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

Krista’s comments from the Reading with Style group.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Jayme, these are the 15 point tasks for the Spring Challenge. In the Winter Challenge it was called Backpacking through Europe. I'm sure Sam will be posting the 10- and 20- point tasks soon."

Yep, we're polishing up the final task selections. The next quarter's tasks are just about here..... (It's so exciting!) :-)

Linda wrote: "What is the timeline on "spring 2011"?"

Hi Linda:

The link the Elizabeth provided above is a great one. It will give you some background about this group.

The Spring Challenge runs from March 1st - May 31st.

Welcome to the group!

-Krista

Task 20.2 Visions of Sugarplums (Epic Fantasy): The Gunslinger by Stephen King

Dare I admit it? This is the first Stephen King novel that I've read. I'm not sure that I'll read the next book in the series, but I'm glad I read this one.

+20 Task
+10 Combo (10.5, 20.1)
+ 5 Series (#1 The Dark Tower)
+ 5 Oldies (Publ 1982)
Task Total = 40

Grand Total = 555

nsfancy --- I saw that Sam approved Michael Faber for The Netherlands in your BtE tasks. I've added the points for the three BtE books you posted in Msg 588, and 589.

New Grand Total = 760

In Msg 611 --- Karen GHHS wrote: "10.3 – V-Day Best Romance #33

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
.....

And that's a RwS and a Mega Finish for me. Hooray!

Task Points this Post: +40
RwS Finish: +100
Mega Finish: +200
Total This Post: 340
Grand Total: 1335
..."

Hooray is right! Way to go Karen. What a nice way to wrap up the challenge. Congrats!

Task 10.8 The Tropic of Capricorn: Murder on the Ballarat Train: A Phryne Fisher Mystery by Kerry Greenwood Set in Australia
+10 Task
+10 Series (#3 Phryne Fisher -- 2nd series book read this challenge)
Task Total = 20

Task 10.9 Alphapet Soup: To Fetch a Thief by Spencer Quinn
+10 Task
+ 5 Combo (10.6, No "L")
+ 5 Series (#3 Chet and Bernie)
Task Total = 20

Boy do I get a kick out of this series. It's just good fun to read this series told from the perspective of the Chet, the German Shepard. The author captures perfectly how I imagine a dog would think. I chuckled throughout a good portion of the book. It was a nice change of pace!

Grand Total = 515

In Msg 590 -- nsfancy wrote: "Task 20.3 1 word Pyramids by Terry Pratchett

Task points 20
+25 Series (Discworld series, 5th read this challenge)
+5 Combo (10.6 No l)

Task total 50
Total points 760"

Wow -- good going on the Series points. I'm impressed that you could work 5 books from this series into 5 different tasks!

Total Points (without BtE books in Msg 588 and 589) = 685

In Msg 589 -- nsfancy wrote: "Task 15.7 BtE Land & Sea (Belgium) Maigret's Mistake by Georges Simenon

Task points 15
+10 Style

Task total 25
Total Points 685


Task 15.8 BtE (Germany) Siddhartha by [author:H..."

I'll wait to post these points until we see Sam's decision about Michael Faber for The Netherlands.

In Msg 588 -- nsfancy wrote: "Task 15.6 BtE Land & Sea (Netherlands) The Apple by Michel Faber

Task points 15
+10 Style

Task total 25
Total points 660


OK I know now that Sam nixed Michel Faber..."

Hi nsfancy:

I'll wait to post these points until we get a ruling from Sam on whether Michael Faber can also be counted as a Dutch author. I've just sent him a message asking for his ruling. Thanks! -Krista

In Msg 574 -- Potjy wrote: ...."Task 20.8 - Krista's Choice: The Time of Your Life: Charming the Highlander by Janet Chapman (The hero is transferred to the modern world from 13th century Scotland by a druid.) ....

+5?? (My edition has 610 pages because of the typography or something like that, but the English and German editions have 385-487 pages. So I'm not sure whether I can claim the jumbo points here.)

Task Total = 25 or 30

Grand Total = 175 or 180

..."

I'll take your book length.

Task Total = 30
Grand Total = 180

In Msg 570 -- Rebekah wrote: "Task 10.3 Will & Kate
Napoleon by Paul Johnson

+10 - Task
+5 - Combo

15 pts - Task Total
100 pts completion of RwS Tasks
710 pts - Grand Total"

Hi Rebekah:

Congratulations on completing all the RwS tasks. You are overflowing with Style. :-)

My plan at the start of the season was to just read BtE books until the series was completed. But what with library queue lengths, and both reading books at home and listening to books in the car, I couldn't single thread the task to get through them quickly enough. I HAD to add some RwS tasks to fill the time between BtE books.

So now I'm not going going to finish either RwS or BtE this quarter. Boo-hoo ---- I LOVE to get those bonus points. Last quarter I didn't do the Reading Through Time challenge, but I did complete all of the RwS tasks.

So much for my grand plan at the beginning of the challenge.

In Msg 556 -- Arow wrote: "Hi Krista,

I think one of my posts was missed. I thought I had a grand total of 135 but it is showing as 115 on the reader board. Below is an outline of the posts I have made:

Post 123 = 35 poin..."

Hi Arow: Thanks for the note, with the scoring info. You were right. I had written down your book for Task 20.1, but I hadn't put the score in the right spreadsheet cell for it to be added to your point total. :-}

That has been corrected now.

When I update the Readberboard in a few minutes, your corrected score of 135 points will be shown.

In Msg 551 --- Rachel wrote: "READERBOARD NAME: Rachel OH

I completed...

20.4 A Short Detour to Sweden

I read Doctor Zhivago. -----

Also, I forgot to add the ten points for "Backpacking Through Europe" stops after the first one which I've claimed so far, since my itinerary is Land and Air. I've gotten to Stop #4, so that's 30 more points. (I actually forgot ALL these extra points in last season's "Reading Through Time"!)

Please let me know if my math is off!

Task Total=110
TOTAL POINTS=250 ..."

Hi Rachel:

I have been adding the BtE Style points that you were omitting in earlier posts.

My score also currently has you at 250 points. Boy, I love it when a plan comes together. :-)

In Msg 543 -- Norma wrote: "10.6 Noel - no L in author name or book title - Kisser Stuart Woods
.....

20.1 Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse - Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Task 20
+5 Series
Total Task 25

total this post 40
Grand total 115 ..."

Norma --- I had your starting total before this post as 35 points. (Some books were disqualified from you 1/6/11 points posting message. See my Msg #377 for an explanation about that.)

I did find 5 more points for Task 20.1 Catching Fire
+5 Combo (Task 10.9 F-S)

Adjusted Grand Total = 80

Task 10.5 Best Beginnings: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
+10 Task
+ 5 Combo (10.6, No "L")
+ 5 Series (#1 Ender's Saga)
+ 5 Oldies (Publ 1985)
Task Total = 25

I listened to this book in audio format. This recording had about 15-20 minutes of Orson Scott Card talking about the history of this book, and the "Ender" series at the end of the book. I thought it was interesting that he stated that he thought the best way to experience his books was to listen to them in audio format. Because of his background as a playwright, he thinks his works are showcased best when they listened to instead of read.

Task 10.9 Alphabet Soup: (G-T)
Flying Too High by Kerry Greenwood
+10 Task
+ 5 Combo (10.8, set in Australia)
+ 5 Series (#2 in Phryne Fisher series)
Task Total = 20

Task 20.6 African American History Month:
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
+20 Task
+10 Combo (20.3 - 1 Word Title, 20.8 Time-Travel)
+ 5 Oldies (Publ 1979)
Task Total = 35
What a great book!

Grand Total = 475

Rebekah wrote: "I thought georgia was part of Russia. Okay can I substitute Poland for Turkey?"

Yes Poland works. I think Georgia is it's own country now, not considered part of Russia....

I looked up Turkey in Wikipedia and it listed all the countries surrounding it. Russia wasn't one of them.

Rebekah wrote: "Does this work?

1. France
2. Spain
3. Ireland
4. Iceland
5. UK
6. Germany
7. Denmark
8. Sweden
9. Russia
10.Turkey"

The Russia -to- Turkey connection doesn't work. Otherwise everything else looks good.

Rebekah wrote: "Does Napoleon count for task 10.4, Will and Kate?"

Yep.

Rebekah wrote: "If I haven't started claiming my points on my European trip yet, can I change my itenerary? I had planned to do classic children's books with my kids, but they won't cooperate. Therefore, I want to..."


That's fine with me. Just post your updated itinerary in the Itinerary folder. I'll update your list of countries in my scoring spreadsheet based on the new message there.