting things this season with this challenge.

Choose two different options and read a book for each option. Also because the excitement for this all comes from the unknown and the hope for something great to come from all that newness, one of your books must be from a New-to-You author.
Required: State the options and which of your books is by the New-to-You author.


Option 1: This whole task is really about my favorite team so, read a book by a single author where the author’s initials (you may ignore middle initials) appear in SEATTLE SEAHAWKS. You may only use a letter as many times as it appears.

Option 2. As I said above the Seahawks are moving on from one of the greatest coaches in franchise history. Pete Carroll will forever be beloved in Seattle and will always be respected for the Super Bowl Championship he brought to the city. He was the Seahawks coach for 14 years, but he was the oldest coach in the NFL. To honor Pete Carroll, read a book published prior to the year he was born in 1951 (i.e. a book from 1950 or earlier) or a book that is #14 in a series. The series must be apparent in greyscale on the GR book page.

Option 3: Needing to replace the legend the Seahawks are taking a big swing in the exact opposite direction with the hiring of Mike Mcdonald. Hailed as the newest defensive guru he is now the youngest head coach in the NFL. Read a book first published in 2024.

Option 4: The NFL season has recently gone to a 17-game season, which means it is actually 18 weeks long. Read a book whose page count ends in either 1, 7, or 8.

Option 5: The Seahawks fan base is famously known as the 12’s. They regularly cause false starts and other problems for the opposing offense with how loud they are at Lumen Field (they have actually registered as an earthquake on seismometers in the area). To honor the 12’s, read a book that is #1, 2, or 12 in a series from one of your favorite authors. The series must be apparent in greyscale on the GR book page.
Required: State that the author is a favorite.

Bonus: If you’re a football fan, shout out your favorite team and let us know how you think they’re going to do this year. The Seahawks I truly believe have a good shot at making the playoffs this year even though they play in one of the toughest division in football. :D

25.7 - Lois' Task: Sorry!

Sorry! is a classic board game, which I played as a child, I played with my children, and now I play with my grandchildren. It is a simple but competitive game that can be enjoyed by all ages!

This is a two book task. Choose two of the following options.
Required: State the options you chose.

Option 1. Some elements on the Sorry! game board are Start, Home, and Slide. Read a book with Start, Home, or Slide intact in the title.

Option 2. Sorry! is played with 2-4 people. Game pieces are red, yellow, blue, and green. Read a book with at least two of these colors on the cover, according to TinEye. Any percentage is acceptable as long as it is present.
Required: Post the cover and state the colors with their TinEye percentages.

Option 3. Drawing the Sorry! card is great, though risky if you are playing with a young child who does not like to be "sorried." In that case, I prefer the 2 Draw Again card, and sometimes the Backward 4 can be very advantageous. Read a book that is #2 or #4 in a series. Series must be indicated on the main page in grayscale.

Option 4. Sorry! has an exclamation point in its name. Read a book with an exclamation point in the title (disregard subtitle).

25.6 - RedSycamore's Task: Ticket To Ride

Fall always makes me crave a long train ride through the woods as the colors change, so this task will be based on the 2004 board game, Ticket to Ride! It's a railway-themed, turn-based strategy board game that's won over a dozen awards. If you're looking for an easy-to-learn game with tons of replay value that's good for kids and adults, this is the one.

Since you're always looking for alternate routes in Ticket to Ride, you can complete this task by either of two methods:
Read Two Books: Read two books from the options below. You may use the same option twice.
OR
Read One Book: Read one book of at least 500 pages that satisfies the criteria from two different options.

Required: State the options you used

Option 1: The Original
In the 20 years since its original release, Ticket to Ride has sold 18 million copies and been translated into 33 languages!

Read a book that is numbered 18-33 in a series (inclusive, whole numbers only). The series must be apparent in greyscale on the GR book page.

Option 2: Mystery Train
This first, free mini-expansion came hot on the heels of the original release.

Read a book with the MPG Mystery, either stand-alone or combined ('Cozy Mystery', 'Mystery Thriller', etc.)

Option 3: Ghost Train
There are many more expansions for the game, but I can't pass up one that's so thematically appropriate to the season.

Read a book with at least one of the MPGs Horror, Weird Fiction, New Weird, or Speculative Fiction

Option 4: Rails and Sails
There were even expansions that added characters, new game piece designs, and new modes of transportation.

Read a book that has any of the following Ticket to Ride related words found intact in the title or subtitle: Conductor, Engine, Freight, Industrial, Magnate, Master, Rail, Ride, Sail, Station, Steam, Ticket, or Train

Required: State the Ticket to Ride word.

While the word must be found intact, it does not need to be stand-alone, so any of the following would work for this option: Deckhand: Life on Freighters of the Great Lakes (Freight), The Masterpiece (Master), Frailty (Rail), and Pride and Prejudice (Ride).

However, the task word may not be split between sub/title words as in Divine Conduct or the Mystery of Providence (Conductor), Appalachian Fall: Dispatches from Coal Country on What's Ailing America (Sail).

Katrisa wrote: "Can the Crime MPG be embedded like in True Crime or does it have to be stand alone?"

It has to be a stand alone MPG

Rebecca wrote: " First Lie Wins"

I'm sorry, did you have a question about this one? When I click the link it also just takes to search instead of one book :)

Kim wrote: "Would Zorro work as a vigilante?

Thank you"

Yes, that works :)

Michelle wrote: "

I assume this works?"

Yes that works :)

25.5 - Lisa MD’s Task: Bookopoly



It’s game night for the SRC, so pull up your armchair, turn on your reading lamp, and prepare to turn some pages because we are going to play Bookopoly.

Bookopoly is a boardgame which allows players to glimpse inside the world of classic literature. Inspired by the classic boardgame, Monopoly, players roll dice to move their tokens around a board, where they can buy, sell, and trade properties. In this case, properties are books, and the player can buy bookstores and trade them in for libraries. Each property card has printed on its back facts about the book and author. To add to the fun, players may land on the space “Explore!” or “Knowledge,” which requires them to pick an action card and follow its instructions. Let’s begin and see who may win the title of President of the Book Club.

This is a 2-book task.

Dicer Roller: https://www.calculator.net/dice-rolle...

Book 1:
Roll the 6-sided die to see which token you will be playing with, then read a book whose title and/or subtitle contain the letters of your game piece.
Required: State the number of the die you rolled.

1 – Worm
2 - Ship
3 - Glasses
4 - Bee
5 - Horse
6 -Whale

Book 2:
Roll the 6-sided die to see what property or action your token lands on, then read a book to satisfy the description.
Required: State the number of the die you rolled.

1 –Property:
You landed on a Genre property. Read a book from one of these genres listed on the board: Romance, Mystery, Humor, Sci-Fi, or Fantasy. Genre must appear on Main Page, standalone or embedded.

2 – Buy a Bookstore:
Independent book stores are celebrated one day in the month of April across the United States and also for a week in June in the U.K. and Ireland. Read a book originally published in April or June of any year.

3- Explore! Card:
Read a book whose title and/or subtitle contains an exclamation point, question mark, colon, or hyphen.

4 – Trade Your Bookstores for a Library:
Read a book that features a bookstore or library in the story. The bookstore or library must be essential to the storyline (e.g. a main character works there, or it's a key location within the plot), not merely a passing sentence where someone stops in a bookstore or library.
Required: If this is not clear from the book description, then provide a reference.

5 – Knowledge Card:
Read a book whose author’s first and last initials can be found in ENCYCLOPEDIA or WIKIPEDIA. Your book may have multiple authors, only one needs to meet the criteria.
Required: State which word you used.

6 – President of the Book Club:
Read a book whose title contains a word of four or more letters that can be made from the phrase, “President of the Book Club.” Letters may only be used as often as they appear.

25.4 - Robin P's Task: ‘60’s Board Games

My brother and I played a lot of board games growing up. Here are a few of them.
Choose 2 different options and read 1 book from each option.

1. Careers – Players choose paths for farming, business, law, or even going into space (it was the '60's!). You accumulate money but also fame and happiness.
Read a book with a job title in the author’s name or in the title (not subtitles.)
Occupation must be on one of these lists: http://www.namenerds.com/uucn/listofw...
https://surnames.behindthename.com/na...
Plurals and possessives are allowed. Translated equivalents of names are permitted, but per SRC rules you must explain how it fits.

Required: Specify which list the name appears on.

Examples – Longbourn- Jo Baker
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency - Alexander McCall Smith
The Weaver Takes a Wife
Butcher's Crossing

2. Monopoly - Everyone knows this game which exists in many international formats.
Read a book with one of the original 10 Monopoly tokens on the cover.
These are:
Racecar (any car is acceptable)
Battleship (any large military ship is acceptable - not civilian vessels such as cruise liners or ferries)
Scottie Dog (any domestic dog is acceptable, but no foxes or wolves)
Cannon
Horse with Rider (must have a person riding)
Top Hat (must be a top hat, not just any hat)
Boot (can be on a foot or by itself, and can be any kind of boot - but not a shoe)
Wheelbarrow
Thimble
Iron (Were these last two intended for female players?)

Required: Post the cover.

3. Mystery Date – You have to assemble the necessities for a date – dress, shoes, flowers, and of course a boy. Heaven forbid you would get stuck with the nerdy Poindexter!
Read a book with MPG Romance AND one of the following: Mystery, Thriller, or Suspense (or one MPG which is a combination, such as Romantic Suspense.)

4. Mousetrap – You build a “better mousetrap” by assembling odd parts, like a boot that kicks a marble down a staircase to land on a seesaw to launch a figurine, etc. The idea was based on drawings by humor cartoonist Rube Goldberg, who depicted elaborate processes to accomplish simple task.
Read a book from the first 20 pages of this Humor list: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

Required: State the page of the list your book is found on.

5. Parcheesi (also Pachisi, and other spellings) is based on an ancient game from India. The game Sorry is also a derivation of this race game where you can send your opponent back to Start. Read a book set at least 70% in India.

Required: If the setting isn’t obvious from the book page or GR metadata, provide a reference.

25.3: Tien's Task: Completing (other) reading challenges!

I'm struggling with these tasks but they are the last one of different sets which has been languishing in the corner so please help me finish these off

This is a two-book task. Please select one book from two different options.
Required: State the option

Option 1:
Read a book where the first word in title (excluding the words: the, a, an) OR author's initial (first or last) begins with I OR V

Option 2:
Read a book from:
laughter
Required: State the page.

Option 3:
Read a book from:
Best of 1920's
Required: State the page.

IT'S A FACT FINAL


If the totals here don't match your records, first check the folder Completed Tasks with ? or Problems to see if there's a message there about your post(s). If that doesn't resolve the issue, please post a message there and I'll investigate. Thanks!

Amanda VA 2
Angela IL 4
Apple 4
Brigia 1
brooke4.0 2
CathyG 1
Christine V 4
Deedee 2
Delicious Dee 5
ED 1
Elizabeth P 2
EMurphy 4
Eshay 2
Fly 4
Hannelore 1
Jammin Jenny 2
Jecca 3
Jen B 1
JenJ IA 8
Joanne MI 5
JUKKA 1
Julia103 5
Kathy KS 11
Kathy P 10
Katy 3
Kelly L 3
Kristen IA 5
KsMary 2
Lindsey IL 4
LisaMD 12
Lora 2
Lys 3
Mai 14
MaryPDX 1
MAZZA1 2
MEGSCL 5
Molly 3
PegW 3
ROBIN P 13
Sarah E 3
SarahBR 1
SHAUNA W 1
slideshell 1
Terri FL 1
TessaVanessa 1
trishhartuk 4
XBM 4
Zoeycat 7

GOLDEN OLDIES FINAL


If the totals here don't match your records, first check the folder Completed Tasks with ? or Problems to see if there's a message there about your post(s). If that doesn't resolve the issue, please post a message there and I'll investigate. Thanks!

Apple 5
Christine V 1
Delicious Dee 1
Elizabeth P 2
EMurphy 2
FLY 5
Hannelore 3
Jammin Jenny 1
Jayme(theghostreader) 1
JUKKA 1
Julia103 2
Kai 6
Kathy KS 2
Keli 2
Kristen IA 1
KS MARY 1
Marie-Anne 1
Mazza1 1
MEGSCL 1
Paula S 1
Robin P 8
Sarah E 1
SHAUNA W 1
Tea 5
Terri FL 2
trishhartuk 7
XBM 1

BIG BOOK TICKETS FINAL

If the totals here don't match your records, first check the folder Completed Tasks with ? or Problems to see if there's a message there about your post(s). If that doesn't resolve the issue, please post a message there and I'll investigate. Thanks!

Angela IL 4
Apple 1
babbling c 1
Beth NC 16
Brigia 2
brooke4.0 4
Christine V 3
Cindie 1
CindyF 1
Delicious Dee 2
ED 1
Elizabeth P 3
EMurphy 3
FLY 5
Hannelore 3
Jasmiina F 1
Jecca 3
JEN B 1
Jen B 1
JenJ IA 1
Jenny H 2
Jessica S 2
Joanne MI 1
Julia103 6
Kai 2
Keli 1
Kim O 1
Kristen IA 3
Lisa MD 1
Lora 1
Marie-Anne 2
Mazza1 13
MEGSCL 3
Nick KY 2
Robin P 2
Sanz 1
Sarah E 1
Sarah H 2
slideshell 2
Tea 4
trishhartuk 2
XBM 1