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

Krista’s comments from the Reading with Style group.

In Msg 9 - Cheryl wrote: "Krista wrote: "A few combos that I've figured out using my TBR shelf are:

E-R: Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue (Combo 10.6, and 20.3)

F-S: Snow Flower an...

I love Spencer Quinn's books!
..."</i>

Me too! I've only listened to them in audio format. I'm in the HOld queue at the library for his latest book. ([book:To Fetch a Thief) I LOVE the narrator's interpretation of how Chet the dog would sound if he were speaking out loud.

I'm glad I can work it into this challenge.

Did you know that Spencer Quinn is a penname for Peter Abrahams? His book Reality Check won the Edgar Award for Best YA (2010). I haven't read this one yet either, but it's on my ever growing list. :-)

Potjy wrote: "For task 10.1, will you consider Ellery Queen one or two author(s)?

I considet Ellery Queen to be one author, even though two individuals co-wrote under this penname.


And I'm totally confused about the Tropic of Capricorn task. (And I've thought I was good at geography. *sobs*) ..."

It's all the countries that lay under the Tropic of Capricorn on Dec 23rd. The first link you used is correct.

Here's a list of the countries:
Namibia
Botswana
South Africa
Mozambique
Madagascar
Australia
Chile
Argentina
Paraguay
Brazil

Melissa W wrote: "For 20.10, can I read First Family: Abigail and John Adams?"

Yes it works, and you can claim Combo points with Task 10.4. :-)

Rachel Lee wrote: "I am struggling with 10.1. Since I don't read a lot of short stories/essays I am not sure what is considered a compilation of essays if they are all by one author.

For example, would any of t..."


I'm going to let Sam have the final say on this set of books. But on the surface they look okay to me.

Melissa W wrote: "can i use Brazil as a setting for the tropic of Capricorn task even though not a lot of Brazil is below the tropic of Capricorn?"

Yes, Brazil is on the list. It is approved.

Hey, if you guys want any other specific task topics in this this "Help" area, let us know and we can add them.

Will this task work like others of this kind when it comes time to claim combo points? If we can use each letter combination once for the task, can we also use each letter combination once for combo point credit with another task? In other words, if I use the A-N letter combination for the alphabet soup task and I read a book for the African American writers task that has the A-N combination can I claim that letter combination for both tasks once, one for the original task and once for combo points, but then it's used up? ..."

Well since we're going into the holiday season and I'm feeling generous -- how's about we break with tradition on this one?

While you can only use each letter combo once when claiming Task points, you can use them repeatedly when claiming Combo points.

Happy Holidays! :-)

(This is just for this task though. It doesn't apply to all the tasks with limitations about how the task can be repeated.)

A few combos that I've figured out using my TBR shelf are:

E-R: Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue (Combo 10.6, and 20.3)

F-S: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
To Fetch a Thief by Spencer Quinn (Combo 10.6 No "L")

G-T: The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor (Trevor has also been shortlisted for the Man Booker prize - Task 10.7. Gotta love those Combo points.)

I seem to come up with a different strategy each challenge. This challenge I was going to just read Backpacking books until I'd finished all 10 in the series. Then I couldn't find enough of those in CD Audio format from the library so I'm widening my scope.

I'm trying to read the Backpacking and the 20 Point tasks first. I'm using the library as my source for as many audio books as I can work in for my commuting time --- otherwise I'm trying to limit myself as much as possible to books I actually own.

I just addedd a Help folder for Cheryl's task. It might be a good place to share books we've figured out that will work for the task. -Krista

10.9 - Cheryl TX's 2nd Place Task - Alphabet Soup
This task is about matching two different letters of the alphabet between title and author.
First, here's the list of letters that "match": A - N, B - O, C - P, D - Q, E - R, F - S, G - T, H - U, I - V, J - W, K - X, L - Y, M - Z.
Now, if your book's title has a word beginning with A, then your author's first or last name (or if the author consistently uses a full third name (i.e., Gabriel Garcia Marquez)) must start with N (or vice versa). Authors' initials cannot be used for this task nor can articles (i.e., a/an/the), conjunctions (e.g., and/or/but), or prepositions (e.g., in, on, around, between). You can repeat this task as many times as you wish but you may only use each pair once.

Liz M wrote: "nsfancy wrote: "I am also a little confused about this task. Does the position of the word in the title/name matter? For instance can you match the second word of the title with the middle name of ...

I think the answers to both questions is yes. If I am interpreting it correcting, you can read the following books for the A-N pair:
All Souls' Day by Cees Nooteboom
Anna in the Tropics by Nilo Cruz
The Enigma of Arrival by V.S. Naipaul
None to Accompany Me by Nadine Gordimer
Nampally Road by Meena Alexander
Growing Up Native American by Bill Adler
Noah's Compass by Anne Tyler
Child of All Nations by Pramoedya Ananta Toer
"


The letter combo for "A" is A-N (Not A-Z as used in the task's explanatory paragraph.)

All the books that Liz listed above are acceptable for the A-N combo.

A few combos that I've figured out using my TBR shelf are:
F-S: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

G-T: The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor (Trevor has also been shortlisted for the Man Booker prize. Gotta love those Combo points.)

And so ends another Reading with Style Challenge.

To post completed tasks for the Winter 2010-2011 Reading with Style Challenge, go here

In Msg 922 - Allie wrote: "20.7 Unification Season

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

+20 task points (published 1967 sp/1970 eng)
+ 5 combo points (20.6 Multicultural Se...

Completion Bonus = 100
"

Hi Allie: Congrats on completing all the RwS tasks! I've added the 100 point bonus to your point total.

In Msg 912 -- Arow wrote: "Well I didn't read as much as I wanted to this season but there is always Winter :-)
...
20.2- Challenged- 2000 to 2009
Entire Harry Potter Series
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

+20 Task
+5 Combo (10.7:Childrens Books- The Complete Harry Potter Series)
+25 Series (this is the 5th book in the series I have read this challenge)
+5 Jumbo- 608 pages
..."

Hi Arow: There's no prize or bonus for this, but I wanted to recognize you for earning the highest Series Style points in a single task this challenge. Wowie, you managed to work 5 books in the Harry Potter series into 5 different tasks. Now that's planning ahead!

In Msg 911 -- Sam wrote: "Reading through Time - Constant Traveler
15.1: Night Walker - Donald Hamilton (1954)
+25 points ....

10.7 - Under the Covers: The Princess of Burundi - Kjell Eriksson (Nordic Noir)
+ 10 Task Points
+ 5 Combo Points (20.9)
+5 Series Points (I read this book too!)
+ 10 LiT (Swedish)
Task Points: 25 30
...

+100 - Well-Traveled
+100 - RwS Finish
+200 - Mega Finish

New Points: 540
Grand Total: 1150
"

Adjusted Total: 1155

Hey Sam: Congrats for your achievement of joining the ranks for the Mega Finishers this quarter. You managed to get all the tasks finished, AND lead the group. What an accomplishment. :-)

In Msg 909 -- Rebekah wrote: "Task 20.5 Freedom Season (takes place on a farm in Virginia)
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life - Barbara Kingsolver

20 pts - Task
20 pts - Combo (10.2 ...

1325 pts - Grand Total
..."

Adjusted FINAL Grand Total = 1350

In Msg 903 -- Coralie wrote: "10.3 Fall Birthdays
Lilian's Story by Kate Grenville

+ 10 Task (born on October 14, 1950)

Task Total = 10


20.3 The Season of Shorter Days
[book:Worlds Of Honor|81...

RwS Finish 100
..."

Coralie:
Good on 'ya for finising all the RwS tasks! I've added the 100 bonus points to your score.

In Msg 898 - Rebekah wrote: "RTT - Constant Traveler
1500 - 1551 The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli pub 1532

15 pts - Task
10 pts - Bonus
100 pts RTT completion Bonus
200 pts - Mega Finish Bonus

325 pts - Total
1245 pts - Grand Total

Woo-Hoo!
I still have an audiobook I'm about to finish and another book-book. Hope I can get it all done in the next 30 hours!
..."

Hi Rebekah: You've shorted yourself some points here girlfriend!

970 = Stating score
+325 (Points added this message)

Adjusted Grand Total = 1270

Congratulations on finining every single task. Good going with that Mega Finish!

In Msg 894 -- Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "I completed task 10.3 Fall Birthdays by reading "The Lady and the Unicorn" by Tracey Chavalier. Her birthday is October 19, 1962.

Task Points: 20 10
Style: 0
Grand total: 195"

Hi Jayme: This task is only worth 10 points.

Adjusted Grand Total = 185