Allegra’s Comments (group member since Nov 03, 2017)

Allegra’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

Karen ⊰✿ wrote: "Here is a tut, Allegra. You can follow it once you have uploaded your picture somewhere on the internet and have the image URL

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...-..."

Thanks. I'll give it a shot

Moderators of NBRC wrote: "Well done Allegra and Sherri! Congratulations!"

Thanks. I can't help thinking that with the weather forecast in the US, the "Tea" theme will remain appropriate for an unfortunate while. And for our Ozzie friends, may I suggest adding a lot of ice.

I realized I haven't posted my Cookbook shot.

So, who can tell me how to post a photo here?

Nancy85 wrote: "Anyone on?"

Can you give me 10 minutes? Too late? I'm making coffee, but could go for a bit after that.

I'm loving the flexibility here. I'm in. But to keep things neat, I'm including my January reads.


TASK ONE: A Mix of Old and New
* Read 1 X complete Trilogy
--The Themis Files Sleeping Giants ; 2 3
* Read 2 X books that have your Favorite Color on the cover
* Read 3 X books from your Favorite Author/s
* Read 4 X Different New to You Authors
* Read 5 X Different Genres

TASK TWO: Books of All Sizes
* Read 2 X Short Stories (Less than 100 pages)
* Read 2 X Novella's (Less than 200 pages)
-- Heart of Darkness
-- Notes from Underground
* Read 2 X Novels (200-400 pages)
* Read 2 X Chunky books (More than 400 pages)
-- The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

TASK THREE:
* Read a complete series from book 1 through to the last published book at the time of the challenge

I am not a "Cleaner," and I did a terrible job the last time I tried this challenge. But hope springs eternal, so I'd like to give it another shot. I've already read one from 2016, and I want to share the win.

Here goes--as I cuddle my warm mug.

I start with , which takes place in steamy Australia, to get the kettle boiling. For black tea, I choose and brew a good strong cup . Then add a spoonful of sugar The Day the Music Died and a healthy pour of milk so I can get my Vitamin D.

For my next cup, I head to the deepest jungles of Africa and grab some white tea . This time, I'll brew it strong and leave out the sugar and milk .

16 pages for me

Nancy85 wrote: ":40 for 30 sounds good"

ok

Nancy85 wrote: "any length is fine with me"

Start Now or at :40? Go to the :00
I can go longer (up to :30)

Nancy85 wrote: "Anyone on?"

I can go. How long are you looking to do?

Ready or not, I'm back to contribute...


January 8th
272 pages
Group Total: 32,165

Here we go!

Month 1: Read Your Nickname - Leggy (actually, most people use the full name, but my sister and her friend...)
L - Kelly Link's Get in Trouble
E - Evelyn in The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
G - George Harrow, Gabriel in Ahab's Return: or, The Last Voyage
G - Gracie in Rabbit-Proof Fence: The True Story of One of the Greatest Escapes of All Time
Y - Maggie Yates in The Day the Music Died


Month 2: Read Books Where MC Shares My Career - Journalism/Editing (that's what I'm going with as I still feel it's my calling)
1. Scoop (about reporters and news wars)
2. Crime & Punctuation (MC is copy editor)
3. Love in a Dish . . . and Other Culinary Delights by M.F.K. Fisher (author is food columnist)
4. The Fellowship of the Ring (author is sometime reporter; Bilbo records historic and current events)
5. The Good Women of China: Hidden Voices (author is reporter)


Month 3: Read Books with Favorite Color on Cover - Purple (this year)
1. The Girl in the Train: A Short Story
2. Aru Shah and the End of Time
3. Mary Astor's Purple Diary: The Great American Sex Scandal of 1936 (OK, so technically not much of the color purple, but given the title--which is on the cover--I'm counting it; it is why I noticed the book in the first place)
4. The Blond Leading the Blond


Month 4: Read the Make of Your Dream Car - Chevy Bolt (the series thing isn't going to happen this month, so I traded with Month 5; I just need to figure out what my current dream car is.)
C - Carlene O'Connor in Murder in an Irish Village
H - Bonnie Hearn Hill's Aries Rising
E - Emily Ehrlich in TransAtlantic
V - Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five, or The Children's Crusade: A Duty Dance with Death
Y - Yellin in The Princess Bride
B - Octavia E. Butler's Mind of My Mind
O - Flann O'Brien's The Third Policeman
L - Lois Lane in Fallout
T - Tom Spanbauer's The Man Who Fell in Love with the Moon
-

Month 5: Read Books from Your Favorite Series.
1. Waking Gods (Themis Files #2)
2. Ms. Marvel, Vol. 5: Super Famous (Ms. Marvel #5)
3. The Valley of Fear (Sherlock Holmes #7) (finished on Sherlock Holmes Day)
4. The Under Dog and Other Stories (Hercule Poirot #29)
5. Clay's Ark (Patternmaster #3)
6. Poirot Investigates: Eleven Complete Mysteries (Hercule Poirot #3)


Month 6: Read Your Birth Order Spell-It-Out - First
F - Dr. Rose Franklin in Only Human
I - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
R - Roger Applebee in Sacred Clowns
S - Snow Crash
T - S.K. Tremayne's The Ice Twins


Month 7: Read Your Favorite Sport - Multiple (I always hate to choose, so this month I, the couch lump, will read books to honor friends who are achieving milestones in their respective sports.)
1. Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman - With respects to my charming neighbor who, as a freshman relayer, represented our town in a national track competition.
2. Babe Didrikson Zaharias: The Making of a Champion - With respects to the track-star neighbor and my sister, who competed in tennis singles and doubles in her second Senior Olympics. (Babe did it all.)
3. Under the Lights and in the Dark: Untold Stories of Women's Soccer - Okay, no direct connection, but as an American woman I couldn't skip them; I attended the parade as well.
4. Skeleton Key - With respects to a family friend who I've watched grow to a fine young man--and now a black belt. (MC Alex had his First Degree as well.)
5. Dragon Ball Super, Vol. 1: Warriors from Universe 6! - This was the planned karate book; SK was a bonus.


Month 8: Read the Elements - In each case, the element is shown on the cover. (I'm pulling the old switcheroo. Then I can head back to school in September.)
Earth - Binti
Wind - The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making or The Whispering Statue
Fire - Divergent
Water - Killer Crab Cakes
/ / /

Month 9: Read Your Best Subject in School - Drama
1. The Tempest
2. Hag-Seed
3. Death and the Maiden
4. Pack of Lies
/ / /

Month 10: Your Kingdom - Animal: Cats
1. Naked in Death / Adopted pet Gallihad saves her owner (MC's) life
2. What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions / used in example for Human Computer question
3. We Have Always Lived in the Castle / MC's best/only friend was her pet, Jonas
4. A Game of Thrones / several cats used as "training aids" for Arya
5. The Haunting of Hill House / "I had a cat named Dancer."
6. Who's Your Mummy? / Cleopatra, the cat with 9,000 lives
PLUS: Animal: Bees
1. The Night Gardener / as farmers, the natural bees in the garden
2. Oriental Tales / as providers, "... the water of the springs and the honey of the bees sustaining the waning life of the fairy maidens...."
3. Circe / as jewelry, "... made of squares of beaten gold. Each one was enbossed: a sun, a bee, an axe ..."
4. A Sting in the Tale: My Adventures with Bumblebees / as subjects and stars
/ / / / /
/ / /

Month 11: Your Kingdom - Hardcover
H - Happiness Is a Choice You Make: Lessons from a Year Among the Oldest Old
A - Agatha Christie's Murder at the Vicarage
R - Robert Goodenough from At the Edge of the Orchard
D - Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake
C - Calico Girl
O - Delia Owens's Where the Crawdads Sing
V - The Vampire Chronicles series: Interview with the Vampire
E - Eduardo from Scapegoat
R - Ronnie from Fallout
/ / / / / / /

Month 12: Favorite AAYPart1 Prompt - Favorite Flower: Lilac (did Zodiac sign last year)

Interesting twist on the sorting. Plus, it's open-ended, so I'll give it a shot.

Gryffindor / Star Average:
➲ Gryffindor's emblematic animal is the lion: Read a book about a lion (or a shape shifter who turns into a lion).
➲ Gryffindor's emblematic colors are scarlet and gold: Read a book that has a predominately scarlet or gold cover.
➲ "Nearly Headless Nick" is the house ghost of Gryffindor: Read a book featuring ghosts or read a book in which someone was decapitated or beheaded. Yikes!
➲ Members of Gryffindor are described as courageous, chivalrous, and brave to the point of recklessness (sometimes) : Read a book in which the protagonist portrays one of these qualities consistently throughout the book.
➲ Godric Gryffindor was known as the most skilled duelist of his time. Read a book where the main character is a great swordsman/swordswoman.
➲ Godric Gryffindor left behind 2 known relics, the Sorting Hat and a goblin-made ruby encrusted sword. Read a book with a decorated sword on the cover.

Slytherin / Star Average:
➲ Slytherin's emblematic animal is the snake: Read a book which features a snake on the cover or in the story.
➲ Slytherin's emblematic colors are green and silver: Read a book that has a predominately green or silver cover.
➲ The Bloody Baron is the house ghost of Slytherin: Read a book in which a suicide or murder takes place. You can also read a book where the protagonist loves someone who does not love them back.
➲ Members of Slytherin are described as cunning and shrewd: Read a book in which the protagonist portrays one of these qualities consistently throughout the book. Or read a book in which the protagonist irked you.
➲ Salazar Slytherin was a skilled Legilimens. Read a book where the main character is telepathic.
➲ The locket used as a Horcrux was said to have belonged to Salazar Slytherin. It was silver with a large "S" engraved on the front. Read either a book with a locket, or other large metal necklace on the cover or read a book by an author who's first name and last name both begin with the same letter.

Hufflepuff / Star Average:
➲ Helga Hufflepuff, the founder of Hufflepuff, was a witch during medieval times: Read a book that is set in a medieval time period (between 5th to the 15th century)
➲ Hufflepuff's emblematic colors are yellow and black: Read a book that has a predominately yellow or black cover.
➲ Fat Friar, the house ghost of Hufflepuff, dedicated his life to religion: Read a book about someone who is extremely religious.
➲ Members of Hufflepuff are described as hard working, patient, and loyal: Read a book in which the protagonist portrays one of these qualities consistently throughout the book.
➲ The relic of Helga Hufflepuff used by Voldemort as a Horcrux was a small golden cup. Read a book with a cup on the cover.
➲ Helga Hufflepuff was known to be skilled with food related charms, Harry Potter wikia states, the basis of her charms are still used for Hogwarts feasts. Read a book with food on the cover.

Ravenclaw / Star Average:
➲ Ravenclaw's emblematic animal is the eagle: Read a book which features an eagle on the cover or in the story. You can also read a book about someone who can shape shift into a bird of any type.
➲ Ravenclaw's emblematic colors are blue and bronze: Read a book that has a predominately blue or bronze cover.
➲ Rowena Ravenclaw, the founder of Ravenclaw, was Scottish: Read a book that takes place in Scotland.
➲ Members of Ravenclaw are described as intelligent, witty, and wise: Read a book in which the protagonist is scholarly, bookish, all knowing, etc...
➲ Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem was a magical artifact that was charmed to enhance the intelligence of the wearer. Read a book with a pronounced diadem, crown, etc. on the cover.
➲ Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter, Helena, who was murdered by the Baron, was the ghost of Ravenclaw known as the Grey Lady. Read a book that either has an author or main character's name is Helena/Helen or that has the word "Grey" or "Lady" in the title.

Moderators of NBRC wrote: "Nice, doing great Allegra!"

Thanks. I'll be back soon

COMPLETED: December 10
I'm in.

A - Agatha Christie
B - Melissa Broder
C - Joseph Conrad
D - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
E - Edward Sorel
F - Jeffrey Ford
G - Ed Gorman
H - Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen
I - Isaac Bashevis Singer
J - Jo Nesbø
K - Kelly Link
L - Lydia Millet
M - A. A. Milne
N - Sylvain Neuvel
O - Jayne Ormerod
P - Doris Pilkington
Q - Spencer Quinn
R - Roshani Chokshi
S - Courtney Summers
T - Stuart Turton
U - Deb Olin Unferth
V - Kurt Vonnegut
W - Evelyn Waugh
X - Xinran
Y - Marguerite Yourcenar
Z - Mario Alberto Zambrano
A B C D E F G
H I J K L M
N O P Q R S T
U V W X Y Z

This worked well last year (except for that darned 2016), so I'm going again. One question--since the entire premise is by year, why doesn't the challenge run on a straight calendar year? Just curious.
Anyway... See y'all on 1/9

2019
An Anonymous Girl
Lake of the Ozarks: My Surreal Summers in a Vanishing America
2018
Ahab's Return: or, The Last Voyage
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
Sadie
The Wedding Date
Number One Chinese Restaurant
Crime & Punctuation
2017
The Almost Sisters
2016
Sleeping Giants (Woo-Hoo! Tackled last year's nemesis right off the bat.)
2015
Get in Trouble
2014
Mermaids in Paradise
2013
Lost Cat
2010
Love in a Dish . . . and Other Culinary Delights by M.F.K. Fisher
Humorists: From Hogarth to Noel Coward

Just finished part 1, so I'll be moving on to this in the new year.

❀Tea❀ wrote: "Allegra wrote: "I'm not clear on where I'm supposed to record my books.
Also, each book read can only count for one category, correct? As in a book with 3 vowels in a row in the title and is about ..."

Thanks. I wasn't seeing the final right column (with the link). I think I'm good now.

❀Tea❀ wrote: "Marie (UK) wrote: "the three vowels in a row do they have to be all in same word or can it be end of one beginning of another?"

I would say that's ok to be end of one and start of another. At leas..."

Why? Y is often the only vowel in a word--as in Why. Shouldn't it be like the Ace in Gin Rummy; you count the points based on how it is used?