Krista’s Comments (group member since Jul 24, 2010)

Krista’s comments from the Reading with Style group.

Hey Everyone --- We need to give Liz a big round of applause. She's done such a great job of scorekeeping this quarter. She's getting ready to take a much needed break and (Uh-Oh, I'm picking up the Scorekeeper duties again) I just want to let her know how much we appreciate the time and effort she has put into keeping the group running smoothly this challenge. Thanks Liz!!

Karen GHHS wrote: "I'm reading a book right now that I think fits the Lab Lit task, but I want to check in advance. The book is about a retired biology teacher and a retired neurosurgeon. There are many flashbacks ab..."

Yes, it sounds like it has enough content to me.

Spring Cleaning
15.4 Romance - The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen
+15 Task Points

10.10 General Non-fiction - The Zimmermann Telegram by Barbara W. Tuchman
+ 15 Task
+ 5 Oldies (Publ 1958)
Task Total = 20

One more book to go before my literary Spring Cleaning is done. Now I have to go do the dishes. Really! :-(

RwS
20.1 Alliteration -
Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
+20 Task
+ 5 Combo Style (10.8 Penquin Book)
+10 Canon
+ 5 Oldies (Publ 1963)
Task Total = 40

20.3 Iambic Pentameter - The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman
+20 Task
+ 5 Combo (Task 20.9, Albania is Peace Corps country)
+ 5 Series (#1 Mrs Pollifax series)
+ 5 Oldies (Publ 1966)
Task Total = 35

Grand Total = 420

Hey Rachel:

How did you like A Discovery of Witches? It's on my TBR shelf. I'm wondering if it should stay there.....

Thanks! -Krista

I'm adding 5 combo points to Karen GHHS and my point total. We both read Beowulf, and didn't claim Combo points for Task 10.8

Karen's orignal post for Beowulf was msg #338
Karen, your new Grand Total through message 563 = 865.

Krista's original post for Beowulf was msg #533
Krista's new Grant Total through message 563 = 310

Deedee wrote: "Task: 20.5 - Epic Poetry
Read an work of epic poetry.
I read:

Beowulf: A Verse Translation (850 A.D.) by Unknown, Michael Alexander (translator)

..."

+5 Combo Points for Task 20.6

Updated Grand Total = 435

Arow wrote: "Liz M wrote: "Krista wrote: "You've already used Candy Cane Murder for Task 20.10...."

Or I typoed the spreadsheet...."

Hello! I just checked my post from 417 and this is what I wrote:

20.1- Al..."

Hi Arow:

Nope, that was a goof on my part. Sorry about that! Liz has this spiffy new spreadsheet that I'm using, and she accidently filled in one of the tasks you'd used this series in as 20.10, not 20.01. Her spreadsheet is so detailed that is has the message number with the entry. My failing was not going to review the original message.

We're good. I'm readjusting your score to include the 20 series points for Cream Puff Murder.

Sorry to have caused you undue stress! :-)

Karen GHHS wrote: "Each challenge I am trying to read at least one big book, and I just finished:

20.1 – Alliteration

World Without End by Ken Follett

+20 Task
+ 5 Series: The Pillars of ..."

Karen: How did you like this. This book is one of the ones currently stacked on my ironing board. It's been stacked there awhile. I really liked The Pillars of the Earth. (And I hate to iron, so the ironing board is a perfect place for it. :-)

In Msg 559 -- Arow wrote: "..... 20.3 - Iambic Pentameter
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

20 Task
+ 5 Combo (20.1)
+ 5 Series (Book 1 of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)

Task Total: 30

Grand Total: 250 ..."

Task 20.3
+ 5 Oldies (Published 1979)
-------------------------------------
20.10 - Sam's Choice: Potent Potables
Cream Puff Murder by Joanne Fluke

20 Task
+ 20 Series (Book 11 of Hannah Swensen- 4th book claimed)

You've already used Candy Cane Murder for Task 20.10. You can't repeat the task when claiming Series style points. (See msg #417) If you can find another task that will work for this book that you haven't alread used for this series, please repost it and we'll add the series points back in.

Updated Task Total: 20

Updated Grand Total = 235

In Msg 557 -- Shannon wrote: "20.3 Iambic Pentameter

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

20 Task
+5 Combo (10.9 Pi Day)
+5 (1st in series)

Task total = 30
Challenge total = 170"

+5 Combo for task 10.6 - Flavia is a chemist!

Challenge total = 170

Deedee wrote: "Question: Do Lovell and Isabel rhyme? as in:
Author: Mary S. Lovell
Title: A Rage to Live: A Biography of Richard and Isabel Burton

I'm deciding whether to put..."

It doesn't the way I'm pronouncing it....
Luv-Ell and Iz-a-Bell

But I could be pronouncing Lovell incorrectly.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "I have a suggestion for the sub-challenge: a family history challenge. Read a book that was first published in a decade when a family member was born. It can be any family member - father, grandmot..."

That's a cool idea! I don't know why you're giving a decade for the birth year range. I think it would be good to read a book published in the year the family member was born. (Less overlap of decades that way, and a bit more research as to publication years.)

Liz M wrote: "Krista wrote: "It's about time I checked in with a completed tasks post. Sorry Liz, this is kind of a long one...."

The length of the post is not a problem, but posting while I'm in the middle of..."

Are you trying to say that I have great timing? :-)

It's about time I checked in with a completed tasks post. Sorry Liz, this is kind of a long one. (But for me, it's a 'wa-hoo', because I'm finally getting these books read, AND posted.)

RwS - Task 10.6 Lab Lit: The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley (That Flavia is quite the chemist for one so young.)
+10 Task
+10 Series (#2 Flavia de Luce & 2nd series book read this challenge)
Task Total = 20

Spring Cleaning:
Task 15.1 Mystery/Thriller:
The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon
I received an ARC copy of this book to review for a book review website. I have to say, I LOVED this book!
+15 Task
Task Total = 15

15.2 Science Fiction: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
+15 Task
+ 5 Oldies (Publ 1979)
Task Total = 20

15.3 Fantasy: The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
+15 Task
+ 5 Oldies
Task Toal = 20

RwS Task 20.5 Epic Poetry: Beowulf: A New Verse Translation by Unknown (New translation by Seamus Heaney)
I listened to the audio version read by Seamus Heaney. I think I got much more out of it this way than I would have from just reading it. He really brought the stories to life.
+20 Task
+ 5 Combo (20.6 Pre 20th Century Poetry)
+10 Canon
+15 Oldies (850)
Task Total = 50

Task 20.7 Post 19th Centry Poetry:
Original Fire: Selected and New Poems by Louise Erdrich
I'm hoping to have time to read Erdich's The Master Butchers Singing Club for Task 20.4, so I thought I'd delve a little deeper and read some of her poetry this challenge too.
+20 Task
Task Total = 20

Task 20.10: Sam's Choice, Potent Potables: The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
+20 Task
Task Total = 20

140 = Starting Score
160 = New Points added in this message

305 = New Grand Total

Denae wrote: "This may be self-evident, but can I go back and do one of the Winter tasks for 10.1 even though I was not a group member at the time?"

Yep. :-)

Liz M wrote: "Krista wrote: "Sam's intent this challenge was to give some sort of recognition --- other than more points --- to someone who was able to finish all 30 tasks (RwS, and Spring Cleaning) plus a secon...

Ok, just to be clear, Spring Cleaning round 2 should not commence until all 30 tasks have been completed at least once? And the reward is that the participant is beyond points. ...."

Yes, that's how I understand Sam's vision.

Joanna wrote: "Liz,

That's what caused me to ask...I had at first just assumed that it would work like other sub-challenges, but that language implies that it's meant to be different this time."


Sam's intent this challenge was to give some sort of recognition --- other than more points --- to someone who was able to finish all 30 tasks (RwS, and Spring Cleaning) plus a second round of the Spring Cleaning tasks. No points would be awarded for the second pass of the Spring Cleaning tasks, but you would get added to a new Hall of Fame if you were able to complete all 40 tasks within the three month challenge.

The rationalization was that eventually the points are probably less important than an entry into the new Hall of Fame.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Denae, the Spring challenge will seem illogical, but if you look at prior challenges, it will make more sense. There were bonuses for doing them in a specific order, for instance. The other thing a..."

Yes, Sam has set it up so there is a sub-challenge within RwS. You can choose to do it or not. I think that's what I like about this challenge. There are so many options. Unlike other challenges I've particiapted in, I like the fact that you can repeat a task if you want. Plus trying to find those combo points makes me dig deeper to read books I might have avoided otherwise.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "OK, to me KITCHEN and GRISSOM do not rhyme. Not only do they end in different letters, but the preceding consonants and vowels are pronounced differently (sort of similar, but different)."

Yeah, I'm not that up on all the rhyming rules. I wasn't sure if they needed to end in the same letter sound. To me the words rhyme, except for the last letter. It's not a biggie. I have it slated for Sam's 20.10 task -- but if I could have used it for the Rhyming task and saved Sam's task that would have been cool too.

I'll stick with my original plan of using it for Task 20.10. Thanks for helping me sort it out!

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Some were asking about The Summer Book. Many copies are available used from www.alibris.com and one for as little as 99cents plus shipping. I can't vouch for the condition of a 99 cen..."

Okay, I coulnd't resist this book any longer. No-one else seemed to have a copy of it (my library, Paperback Swap, Powell's Bookstore), so I ordered one from the Alibris site. Thanks for sharing that info Elizabeth!