Deedee’s Comments (group member since Aug 04, 2010)

Deedee’s comments from the Reading with Style group.

Task 15.10 The Ratings Game

25,000 - 74,999

Elevation (2018) by Stephen King

+30 Task
+100 pts - Sub Challenge Completion Bonus

Task Total: 30 + 100 = 130

Grand Total: 675 + 130 = 805

Task 15.9 The Ratings Game

5,000 - 9,999

The Botticelli Secret (2010) by Marina Fiorato (Paperback, 514 pages)

+30 Task
+05 Big (over 500 pages)

Task Total: 30 + 05 = 35

Grand Total: 640 + 35 = 675

Task 20.8 Revisit a Friend (Lynn's Task)
Find an author that you read for the first time in the last year (June 1, 2018 - May 31, 2019). Read an additional book by that author. You may not use this task for combos.

Author: Dawn Powell

The Golden Spur (1962) by Dawn Powell

+20 Task
+15 Combo (#10.3 no “I”; #20.1 pub. 1962; #20.6 >= 9 characters)
+05 Oldies -25 to 75 years old: (1944-1994)

Task Total: 20 + 15 + 05 = 40

Grand Total: 590 + 40 = 630

Task 10.7 Summer Shorts

A Book of Essays:

Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion (2019) by Jia Tolentino [973.93]

+10 Task
+05 In-Depth

Task Total: 10 + 05 = 15

Grand Total: 575 + 15 = 590

Task 15.8 The Ratings Game

250,000 or more ratings

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (2011) by Yuval Noah Harari (translated from Hebrew) (Hardcover, 443 pages) [909]
Royal Society of Biology General Book Prize Nominee (2015)

+20 Task
+05 Non-Fiction

Task Total: 20 + 05 = 25

Grand Total: 550 + 25 = 575

Task 20.6 Characters
Read a book with at least 9 named characters.

The Final Reveille (Living History Museum #1) (2015) by Amanda Flower

+20 Task
+05 Combo (#10.3 no “I”)
+05 In-Depth

Task Total: 20 + 05 + 05 = 30

Grand Total: 520 + 30 = 550

Task 20.6 Characters
Read a book with at least 9 named characters.

Oleander Girl (2013) by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (Goodreads Author) (Hardcover, 289 pages)

+20 Task
+ 05 In-Depth

Task Total: 20 + 05 = 25

Grand Total: 495 + 25 = 520

I'm going to exclude tasks from Summer 2019 in my list. I've picked 11 and I am so tempted to go through and find one more to make an even dozen but I'll resist temptation. Here are my picks:

I liked the tasks where we go looking through what other RwS group members have read:
FALL 2011
10.2– Highly-rated
Read a book that has been rated 5-stars by another RwS group member.
WINTER 2014-2015
20.10 - Goodreads Feature - Elizabeths' Task:
Read a book listed in the "Readers Also Enjoyed" section on the book page of any of the 2014 RwS Group reads: Winter 13/14 Group Reads, Spring 2014 Group Reads, Summer 2014 Group Reads, OR Fall 2014 Group Reads
[ Though I would update the years to be 2018 & 2019 ]

I also liked the ones that pushed me to pick up books I hadn't previously considered picking up:
WINTER 2014-2015
10.8 - Two for One - Karen Michele's Task:
Read a combination of 2 or more books, each under 100 pages, that total at least 100 pages when combined. To claim style points, all books in the set must meet the criteria. This task cannot be claimed as combo points.

WINTER 2012-2013
20.7 - Sara Grace's Task - Notable:
Read a book from the New York Times 100 notable books from 2010, 2011, OR 2012.
[ Again, I'd update the years to 2017, 2018, 2019 (if available) ]

SPRING 2015
20.8 - Spring Break! - Ed’s Task:
Read a book classified as a travelogue at BPL (Call number 910-919). Books not shelved at BPL will be considered on a case-by-case basis. OR read any book by one of these greatest travel book authors .

SUMMER 2012
20.7 - A Poet's Non-Poetry (Spring 2011, 20.4)
Read a book of non-poetry by a poet whom has published at least five books of poetry.

And then the random criteria tasks are always fun, like:
Fall 2015
10.3 Dictionary-
October 16 is dictionary day. Read a book whose title is made up of words that are in alphabetical order, including articles and conjunctions. One word titles will not qualify for this task.

SPRING 2017
10.6 Spring Equinox
Read a book written by an author with an equal number of letters in their first and last name. Names will be determined by the Brooklyn Public Library alphabetization. If the author is not available at the BPL, please ask in the appropriate help thread and the moderators will make a determination.

And the Author Demographics Tasks:
WINTER 2017-2018
20.3 Aged
Read a book written by any author who lived 75 years or longer.

And the Book Demographics Tasks:
WINTER 2017-2018
10.8 Fantasy! (Cat's Task)
The fact that Father Christmas (other names are used) can deliver all those presents: fantasy! Flying reindeer: fantasy! Identifying good & bad children: fantasy!
Read a book that has been shelved as FANTASY at least 25 times.

SUMMER 2018
10.7 Not Quite Jumbo (Coralie's Task)
Because books that don't quite earn jumbo points often get put aside, read a book that has between 400 and 499 pages. We will use the MPE to determine book page count.

Task 10.3 Summer 2017
Read any book by an author whose name as published contains no letter I.

The Hanging Of Father Miguel (1989) by M.A. Armen

+10 Task
+05 Oldies -25 to 75 years old: (1944-1994)
+05 In-depth

Task Total: 10 + 05 + 05 = 20

Grand Total: 470 + 20 = 490

Task 20.1 Iris Murdoch
Read a book published during Iris Murdoch's lifetime (1919-1999)

Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus (1996) by Orson Scott Card (Paperback, 402 pages)

+20 Task
+10 Combo (#10.3 no “I”, #20.6 >9 named characters)
+05 In-depth

Task Total: 20 + 10 + 05 = 35

Grand Total: 435 + 35 = 470

Task 15.7 The Ratings Game

15,000 - 24,999

Beneath the Sugar Sky (Wayward Children #3) (2018) by Seanan McGuire
Hugo Award Nominee for Best Novella (2019)
World Fantasy Award Nominee for Best Novella (2019)
Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fantasy (2018)

+20 Task

Task Total: 20

Grand Total: 395 + 20 = 415

Task 15.6 The Ratings Game

250 – 999

Flirting with Pride and Prejudice: Fresh Perspectives on the Original Chick-Lit Masterpiece (2005) edited by Jennifer Crusie (Goodreads Author) (Paperback, 230 pages) [823.7]

+20 Task
+05 Non-fiction

Task Total: 20 + 05 = 25

Grand Total: 370 + 25 = 395

Task 20.6 Characters
Read a book with at least 9 named characters.

Family of Origin (2019) by C.J. Hauser (Goodreads Author) (Hardcover, 287 pages)

+20 Task
+05 Combo (#10.3 no “i)
+05 In-depth

Task Total: 20 + 05 + 05 = 30

Grand Total: 340 + 30 = 370

Task 20.5 London
Read a book set at least 75% in London, England.

Sherlock Holmes: The Spirit Box (Sherlock Holmes) (2014) by George Mann (Paperback, 254 pages)

+20 Task
+05 Combo (#10.3 no “i)

Task Total: 20 + 05 = 25

Grand Total: 315 + 25 = 340

10.7 Summer Shorts (Mary's Task)
Read a book of short works (stories, essays, poems, plays etc)

All the Lives I Want: Essays About My Best Friends Who Happen to Be Famous Strangers (2017) by Alana Massey (Goodreads Author) (Hardcover, 244 pages) [305.42]

+10 Task
+05 Combo (#10.3 no “i”)
+05 In-depth

Task Total: 10 + 05 +05 = 20

Grand Total: 295 + 20 = 315

I'm positive the author is aged 50 or younger -- one of the essays indicates that she was born in 1985 -- however, goodreads etc. don't have a birthday for her so I didn't claim "young authors"

Task 20.9 Apollo 11 (Kate S's Task)
50 years ago, we landed on the moon. Let's celebrate by reading a book shelved as space by at least 30 members.

Specifically approved by Kate S.!

American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race (2019) by Douglas Brinkley [629.409] (Hardcover, 576 pages)

+20 Task
+05 Combo (#20.6 >= 9 named characters)
+05 Jumbo 500-699 Pages

Task Total: 20 + 05 + 05 = 30

Grand Total: 265 + 30 = 295

Task 10.3 Summer 2017

If, Then (2019) by Kate Hope Day

+10 Task
+05 In-depth

Task Total: 10 + 05 = 15

Grand Total: 250 + 15 = 265

Task 15.5 The Ratings Game

100,000 - 249,999

Assassin's Apprentice (Farseer Trilogy #1) (1995) by Robin Hobb

+15 Task

Task Total: 15

Grand Total: 235 + 15 = 250

Kate S wrote: "Deedee wrote: "I don't normally ask for exceptions, but I will this one time:
Newly published American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race has genre space with 22 users. In time I..."

We don't make a lot of exceptions, but sometimes it makes sense. In this case, it appears this title will hit the 30 user threshold soon. We will accept this title for 20.9 this season...."

Yeah! Thanks for the quick response

Task 10.8 Series
Read a book in a series, according to Goodreads, that is not #1 in that series. For RwS purposes, a series must consist of at least 3 published works.

How to Moon a Cat (The Cats and Curios Mystery #3) (2011) by Rebecca M. Hale

+10 Task
+05 Combo (#10.3 ‘no I’)

Task Total: 10 + 05 = 15

Grand Total: 220 + 15 = 235

#20.6 >= 9 named and active characters: only if the cats Rupert and Isabella count as characters (and, indeed, the cats think and do more in this novel than some of the human characters) – So, because cats aren’t human, I didn’t claim this combo.