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

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

This help thread is open

This help thread is open

30.9 - Amy FL's Task: Farewell to My Love

On February 5, my husband, Charlie, passed away after suffering with Parkinson’s disease for the past 18 years. It was a long, arduous battle but he is now at peace. The last month of his life was especially rough, but there were some amazing hospice nurses who made things more bearable.

Select two options and read a book for each one. The combined total pages must be 501 or greater. No childrens or kids books allowed.
Required: State the options.

Option 1: Nurse Micheline and aide Laneeka were so kind and supportive. They are what all hospice nurses should aspire to.

Read a book by an author whose initials can be found in
MICHELINE OR LANEEKA (separately not combined). All initials count.

Option 2: We were married for 37 years, so for this option, read a book with a 3 and 7 in the page count.

Option 3: We used to listen to audiobooks together which was a big help in having me complete the SRC the past few years. The last book we finished on January 28 was The Dog I Loved. We especially enjoyed stories about dogs and my two (Rocky and Bandit) provide so much love to help me get through the tough times.

Read a book with a domestic dog on the cover.
Required: Post the cover.

Option 4: I sang a song to Charlie a few days before he passed to express my feelings. I made it through the first two verses, but then I turned it over to Spotify and the real artist, Taylor Dayne.

Read a book with a word in the title (ignore subtitle) of 4 or more letters from the lyrics of I’ll Always Love You by Taylor Dayne - https://www.songfacts.com/lyrics/tayl...
The word must match exactly.
Required: State the word.

This help thread is open

This help thread is open.

This help thread is open.

The Best Review Poll is open. You may vote until the end of the GR day of February 28.

Thanks to Lucy-Bookworm for the new Spring Challenge logo and masthead!

20.5 - Bigger is Better - Kristina Simon's task: Sail Away

As many of you know, I stepped down from moderating the SRC to fulfill a lifetime dream of living and cruising aboard a sailboat. A huge thank you to DLMRose and Sandy for putting up with me for many, many years and a hearty welcome to the new moderating team. You rock!! I'm so happy you're here.

This is a one book task. Choose 1 option from the options below and read 1 book.

Required: State the option you used when you post.

Option 1: SO Much Stuff!
Since I've been gone, hubby and I have been busy selling excess boats/cars/you-name-it and getting rid of all our things. It's amazing the amount of stuff that accumulates after 10 years in a house!
Read a book written by an author whose initials (all of them) can be found in DECLUTTER. Multiple authors will work as long as all author's initials can be found in the target word. Letters may only be used as often as they appear.

Option 2: SALE to SAIL
The house is on the market. So we're waiting for a SALE so we can SAIL away.
Read a book with a homonym found on this list in TITLE (not subtitle) - https://www.enchantedlearning.com/eng...
Any word on the list works. Words must match exactly.
Required: State the word when you post.

Option 3: Cats Away
In the meantime, I'm living vicariously through my favorite YouTube channels. Much like hubby and I, the couple on the sailing catamaran Cats Away travel with 2 cats aboard. Read a book with a domestic cat (a pet, not a lion, tiger, or other big cat) on the cover. The entire cat need not be visible, but there must be enough of it to tell its a cat (not just whiskers, claws, footprints, or eyes, for example). Stylized is fine, as long as its obviously a cat. Examples:

Required: Include the cover in your post.

20.4 - Golden Oldies - Maria Jo's Task: The Queen of Crime

One of my favorite authors is Agatha Christie, and reading her books is often the reason I am able to claim Golden Oldies tickets! This task is in honor of the “Queen of Crime.”

Choose one option.
Required: State the option.

1. Read a book by Agatha Christie or her pseudonym, Mary Westmacott, that was first published before 1950. (Most of her books fit this option, but not all!)

2. Agatha Christie famously disappeared when her husband, Archie, asked for a divorce. She reappeared 10 days later, claiming she did not know what had happened. The mystery of where she was and what she was doing during this time has never been solved. Recently, two novels have been published imagining where Christie was: The Mystery of Mrs. Christie and The Christie Affair.
Read a book with a major plot arc/subject where someone is missing or disappears mysteriously, such as a kidnapping or suspected crime, runaway, or supernatural/dystopian event. This list may help: Missing Persons.
Required: If the disappearance is not evident in the book's description, include a reference link.

3. Agatha Christie’s most widely read book, And Then There Were None, has over 1 million ratings on Goodreads.
Read a book that has over 1 million ratings. This list may help: One Million Ratings

4. There are so many fun facts about Agatha Christie, but this one is a little more obscure. In the 1960s, the Roman Catholic Church was rewriting their liturgy. Many Catholics in England preferred the old liturgy, and sent a request to the pope at the time, Paul VI, to request that the older style could be used in some places. Many prominent non-Catholics also signed the request, including Agatha Christie. The legend goes that when Pope Paul VI saw Agatha Christie’s signature, he said, “Ah, Agatha Christie,” and so decided to grant the request. This special permission given to Catholics in England and Wales is therefore known as the Agatha Christie Indult.
Read a book with MPG “Religion”, “Faith”, or “Spirituality”.

25.1 - Tien’s Task: Adulting Sux

It's been a crazy month because the school year has just begun for us in AU. On top of that, we've got all sorts of appointments and extra curricular activities to go to as well.

Choose two different options and read one book for each option.
REQUIRED: Specify in your post the options you used.

One graphic novel is allowed.

1. Book buying ban: because all the money has gone to orthodontists & podiatrists.
Read a book with teeth (human or animal) or bare human feet (no shoes or sandals) on the cover (single tooth/bare foot allowed)
Required: Post the cover.

ex. teeth:
bare feet:

2. Chauffeur: non-stop driving the kids around the place; mostly for sports.
Read a book with MPG of Sports

3. Laundry: Never Ending Laundry!!
Read a book with a word in title that is an item of clothing from this list: https://www.enchantedlearning.com/wor...
The word must match exactly ("school uniform" not "school") . Subtitles are excluded. Any term on the list may be used, such as: outfit, umbrella, zipper, velcro.
Required: State the word/phrase.

This help thread is open

This help thread is open

30 Point Tasks

30.5 - JennRenee's Task: Spring Celebrations
Help Thread
We have many celebrations in the spring, We are so busy with birthdays. So with this task I am taking just a few to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Pick two options and read a book from each.
Required: State the options.

Option A : March:
The most important date in March for my daughter, Ashlea's birthday. This year she will be 30. When I think of my daughter I think horror. Horror is her favorite genre in books and movies and pretty much anything that can be horrifying in life.
For this option, read a book with the genre Horror listed on the main page.

Option B: April:
The best days of April are my husband's and my birthdays. Our birthdays fall 11 days apart. Many times we just celebrate them together somewhere in the middle.
For this option, read a book with exactly two sets of consecutive double letters anywhere in the title/subtitle/authors names. The sets of letters do not need to be adjacent to each other.

Examples:
(2) double letter sets found in title/author name combo
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano LL, LL
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd EE, DD

(2) double letter sets found in authors name
Whiskey in a Teacup: What Growing Up in the South Taught Me About Life, Love, and Baking Biscuits by Reese Witherspoon EE, OO

Option C: May
This year we are awaiting a second grandchild due May 6. A beautiful baby girl. My daughter doesn't only love horror, she also loves Alice in Wonderland. This will be the baby's theme for the nursery.
For this option, read a book from this list
Most Interesting World
Any book from a series found on this list may be used.
Ex. The Testaments page 51 or (The Handmaid's Tale, #1) on page 1
Required: State the page where the book is found or the page where a book in the series is found

30.6 - Coralie's Task: Before AND or After
Help Thread
Read two books. No books with MPG childrens or kids may be used. The two books must have a combined total of at least 500 pages. The two books must be by different authors.

Book 1. Read a book with the word AND in the title (not the subtitle). An ampersand & is acceptable.

Book 2. Read a book whose title (not subtitle) includes either everything that came before the AND in book 1 or everything that came after the AND. The word/phrase must match exactly but other words may be included either before or after the target word/phrase.
For example: If you read The City and the Stars for book 1, you could read a book with the words “the city” in the title or a book with the words “the stars” in the title for book 2.
Book 1 The City and the Stars
Book 2 could be, before the And The City We Became or Tales of the City or
After the And Where the Forest Meets the Stars or The Stars My Destination

If you select a title for Book 1 that begins with the word And, you may select a second book that begins with And for book 2, or use the word/phrase that follows Book 1's And.

ex. Book 1:And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails
Book 2: before the And: And the Mountains Echoed or
after the And A Bottle of Rum

If you select a title for Book 1 that contains more than one And, you may pick one and divide the title into everything before the selected And and everything after the selected And.
Ex. Here and Now and Then

select 1st And- Here [and] Now and Then
Book 2 could be "Here" Nothing to See Here or "Now and Then" Murder Now and Then or Now & Then

select the 2nd And- Here and Now [and] Then
Book 2 could be "Here and Now" Here and Now or "Then" Then Came You

30.7 - Chandni's Task: Momentous Places
Help Thread
Even though I've been a part of this group for at least 7 years, this is the first time I've ever completed a challenge. I think that's a very momentous milestone for me! I started thinking about the last significant milestone in my life and I realized that I couldn't choose.

I've recently moved to the fourth country I've ever lived in, so in honor of the places I've lived and the memories I've made in each of them, here are my momentous places.

For this task you will need to read 2 books and choose two different options. The combined page total must be greater than 600 pages.

REQUIRED: In your post, state the options you used.
For all 4 options, if the setting of the book is not clear from the Goodreads page, please provide a source for the setting. If the author page does not show the country they were born in, please provide a source for their place of birth.

Option 1: I was born in Mumbai, India. Being born is a momentous occasion right?

For this option, read a book that is set at least 80% in India, or the author was born in India.

Option 2: When I was 3, my family moved to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. I made my first real friends in Dubai and I broke the only bone I've ever broken by falling off a jungle gym.

For this option, read a book that is set at least 80% in the United Arab Emirates, or the author was born in the UAE.

Option 3: When I was 6, my family moved to Vancouver, Canada. Every significant moment I can think of happened in Vancouver. I graduated from high school and university, made lifelong friends, and experienced immense joy along with immense sadness. My immediate family all still live there and Vancouver will always hold a special place for me. I'll always be a Canadian at heart.

For this option, read a book that is set at least 80% in Canada, or the author was born in Canada.

Option 4: I won't get too mushy here, but my partner is a wonderful and supportive man. We met as children and stayed in touch (on and off) through e-mails and instant messaging for nearly 20 years because he's British. We reconnected as adults and a few years ago, I moved to the UK to be with him. This is my most momentous relationship and it certainly did take some work!

For this option, read a book that is set at least 80% in the United Kingdom, or the author was born in the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).

30.8 - Kaora's Task: Chicken Katsu
Help Thread
This task is to celebrate my puppy, Katsu who joined our family in April of last year and has just turned one. Katsu is a Shiba Inu, a Japanese breed, that is used to hunt small game.

Choose two options and read a book for each.
Required: State the options.

Option 1. Shiba Inu means "Brushwood Dog", as it is used to flush game. Read a book that has all the letters SHIBA in the title and/or subtitle.

Option 2. Katsu is a color called red sesame, which means his hair is red with black at the tip. Read a book that has a cover that is at least 50% red or 50% black according to Tineye. https://labs.tineye.com/color/

Complete directions for using Tineye can be found here: How Do I Use Tineye?
ex.
79.9% black
70.4% black
86.6% red
96.3% red

Required: Cover required when posting

Option 3. Katsu was born 2/16/2022. Read a book with at least two of these digits in the page count. The numbers may only be used as often as they appear (only 2 can be used twice). Numbers: 0, 1, 2, 6

Option 4. Katsu is a type of Japanese dish of breaded chicken or pork covered in panko crumbs. Read a book by an author that has a name part that begins with a "K", such as Kelley Armstrong, Philip K. Dick, or Robin Wall Kimmerer

30.9 - Amy FL's Task: Farewell to My Love
Help Thread
On February 5, my husband, Charlie, passed away after suffering with Parkinson’s disease for the past 18 years. It was a long, arduous battle but he is now at peace. The last month of his life was especially rough, but there were some amazing hospice nurses who made things more bearable.

Select two options and read a book for each one. The combined total pages must be 501 or greater. No childrens or kids books allowed.
Required: State the options.

Option 1: Nurse Micheline and aide Laneeka were so kind and supportive. They are what all hospice nurses should aspire to.

Read a book by an author whose initials can be found in
MICHELINE OR LANEEKA (separately not combined). All initials count.

Option 2: We were married for 37 years, so for this option, read a book with a 3 and 7 in the page count.

Option 3: We used to listen to audiobooks together which was a big help in having me complete the SRC the past few years. The last book we finished on January 28 was The Dog I Loved. We especially enjoyed stories about dogs and my two (Rocky and Bandit) provide so much love to help me get through the tough times.

Read a book with a domestic dog on the cover.
Required: Post the cover.

Option 4: I sang a song to Charlie a few days before he passed to express my feelings. I made it through the first two verses, but then I turned it over to Spotify and the real artist, Taylor Dayne.

Read a book with a word in the title (ignore subtitle) of 4 or more letters from the lyrics of I’ll Always Love You by Taylor Dayne - https://www.songfacts.com/lyrics/tayl...
The word must match exactly.
Required: State the word.

This help thread is open

This help thread is open.

This Thread is now open

Reserved

Reserved

This thread is now open

These do not work: