October 2012 Challenge - Under the Harvest Moon

[Janice, Moderator]

Rusalka wrote: "Stop making me checking the rules Janice! Jeez :P

"Pages:

500+ - 5 points
400-499 - 4 points
300-399 - 3 points
200-299 - 2 points
less than 200 - deduct 3 points"

So no limit but deductions."

ROFL! I always have a copy of the rules in an easily accessible spot because checking them is an occupational hazard.

[Janice, Moderator]

You can count it, and then if you read another qualifying book that has higher points, you can replace it.

Someone please bring me a coffee. I'm not sure I'm making sense this morning!

[April]

Rusalka wrote: "Pragya wrote: "
Connie and April I am thinking of reading The Night Circus too. It has reached my bedstand but I will only be able to start with it next week as this week's choc-a-bloc with trav..."

I'm up for a buddy read of The Night Circus but I will have to wait for my book to arrive. Hopefully it will be sent soon, but with bookmooch, I never know!

Nice video, Rus!

[Pragya]

Rusalka wrote: "Pragya wrote: "
Connie and April I am thinking of reading The Night Circus too. It has reached my bedstand but I will only be able to start with it next week as this week's choc-a-bloc with trav..."

Sure thing, Rusalka.

[Pragya]

April wrote: "Rusalka wrote: "Pragya wrote: "
Connie and April I am thinking of reading The Night Circus too. It has reached my bedstand but I will only be able to start with it next week as this week's choc-..."

April, I'm not starting till next week. So hopefully your book will be there by then.

[Almeta]

Gaeta1 wrote: "How about a Buddy read for The Celery Stalks at Midnight? Serious points, people!"

This is actually my choice! I was keeping a secret, in order to surprise everyone, 'cause I just think it is sooo funny!

I'm in for a Buddy Read, if one is put together. I'll go start one.

[Ava Catherine]

Pragya wrote: "Rusalka wrote: "Pragya wrote: "
Connie and April I am thinking of reading The Night Circus too. It has reached my bedstand but I will only be able to start with it next week as this week's choc-..."

I have just bought a copy for my kindle, so I am ready to read! Let's go, girls!
Buddy read sounds great to me! Especially with such lovely friends! ; )

No problem, Pragya, about your needing to start next week. That makes perfect sense.

[Ava Catherine]

Gaeta1 and Almeta, you gals are a blast! It is amazing how you find these titles!

[Alicia]

Okay. This is fun. I've decided my book will be Born in Twilight by Maggie Shayne. I'll have to dig deeper to see how many points I get, but her first name begins with 'M' so there's a start. :-) I assume we post our points at the end of the month?

[Alicia]

Duh. Or maybe as soon as we finish reading the book?

Sorry!

[Ava Catherine]

Judy wrote: "April, Connie, Pragya and all The Night Circus readers, I bet if you started a thread in the Buddy Reads folder others would want to join you since this is a book on so many TBRs."

'Tis done.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

What? Already!

I think it took me longer to design the challenge than it took for you to read the book!

[jaxnsmom]

Rusalka wrote: "Judy wrote: "Helen wrote: "Rusalka wrote: "The Night Circus? No. I'm Night Watch-ing at the moment.

I didn't think how confusing this thread would end up being lol"
Especially when you consider t..."

More of a classic!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FECFb1...

[Lindy]

Am I right, in that Autumn and Fall are the same as well as eve and evning?

[Lindy]

How about telescope and binoculars? These aren't so easy to find..lol

[[deleted user]]

Really? Classic case of never trust what you read on the internet...

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Hmmm... all my English rellies and UK and Irish friends use Autumn too. I was only aware of Americans and Canadians calling it Fall. So I'm with Helen.

Moot point for me as it is a glorious Australian spring time at the moment (gloat gloat gloat).

[Janice, Moderator]

Helen wrote: "Really? Classic case of never trust what you read on the internet..."

I agree. When I look both words up in the dictionary, there is no difference in the meaning. They both mean the season between summer and winter.

[Gemma]

This has been perfectly timed for me this month. I've been working through Terry Pratchett's discworld between other books, trying to catch up, and the next one was Night Watch! So I started that on Monday :)

[Jkmays]

I read Day After Night.
Genre--0
Theme--3 Family. The main characters became a family after the holocaust when their biological families were lost.
Location--0
Author--1 (Massachusetts)
Cover--0
Title--0
Pages--3 (308 pages)
Stars--2 I wanted to like this book, but it left me very disappointed.
Bonus Pts--10- for supernatural being--God!

19 points total

[Janice, Moderator]

Welcome Jkmays! Congrats on finishing your first challenge with us. :)

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Woo hoo Jkmays!

It's always a problem with the stars = points. You want to like the book to get more points (and also coz you have put the effort into reading the damn thing) but sometimes it just doesn't work out.

[April]

Whoo Hoo!!

[Lori]

Reading A God Strolling in the Cool of the Evening for this challenge.

[jaxnsmom]

I read Midnight in Austenland

Genre:
5 points - Mystery
4 points - Romance

Theme: (Please explain how your book fits the theme.)
3 points - Family Charlotte kept thinking about her scumbag cheating ex and how he hurt her, and was missing her kids terribly. The kids actually had an impact on the ending. There's a wonderful she-bear mother scene where Charlotte gives it to ex about the kids.

Location: 0

Author:
1 point – is from the northern hemisphere
Oh and I have to share this, the end of her bio, "... and their pet, a small, plastic pig."

Cover:
3 points - Has a full moon on it (A little of it hid by clouds)

Title: 0

Pages:
2 points - 272 pages

Stars:
3 points - 3 stars

Bonus Points: 0 points
3) Halloween (Oct 31). Has a supernatural being in it. Only a fake one

21 total points

[Janice, Moderator]

It's odd to have a plastic pig for a pet. Hmmmm...

[Jane Reads]

Janice wrote: "It's odd to have a plastic pig for a pet. Hmmmm..."

But no nagging the kids to clean up after it, or take it for walks, though. Hmmmm...

[Almeta]

The Celery Stalks at Midnight

Genre:
5 points - Mystery
1 point - Horror

Theme:
1 point – Mythology (vampire lore)
2 points - community festival, with teacher dunking and a vampire play, etc. (Thanks Gaeta)

Author: James Howe
1 point – is from the northern hemisphere

Cover
3 points - Has a full moon on it
2 points – Is predominantly green

Title:
4 points – Has a type of food in it
2 points - 4 word title

Pages:
-3 for 144 pages

Stars:
4 points - 4 stars

St Francis of Assisi's Feast Day (Oct 4). Main characters are animals.
10 points: cat and two dogs

Halloween (Oct 31). Has a supernatural being in it.
10 points: vampire bunny

42 points


/) /\___/\
(( \ @_@/
)) {_:Y:_.}
// {_}^-{_}
Chester

[April]

Oooooo....almeta, I just finished reading my copy! I have to post!

[Janice, Moderator]

A vampire bunny is the stuff nightmares are made of!

[Almeta]

Janice wrote: "A vampire bunny is the stuff nightmares are made of!"



(\--/)
(='0'=)
(")-(")O
Bunnicula

Can't figure out how to give him vampire teeth.

[Almeta]

Judy wrote: "Nice cat, Almeta! You have talent."

ASCII Art is really someone else's talent. I just copy them!

/\,_/\
/==_ (
(Y_.) /
U

Harold

[Janice, Moderator]

It's a fluffy bunny! Not a vampire in sight. :)

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Almeta, you get 42! As I allowed the 4 word title for Gaeta and it's only far you get it too.

Yay!

I'm going to see if I can move some posts around to the reporting thread.

Also, just giving everyone the heads up you have 4 more days for clarifications and then I am swanning away until the 31st.

(after I have a nap on the 31st after travelling for 26 hours I will check the thread and hopefully give you some answers if there are some outstanding ones for the last 24 hours).

[Lori]

A God Strolling in the Cool of the Evening

Author: Mário de Carvalho-born in Lisboa, Portugal
3 points - has the first name starting with M O O or N
2 points – has a European letter in name, eg. é, ç, æ,
1 point – is from the northern hemisphere
1 point - Has some word describing the night
(cool of the evening)
3 points: 300-399 pages
3 points: 3 stars
Bonus Points:
10 points-has a supernatural being in it: God and the mythological Roman gods.

Total: 23 points (If I didn't score it correctly...let me know. Thanks!)

[Debra]

Hi all: I'm reading like crazy these last few hours for the October Toppler and read Shapes Of Midnight as part of that challenge. It's a great book of classic horror short stories, unfortunately out of print. I will pop in later and add up my points. Can't beat Almeta, but at least I did it!

[April]

I was just posting to Connie how I get so envious over you and Connie and Almeta and how quickly you can read. I would really love to have that skill! SERIOUSLY......what am I doing wrong?

[Almeta]

April wrote: "I was just posting to Connie how I get so envious over you and Connie and Almeta and how quickly you can read. I would really love to have that skill! SERIOUSLY......what am I doing wrong?"

Walking Romeo, fixing healthy meals for Haley, doing laundry, sleeping...are probably some of your "faults"!☻

[Janice, Moderator]

Yes, everyday chores are to be put on hold. LOL!

[April]

AGGGGGGG! Now I'm so focused on how fast/slow that I'm reading/not reading that I really can't read at all! Maybe today I will NOT read. I know I shouldn't let this petty little thing bother me, but it does. I've been a reader y entire life. I do think there must be something going on because my level of concentration has significantly decreased over the past year or so. Maybe I just have too much on my mind? I'm going to search the library and see if I can find something that may help. I'm sooooo darned OCD about this! LOL

[Janice, Moderator]

Maybe you need a fluffy feel good book that will distract you from all the stress? My ex used to say that he could tell when something was bothering me because I would be soaking in the bathtub with a book in hand. It was my retreat and escape from the world. Now, I can't get down into a tub because of my arthritis. :(

[April]

Janice, maybe so! Hmmmmm....thinking of a fluffy feel good book. Also, arthritis SUCKS! But you already know that. Do you take medication for it? I have it in my knees and hips. Vitamin D seems to help a little. I also have an elliptical machine but I haven't used it. I should, but don't like to sweat! :)

[Janice, Moderator]

April wrote: "Janice, maybe so! Hmmmmm....thinking of a fluffy feel good book. Also, arthritis SUCKS! But you already know that. Do you take medication for it? I have it in my knees and hips. Vitamin D ..."

No, I don't take anything for it. I can't take ibuprophen or any anti-inflammatory. So I'm reduced to Tylenol. It doesn't work, so there's not much point in filling my body with drugs that do nothing.

[jaxnsmom]

Janice - I use a product called Biofreeze that I love. I use the gel, but comes in other forms, all topical. It smells at first, but goes away and doesn't stay on clothing.

http://biofreeze.com/

[Janice, Moderator]

jaxnsmom wrote: "Janice - I use a product called Biofreeze that I love. I use the gel, but comes in other forms, all topical. It smells at first, but goes away and doesn't stay on clothing.

http://biofreeze.com/"

There's a product here called Voltarin that I use, but it's not always all that effective. I'll check out the biofreeze. Thanks J'Mom.

[jaxnsmom]

April - it sounds like you are driving yourself nuts! Calm down and breathe girl!! What's your main purpose in reading? Getting enjoyment, entertainment and knowledge? Or reading as fast as you possibly can? Focus on what you like about reading, and give yourself a good talking-to about what you get from a book. It's ok to be envious, but quit comparing yourself! Now take Janice's advice, get the fluffy book, curl up with Romeo in a comfy spot, and read something that has nothing to do with any challenges, monthly reads...just sit back and enjoy. I have had to make myself do these things, and they worked. Now I can appreciate others' reading talents, and not start to feel as competitive.

And remember, Connie, Debra and Almeta are freaks of nature. (no insult to ya'll) ☺

[Janice, Moderator]

I found that I was getting bogged down with my real life book club. They were the only books I were reading and they weren't necessarily something I would have picked. Finally, I realized that I needed to start reading "my" choices as well. I went from 6 books a year a couple of years ago to 81 and still counting this year. I've revived my love of reading.

My friend, on the other hand, quit the bookclub and reading. She wouldn't read even a magazine.

Reading for yourself is so important. I hope that we offer enough of a variety here in YLTO that people do read for themselves and not just to meet the requirements of a challenge/toppler/group read.

[Almeta]

jaxnsmom wrote: "And remember, Connie, Debra and Almeta are freaks of nature. (no insult to ya'll)..."

I really don't think that I read that fast. I am retired and living single. During the Topplers, I stay up late, get up early, catnap and do very little of anything else. I have more time than most.

Now that the Toppler is over, I will be spending more time with friends and family and reading at a more normal pace.

If you are competitive, compete with yourself and a goal you set. Don't compete with others...you'll lose focus of your original intention: To enjoy reading.

[Kat]

Well said everyone. Everyone reads differently - I can read quite fast but I'm easily distracted. I'd have to lock myself in a room with no Internet and have books given to me one at a time to read as much as I would like to, but unless I commit a crime and get sent down that won't happen.

Just enjoy reading, comparing yourself to everyone else will only turn you off :-)

[April]

jaxnsmom wrote: "April - it sounds like you are driving yourself nuts! Calm down and breathe girl!! What's your main purpose in reading? Getting enjoyment, entertainment and knowledge? Or reading as fast as you..."

You are soooooo right!