OFFICIAL SPRING CHALLENGE - 2009 Showing 5,051-5,100 of 6,381

[Rory M.]

Amy wrote: "Okay...so now we all know what Rory was doing during the WINTER challenge ;) Congratulations, Mama !!"

Hehehe...don't tell!

[Rory M.]

Jessica wrote: "Congrats Rory - best wishes for a wonderful little sprout! In his/her honor, I'll be tackling two books from your shelves to complete 25.3 in the next couple of weeks.

I'm also adding 50 points t..."

Jessica: I hope you find something good from my bookshelf!

[Rachel Erin]

For 5.7 I read Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos and donated it to the library (along with an embarrasing large pile of books I haven't touched in a long time).

[Melody]

I haven’t posted for ages but here are the books I have read lately.

The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff for read a book by an author who was born in March, April, or May - 10 pts.

Read a book that corresponds to your astrological sign for 15 pts. I am a Gemini and read The Twins by Lori Lansens.

Spring cleaning book. Beloved by Toni Morrison for 5 pts.

For ANZAC Day – Read a book by an Australian author for 10 pts. The Rouseabout by Rachael Treasure

New total = 110 points.

[Beth F]

Rory wrote: "I'm lagging behind in my reading...my husband & I found out this week we are expecting our first child...I've been reading all the baby brochures, magazines and books my doctor gave me instead. I'..."

Congratulations!! If you come across any fantastic baby books you'll have to share! I'm also relatively newly pregnant (12 weeks) and this is also our first so have no idea what to expect. :P

A Child is Born by Lennart Nilsson has some astounding photos of babies in utero from conception through their birth. I picked up a copy on Friday evening and have spent a good part of the weekend cooing over the cuties inside! One of these days I might actually read the text too...but really, I bought this book for the pictures. Nilsson is an extremely talented photographer.

[Wendy]

Rory wrote: "I'm lagging behind in my reading...my husband & I found out this week we are expecting our first child...I've been reading all the baby brochures, magazines and books my doctor gave me instead. I'..."
Fantastic!!! Read a baby rearing book for outside your normal genre for 25 points!!!

[Elizabeth (NC)]

I just finished the 50 point challenge and I have to say I feel like I cheated. I read Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich and Foul Play which she wrote under the name Steffi Hall. I throughly enjoyed both books, and they were very quick reads. Seems like the 50 pointer should have been harder.

That puts me at 280 points (well over my 200 point goal--all those 25 pointers help!)
and 6264 pages read

[Nicole]

A few updates for the weekend:
10.1 If You Could See Me Now, I hadn't read Cecelia Ahern since PS I love you came out. I didn't love this one as much as PS, but she tackles some tough subjects in a very light hearted style and I do like her.

15.10 The Third Angel A Novel, The Fourth Queen A Novel, and The Fifth Floor. To be honest I wasn't really excited about any of the three.

Total Points: 315

[Kristina]

Just finished:

1. Fantasy Novel - Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Despite how lame it may seem to read about a girl who sees faeries Melissa Marr wonderfully executes her novel, Wicked Lovely, with such surprise that it would be lame not to read about a girl who sees faeries. Marr's main character, Aislinn, is spunky, bright, and balances out well with her duel main counterparts, Seth, the mortal love, and Keenan, the faerie destiny. This is an well written and excellent read for young adults.

5 points, making my total 345.

[Lynlee4]

Rory wrote: "I'm lagging behind in my reading...my husband & I found out this week we are expecting our first child...I've been reading all the baby brochures, magazines and books my doctor gave me instead. I'..."

Congrats to you!

[Rory M.]

Beth wrote: "Rory wrote: "I'm lagging behind in my reading...my husband & I found out this week we are expecting our first child...I've been reading all the baby brochures, magazines and books my doctor gave me..."

Beth: I just requested that one from the library - good one! I'll let you know if I come across anything too. Congratulations to you as well! =)

[Lizzi]

CONGRATULATIONS RORY AND BETH!!! :-)

And something someone said (I don't remember who it was...) made me interested: what is everyone rewarding themselves with when you're done with the challenge? I personally already rewarded myself with a splurge at bookcloseouts.com *sheepish grin*, but if I actually finish everything I might buy another book or two for the summer challenge, because you can never have too many. ;-)

[April]

I completed 15-point task 1. I am a Cancer. I read Mercy by Jodi Piccoult, where the cancer one of the characters had went through was a major plot point. This book was an uncomfortable read though, as adultery was also a big plot point, and my morals aren't so loose as to condone that.

My point total is now at 335!

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[Jamie]

Congrats to the moms-to-be! How exciting!

[Slayermel]

Congratulations to both Rory & Beth :0)

Update & new total
Just finished reading Bridget Joness Diary for Ros's Task - Read a book from the Big Reads List 25 pts.

5 Points
1.[Read Fiction or Fantasy Novel-[book:Wicked Lovely|305234]
2. Read Non-Fiction Letters/Journals - Journals
3. Spring Cleaning - Rich Dad, Poor Dad
4. Transportation - (audiobook)Insomnia
5. Sacrifice:?
6. [Womens History Month-[book:Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment|6023056]
7. Arbor Day-(Released through Bookcrossing)-The Time Traveler's Wife
8. April Fools-I Am America And So Can You!
9. Spring Animal-The Crow Shattered Lives & Broken Dreams
10. April Showers-Halloween Rain

10 Points
1. St.Patricks Day-
2. Cinco DeMayo-
3. Anzac Day-
4. Born On - (May 22, 1859) The Lost World Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
5. Harry Houdini-
6. Earth day-The War of the Worlds
7. Mothers Day-
8. Memorial Day-
9. TNBBC Top Book List - To Kill a Mockingbird(1977=#19)
10. [TNBBC Great Taste - (Kevin):[book:The Historian|10692]

15 Points
1. In the Stars-Libra-
2. Poetry month-
3. Past/Present Group Read-Dracula
4. Spring Break-
5. Literary prize-
6. [Translation - (Swedish-English)-[book:Pippi Longstocking|19302]
7. Rhyming (Life & Wife) -Life of Pi & The essential wife
8. Getting to KnowA Child Called "It" One Child's Courage to SurviveInterview http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2004/...
9. Color in Title-Black House
10. 3rd,4th & 5th-

25 Points
1. G & R - Ghost Stories of Ontario & Redemption
2. El's Task-
3. Posted After you - (Rory)The Picture of Dorian Gray & The Red Tent
4. Big Reads List-Bridget Jones's Diary
5. Outside Genre -(Biography):I, Tina
6. Monarchy - Mary Queen of Scots
7. Movie reference-
8. 2 YA Novels-The Harvest & Coyote Moon
9. 12+ words in Title-

50 Points
2 Books by Author written under different names-

Points:120
# of Tasks Completed: 10/40
# of books read: 12
# of pages read: 3,756

[Alisha Marie]

April, that's exactly the reason why I didn't finish Mercy. Adultery is just something that bothers me. And as soon as I saw that the book was headed that way, I took it back to the library.

[Kristina]

Congratulations to you, too, Beth!

[[deleted user]]

Another book to cross off...

5 POINTS-

1. Twilight 3/27/09
2. Bridget Jones's Diary 4/1/09
3. Hunted A House of Night Novel 3/25/09
4. Three Weeks with My Brother
5. Redemption
6. J. K. Rowling The Wizard Behind Harry Potter
7. Confessions of a Shopaholic 3/16/09
8. One for the Money 3/26/09
9. The Secret Life of Bees 4/9/09
10. Henderson the Rain King

10 POINTS-

1. Bard The Odyssey of the Irish
2. Like Water for Chocolate
3. The Magicians' Guild
4. Good in Bed 4/26/09
5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
6. New Moon
7. Mr. Darcy's Diary
8. The Lucky One 3/8/09
9. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyUPDATE
10. Eragon 3/8/09

15 POINTS-

1. SAGITARIUS: Moneyball The Art of Winning an Unfair Game
2. Where the Sidewalk Ends
3. Stardust 3/18/09
4. The Leisure Seeker A NovelUPDATE (Disneyland)
5. Foreign Affairs A Novel
6. If On a Winter's Night a Traveler
7. The Picture of Dorian Gray/Me Talk Pretty One Day
8. Lover Enshrined 4/10/09
9. White Noise
10. Black Dagger Brotherhood 3/4/5: Lover Awakened 3/20/09/ Lover Revealed 3/25/09/ Lover Unbound 4/1/09

25 POINTS-

1. The Girls from Ames A Story of Women and Friendship/ Romeo and Juliet 4/13/09
2. Diaries, 1885-97 With Earlier and Later Diary Fragments from 1875-1917
3. Little Women/ A Wrinkle in Time 3/3/09
4. Anne of Green Gables
5. In Cold Blood
6. Diana Story of a Princess
7. Wuthering Heights
8. Eclipse/ Specials 3/12/09
9. Wicked The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

50 POINT TASK: Lover Avenged by J.R. Ward/The Billionaire Next Door by Jessica Bird

[Sandy]

Elizabeth (NC) wrote: "I just finished the 50 point challenge and I have to say I feel like I cheated. I read Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich and Foul Play which she wrote under the name Steffi Hall. I throughly enjoyed b..."

I had suggested four books for the 50 point task to Cynthia but she thought 2 books were ok. I was completely fine with that because I wanted this task to be fun more than anything. I wanted it to be a task that people could accomplish. We have so much to read for the Spring Challenge already. In the end, I knew whatever I chose was not going to be popular with everyone, so I just decided to submit a task that I wanted to do. Luckily, I've received more positive comments than negative ones.

[Kate]

Completed Tasks
10 Points
#4 Private by Kate Brian - birthday March 11, 1974.
#5 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
#9 84, Charing Cross Road born in 1988.
#10 1st to Die Fiona gave it a 5-star and we both joined this group on the same page!
15 Points
#2 Where the Sidewalk Ends
#6 Night Originally written in French
#8 Identical The link to the interview I read is http://www.teensreadtoo.com/Interview...
25 Points
#7 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets This appeared in the movie "Cinderella Story"
#9 He's Just Not That Into You The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys
Total Points: 135

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[Lizzi]

Finished Bellwether (Connie Willis) for 5 point task 1, and Mandie and the Fiery Rescue (Leppard) for 10 point task book set in Ireland, bringing my total to 515 points.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

25.1 The Gathering and Rabbit, Run

I don't think I reported here when I finished Rabbit last weekend. I gave it 4 stars. This book challenged me in a way others haven't because of John Updike's writing style. In the end, it was the story. I'm glad he decided to write more about Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom and will, eventually, read the others in the series.

I just finished The Gathering this evening. The last 5 pages are worth 5 stars, but that doesn't make up for the other 255 pages which are worth only 3 stars. The author was just too preoccupied with sex equating to love in most people's lives. She seemed to resolve this, but I didn't feel much like being the psychiatrist while she worked through it.

[Sara ♥]

Congratulations Rory and Beth!

I finally made myself sit down and finish a book:
Task 10.1 - Irish Book/Author: PS, I Love You by Cecelia Ahern (4/26/09)

It was a REALLY cute not-quite-chick-lit book. It was NOT a fluffy-happy read, but it wasn't as depressing as I thought it could have been, either. If you are thinking, "Oh, I've seen the movie--I don't need to read the book," know that they are pretty much two completely separate entities. The characters have the same names, but other than that, it's pretty darn different. (The whole thing takes place in Ireland, the letters are delivered differently, her parents are still together, etc, etc, etc...) I think it was worth reading, even if only to see how the author originally intended for the story to go. :) I liked it a lot.

CURRENT STATS
Tasks Completed: 23/40
Books Read: 29/47
Pages Read: 7878
Points Earned: 310

[Becky]

Goal: 390 Points / 32 books

---Stats---
Earned Points: 200 of 390
Books Read: 20 of 32
Total Pages Read: 7953
-----------

5 POINT TASKS
1. Read a SF OR Fantasy Novel.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (SF) (Read 4.5.09)

2. Read an epistolary novel.
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis (Read 3.26.09)

4. Read/Listen in a Plane, Train or Car.
Labyrinth by Kate Mosse (audiobook) (Read 3.13.09)

5. Read a Christian Fiction novel.
Showdown by Ted Dekker

6. Read a novel with woman, lady, etc in the title.
Lady Susan by Jane Austen (Read 4.25.09)

7. Read a book and "recycle" it.
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (Sent to Kandice.) (Read 4.4.09)

8. Read a humorous novel.
The Princess Bride by William Goldman (Read 3.11.09)

9. Read a book with a spring animal in the title.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

10. Read a book with a type of tree or flower in the title.
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy (Read 4.15.09)

10 POINT TASKS
1. Read a book by an Irish author, set in Ireland, OR about Ireland.
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt (Read 3.4.09)

4. Read a book by an author who was born in March, April, or May.
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides /Born: March 8, 1960 (Read 4.19.09)

5. Read a book about magic, a magician etc.
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susana Clarke (Read 3.3.09)

6. Read a book with the word Earth, Moon, World, etc in the title.
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks (Read 3.19.09)

7. Read a book recommended by/given to you by your mother.
The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst

8. Read a book about a veteran OR someone serving in the military.
Othello by William Shakespeare (Read 4.10.09)

9. Read a book from the TNBBC Top Book list.
I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith (#1 - I was born in 1982)

10. TNBBC member 5-Star rated book.
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (Thanks Heather from page 39!) (Read 3.17.09)

15 POINT TASKS
1. LIBRA: Read a book about a lawyer, the law, a judge etc.
The Last Juror by John Grisham

2. Read a book of poetry OR about a famous poet.
Inferno by Dante Alighieri (Read 3.14.09)

3. Read a past OR present TNBBC group read that you haven’t read before.
Neverwhere: A Novel by Neil Gaiman

6. Read a book that was has been translated from its original language.
The Plague by Albert Camus

8. Read a book by an author AND then either attend a reading by that author OR read/listen to an interview with that author.
Duma Key by Stephen King (Read 4.12.09) - Read this interview: www.powells.com/interviews/stephenkin...

9. Read a book with a color in the title AND eat a meal that includes at least 2 foods of that color.
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
(Planned foods: Garlic and Feta cheese mashed potatoes and vanilla ice-cream)

25 POINT TASKS
1. Karen's Task: Read a book starting with "G" & a book starting with "R".
The Green Mile (Complete Serial Novel) by Stephen King (Read 3.7.09) & Roots by Alex Haley (Read 4.2.09)

4. Ros's Task: Read a book from the Big Reads List.
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

5. Bonnie's Task: Read a book outside my normal genre.
(Non-fictional memoir -- I normally read fiction: fantasy, horror, classics, etc.)
Death Be Not Proud by John Gunther (Read 3.8.09)

7. Darla's Task: Read a book referenced or shown in a movie you've seen.
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier (Referenced in "The English Patient".) (Read 3.29.09)

8. Cassie's Task: Read two YA novels.
Blue Is For Nightmares & White Is for Magic by Laurie Faria Stolarz

50 POINT TASK
1. Sandy's Task: Read two books by an author writing under two different names.
The Long Walk by Richard Bachman and Lisey's Story by Stephen King (Read 4.24.09)

[Jen]

Congrats Rory! such an exciting time!

25.2 - A Midwife's Tale The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
25.4 - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Duhl
25.7 - The Devil Wears Prada, Laura Weisberger - being read by the Grandmother on the beach in The Nannie Diaries

15.3 - Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen
15.4 - My Philadelphia Father, Cordelia Drexel Biddle - Went to Philly for spring break one year with the family.
15.6 - The Shadow of the Wind, Carlos Luiz Zafron translated by Lucia Graves

10.1 - Angela's Ashes, Frank McCourt
10.6 - From the Earth to the Moon and 'Round the Moon - Jules Verne
10.10 - The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kid - off Krittle's shelf

5.1 - The Time Machine, H. G. Wells
5.5 - The Silent Harp - 1935, Gilbert Morris
5.7 - Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Robert Lous Stevenson - PDF acquired from planetpdf.com

TOTAL - 165

[[deleted user]]

Beth wrote: "I'm also relatively newly pregnant (12 weeks) and this is also our first so have no idea what to expect. :P ..."

and congratulations to you too!! Wow, all these new mothers!!

[Marie]

Hello,
I've finished Lewis Carroll and Alice for the diarist challenge, so here's my updated list:
5 POINTS
1. SF or Fantasy: The Diamond Age, Neal Stephenson
2. Epistolary novel: Les Liaisons dangereuses, Pierre Choderlos de Laclos
3. Spring Cleaning: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert M. Pirsig
5. The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible As Literally As Possible, A.J. Jacobs
6. Women’s History Month: The Girl Who Played with Fire, Stieg Larsson
7. For Arbor Day: La reine dans le palais des courants d'air, Stieg Larsson (swap with my sister)
8. For April Fools Day: The Color Of Magic (Discworld, Book 1), Terry Pratchett
9. Spring animals: A Wild Sheep Chase, Haruki Murakami
10. April Showers Bring May Flowers: Purple Hibiscus, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

10 POINTS
1. St. Patrick’s Day: Dubliners, James Joyce
2. For Cinco De Mayo: No Sera La Tierra, Jorge Volpi
3. ANZAC Day: English Passengers, Matthew Kneale
4. La marche de Mina, Yoko Ogawa (born March 30, 1962)
5. Harry Houdini’s Birthday: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Susanna Clarke
6. In honor of Earth Day: Thirteen Moons, Charles Frazier
7. In Honor of Mother’s Day, lent by my mother: Mémoires d'Hadrien, Marguerite Yourcenar
8. Memorial and Armed Forces Day: Wild Fire, Nelson DeMille
9. TNBBC Top Books list: The Fountainhead- Ayn Rand (n° 28)
10. Members have great tastes: Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi (Nik D)

15 POINTS
1. It’s Written In the Stars - LEO: Les Rois maudits, Tome 1 : Le roi de fer ; La reine étranglée, Maurice
2. National Poetry Month: Letters to a Young Poet, Rainer Maria Rilke
3. TNBBC group read: The Road, Cormac McCarthy
4. Location: Guide du Routard Rome
5. Price winner: A Good Man in Africa, William Boyd (Somerset Maugham Award 1982)
6. Translated book: The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton (read in French)
7. Dr. Seuss’ birthday and Mother Goose Day (sorry, this one's in french): La Taverne du doge Loredan, Alberto Ongaro and Oui, mon commandant!, Amadou Hampâté Bâ
8. Get To Know The Author: The Monsters of Templeton, Lauren Groff (added her blog to Goodreads, and read some interviews)
9. Color: The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
10. Read the third, fourth and fifth books of one series: A series of unfortunate events books 3, 4 & 5, Lemony Snicket

25 POINT TASKS
1. addicted to GR: The Godfather, Mario Puzo and Rebecca, Daphné du Maurier
2. Non-Fiction book about a diarist: Lewis Carroll and Alice, Stephanie Lovett Stoffel
3. ANGELA’S TASK: The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan and Lord of the Flies by William Golding (from Cynthia’s bookshelf)
4. The big reads list: Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez
5. Book outside your normal genre(s): 31 songs, Nick Hornby (essay)
7. DARLA'S TASK - Read a book you've either heard referenced in a movie: Tintin au Tibet, Hergé (referenced in Malabar Princess)
8. CASSIE'S TASK - Read two young adult novels: A series of unfortunate events books 1 & 2, Lemony Snicket
9. SARA'S TASK - Read a book that has a title of 12 or more words: Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, Gregory Maguire

Current points: 145/495
Books read: 10/43

[Joy Marie]

Completed #2 under the 15 point category! YIPEE!!!!
Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell was a story from King Arthur's time in poem form. The poem/story was sweet and romantic, but did not stand out in my mind.

5 POINTS
#1 Coraline by Neil Gaiman Rating - B 4/15/09

#3 Angels & Demons by Dan Brown Rating - A 4/9/09

#4 I listened to this audiobook in my car during the 7 hr drive to and 7 hr drive from the Texas Valley. Andrew Jackson by Robert V. Remini Rating - C 3/21/09

#8 Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich Rating - A 3/31/09

10 POINTS

#2 Like Water for Chocolate byLaura Esquivel Rating - A 3/23/09

#3 The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Rating - A+ 4/25/09

#4 Seven Up by Janet Evanovich Rating - B 3/5/09

#7 My mom's name is Kathleen. Calamity Jayne by Kathleen Bacus Rating - C+ 4/2/09

#9 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams #77 off the TNBBC Top Books List (I was born in 1977) Rating - A- 3/26/09

15 POINTS

#2 Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell Rating - C+ 4/26/09

#4 Went to the Texas Valley for spring break and also crossed the border into Mexico and visited South Padre Island. Living on the Edge of America At Home on the Texas-Mexico Border by Robert Lee Maril Rating - C 4/21/09

#6 The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho Rating - A+ 3/6/09

25 POINTS
#1 The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams Rating - A- AND
The Glass Castle A Memoir by Jeannette Walls Rating A- 4/16/09

#3 From Eva's List (THANKS EVA!) The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve AND The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom Rating on both of these is A-. 3/20/09

#5 Manhunt The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson I NEVER read true crime and don't plan to again any time soon!....Rating - C+ 3/13/09

#8 Beauty Shop for Rent . . . fully equipped, inquire within by Laura Bowers and Eva Underground by Dandi Daley Mackall Give a B+ to both these books. 3/30/09


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[Elizabeth (NC)]

Sandy wrote: "Elizabeth (NC) wrote: "I just finished the 50 point challenge and I have to say I feel like I cheated. I read Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich and Foul Play which she wrote under the name Steffi Hall..."

I'm glad this is what you picked. I love Evanovich, but never would have picked up Foul Play because it is clasified as a romance which is usually not my cup of tea. I loved reading it though and it was a great diversion from all the work I was supposed to be doing on Saturday!

[Terri]

10 POINTS

3. For ANZAC Day – Read a book by an Australian author, set in Australia, OR about Australia.

Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood - loved this book!


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[Alice]

I have read Persuasion by Jane Austen as referenced in The Austen Book Club film for 25 points.

5 POINTS

1. A Neil Gaiman book
2. Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction by Sue Townsend
3. Half of Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
4. ?
5. The Shack by William P. Young
6. The Girls by Lori Lansons
7. The Invisible Man by H.G.Wells (e-book)
8. The Difficult Second Book by Chris Moyles
9. ?
10. ?

10 POINTS

1. The Gathering by Anne Enright (Set in Ireland)
2. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
3. His Illegal Self by Peter Carey (Aussie Author)
4. Mr Pip by Lloyd Jones (Born 23rd March)
5. Carter Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold
6. East of the Sun by Julia Gregson
7. The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald (rec. by mum)
8. The Welsh Girl by Peter Ho Davies
9. I Capture the Castle (no. 1 of TNBBC top 10 list)
10. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson (One of Meg's 5 star rated books).

15 POINTS

1. The Associate by John Grisham (Libra)
2. Shakespeare by Bill Bryson
3. Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen
4. The Visible World by Mark Slouka (set in Prague)
5. The Sea by John Banville (won the Guardian Prize in 1981 for Kepler
6. Shape of Water by Andrea Camillia (translated from Italian into English
7. The Girl who was going to die by Glyn Maxwell and The End of Mr Y by Scarlett Thompson
8. The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold
9. The White Tiger by Aravind Acliga
10. ?

25 POINTS

1. The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson and The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
2. Samuel Pepys Diary by Samuel Pepys
3. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger (from Angela's bookshelves)
4. Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
5. The Face by Dean Koontz (Horror)
6. ?
7. Persuasion by Jane Austen
8. Eragon by Christopher Paolini and Artemis Fowl and the Time Deception by Eoin Colfer
9. The Suspicions of Mr Whicher: or the Murder at Road Hill House by Kate Summerscale

50 POINTS

1. Rape: A Love Story by Joyce Carol Oates and Take Me Take Me With You by Lauren Kelly


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[Jamie]

Alisha wrote: "April, that's exactly the reason why I didn't finish Mercy. Adultery is just something that bothers me. And as soon as I saw that the book was headed that way, I took it back to the library.
"

I do the same thing. I can't tolerate adultery.

[Josie]

I'm doing a little swapping because I can't get hold of another book written under Agatha Christie's pen name Mary Westmacott - so I'm going to use Absent in the Spring (which I originally used for task 5.7) for my 50 point task, along with Elephants Can Remember, which I finished tonight.
So that's 50 more points, minus the 5 (which I will now have to read another book for)... giving me a new total of 385 points.

[Amy]

Hook me up, baby !!




I have had the distinct pleasure of completing:

10.3 Tim by Colleen McCullough in celebration of ANZAC Day...Aussie Aussie Aussie !!

10.5 Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling - If you're a Harry Potter fan this will allegedly make sense. If you're new to the series, this will be a creative twist on not-so-fairy-fairy-tales.

15.2 The Gold Cell, a book of poetry authored by Sharon Olds. Raw, unnerving - makes you wonder exactly what this woman's life was like as a child.

25.6 The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Allison Weir. All hail the Queen - well, six of them actually. Fully researched and written in a style that harkens less to a history text and more to a novel; a long, long, laborious novel, filled with sex, drugs and rock and roll (as in heads, Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard to be exact.) Weir's oft sympathetic portrayal of Henry is grinding at times given his fickleness, but I guess if all of England depended upon me having a son, panic attacks would seem like a picnic.

Keep the faith friends - Spring is sprouting in New England.

[Ryan Mac]

Cynthia--would Testimony work for the epistolary novel? It wasn't very good so I'm hoping that I can get 5 points out of it. :)

[Amy]

Sandy wrote: "Elizabeth (NC) wrote: "I just finished the 50 point challenge and I have to say I feel like I cheated. I read Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich and Foul Play which she wrote under the name Steffi Hall..."

Sandy - I really like your challenge. It was fun to get out the search engines again, now that we are halfway through and I got lost in a lot of the information regarding authors whom I have loved FOR YEARS and never knew wrote under a pseudonym.

[Lindsey]

I completed a few tasks while I was up at the DMZ this past week.

5 Pt task #6. In Honor Of Women’s History Month, I read Letter to My Daughter by Maya Angelou. Soooo good, I highly recommend it to every woman. Its a bunch of autobiographical stories about what made her the woman she is today and her advice to women of today. I know that I am now going to try to become a better woman because of it.

25 Pt task #1. KAREN’S TASK - As we are all totally completely addicted to GR (Goodreads)...
I read for G- Glass Houses by Rachel Caine and for R- Reading Like a Writer A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them

New total: 285

[[deleted user]]

Lindsey wrote: "I completed a few tasks while I was up at the DMZ this past week.

5 Pt task #6. In Honor Of Women’s History Month, I read Letter to My Daughter by Maya Angelou. Soooo good, I hig..."

I really want to read this!! It sounds so good!

[Joanie]

I completed 15-9-Read a book with a color in the title and then eat a meal with two food that are that color. I read The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga and last night we cooked out and I had pasta salad with feta cheese (both white) and I also had potato salad (a carb fest!)

Total as of 4/27/09-130

[Julie J]

Read The Winemaker's Daughter by Timothy Egan for my 5 point Spring cleaning task.
Total: 75 points

[Lindsey]

Hayes you should definately read it. :) It's very good. She shares a lot of stuff that happened to her that you wouldn't believe. And her mom may have been the most beautiful woman in existance. And her father's reaction to her getting pregnant was one of the most beautiful things I've ever read.

[Sara ♥]

Lindsey wrote: "I completed a few tasks while I was up at the DMZ this past week...."

Are you able to find plenty of English books over there, or did you take a bunch of books with you? Do you get books on base? Order them online? My mom struggles trying to find things to read down south in Sacheon, which is maybe 1 hour from Chinhae... 1 1/2 or 2 hours from Pusan.

[Stephanie]

15 POINT TASK COMPLETED:
10. 3/4/5 Books: Three To Get Deadly, Four to Score, High Five by Janet Evanovich

Points to date: 220/575
Tasks Completed: 16/40

[Ashley]

I finished task 5.7 yesterday. I listened to Lord of the Flies by William Golding on tape.

Total points: 95

[Cynthia]

LEADERBOARD
DONNA JO - 575
***************
BJ ROSE - 535
SANDY - 520
LIZZI - 515
KRISTEN IL - 480
BRIDGIT - 455
KRISTENR - 445
RORA - 435
SHARON - 430
WENDY - 420
LEORA - 410
MEGHAN - 410
BETH MN - 405
ASHLEY ID - 400
TINA - 395
JOSIE - 385
LOUISE - 370
RORY - 370
BEV - 365
BONNIE - 365
LIZ BRKLYN - 360
CAIT - 345
KRISTINA GA - 345
APRIL NY - 340
AMY - 330
ALICE - 325
ANGELA IL - 320
KRITIKA - 315
NICOLE NC - 315
REBECCA J - 310
SARANICOLE - 310
MAGGIE - 305
CATHEROO - 295
PERS - 295
EL - 290
LINDSEY - 285
ELIZABETH NC - 280
EVA - 280
JESSICA IL - 280
JUDITH IA - 280
RHIANNON - 280
SUSAN - 280
ANGIE - 275
MARY BETH - 275
LAURA NY - 270
LORI TX - 265
SANDIE - 265
COURTNEY - 255
SUZIER - 250
CYNTHIA (SCM) - 245
ROSEANN - 245
LYNLEE4 - 225
JAMIE MN - 220
STEPHANIE CA - 220
FIONA (TITCH)- 215
JOY - 215
RENFREW - 210
BECKY - 200
SARA E - 200
STEPH - 200
FALLON - 195
JON - 195
MALIADES - 195
ALISHA - 190
ASHLEY AL - 190
ELIZABETH (ALASKA) - 190
HAYES - 185
WV HEATHER - 185
JILLIAN - 180
KATE - 180
MANDAY - 175
CAROL - 170
SERA - 170
VICTORIA - 170
JENNIFER IN - 165
JOANNA - 165
KRISTINA UK - 165
LIZ VEGAS - 160
POTJY - 155
LILY - 150
ROS - 150
CYNDEE - 145
MARIE - 145
MEGAN - 145
DAVID - 140
JEN B - 140
TRYPHENA - 140
KAREN - 135
KATHRYN - 135
LACY - 135
SARAH PA - 135
HEATHER KS - 130
JEGKA - 130
JOANIE - 130
RYAN - 130
TRACY - 130
ANN FROM SC - 125
NATALIA - 125
CASSIE - 120
SLAYERMEL - 120
SUSANNA UK - 115
ABBIE - 110
BETH - 110
MELODY - 110
CATHERINE - 105
JEANE - 105
LINDA - 105
CYNTHIA - 100
JESSICA SC - 100
JULIE (ID)'S - 100
TERRI - 100
AMANDA - 95
ASHLEY UT - 95
REBECCA - 95
JENNY - 90
KICKI - 90
MADELINE - 90
SAI - 90
LAUREN - 85
MEREDITH H - 85
SAM - 80
JULIE TN - 75
JULIE UK - 75
MEL - 75
RACHEL - 75
SHANNON - 75
SHELLIE - 70
SLAIMI - 70
ALLISON MO - 65
JESSICA MI - 65
JOANN - 65
ALYSSA - 60
JEN MD - 60
KELLY - 60
JAMIE WA - 55
MACKENZIE - 55
ROBIN - 55
VICKI - 55
KATIE - 50
KIM - 50
5PEASINAPOD - 45
ELIZ - 45
KELLY MA - 45
JULIE KS - 40
LDB - 40
LISA CO - 40
LIZ NY - 40
TOBIE - 40
JAMIE 23 - 35
JUDITH NY - 30
DOROTHY - 25
JAIME 26 - 25
KRISTI - 25
MELISSA - 25
LAZARUS - 20
NICOLE CA - 20
CAITLIN - 15
JENNI - 15
GREG - 10
MARY - 10
MORGAN - 10
MICHELLE - 5
SHELBY - 5

[Avory]

Whew! Finished I Capture the Castle for 10.9, so that brings me to 280 points. I know a lot of people loved it, but it was certainly an exhausting book. Very slow going.

[Cait]

Alisha wrote: "Cait, I thought the same thing about Come Closer when I read it, too. "I'll be fine, it wasn't that scary". It got a hell of a lot scarier when I started hearing "tapping" on my wall late at nigh..."

Yeah, I can't imagine hearing tapping on my walls at night after reading that book! I think that would definitely kick the fear factor up a notch. I have an overactive imagination too, which is why I don't read horror/supernatural books like I used to when I was a teenager.

[Mary Beth]

Congrats to Rory and Beth!!!

I just finished Double Whammy by Carl Hiaasen, and now I'm reading Confessions of a Shopaholic...nice summer reading, since it already feels like summer in the Northeast!

Latest Update

THE TASKS

5 Points
1. Swallowing Darkness by Laurell K. Hamilton
2. Almost Like Being in Love by Steve Kluger
3. Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of Wars, Disaster, and Survival by Anderson Cooper
4. Eiger Dreams by Jon Krakauer
5. The Gnostic Mystery by Randy Davila
6. A Lady’s Secret by Jo Beverley
7. The Bride's Baby by Liz Fielding
8. Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
9. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
10. The Feast of Roses by Indu Sundaresan
Category Total: 20 / 50

10 Points
1. P.S. I Love You by Cecilia Ahern
2. Gringos by Charles Portis
3. In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson
4. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (April 23)
5. The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis
6. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
7. Getting Mother’s Body by Suzan-Lori Parks
8. A Very Long Engagement by Sebastien Japrisot
9. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (#19)
10. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (from Spreet)
Category Total: 30 / 100

15 Points
1. Double Whammy by Carl Hiaasen (Pisces – Takes place at a bass-fishing tournament)
2. Forbidden Words by Eugenio de Andrade
3. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
4. White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison (Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky)
5. Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson (Newbery Medal 1981)
6. Daphnis and Chloe by Longus (Greek to English)
7. The Last TOWN on Earth by Thomas Mullen /
The CROWN Conspiracy by Michael J. Sullivan
8. The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan (interview from BellaOnline)
9. The Red Scarf by Kate Furnivall
10. The Horse and His Boy, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis (Books 3, 4, and 5 of The Chronicles of Narnia series)
Category Total: 75 / 150

25 Points
1. The Giver by Lois Lowry / Rise and Shine by Anna Quindlen
2. The Ballad of Dorothy Wordsworth by Frances Wilson
3. From Eva: I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell by Tucker Max / In the Cut by Susanna Moore
4. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
5. My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding edited by P.N. Elrod (Short Stories)
6. Warriors of God: Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in the Third Crusade by James Reston Jr.
7. Fanny Hill by John Cleland (The Impossible Years and Yours, Mine, and Ours)
8. The Silver Chair / The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis
9. House of Cards: A Tale of Hubris and Wretched Excess on Wall Street by William D. Cohan
Category Total: 150 / 225

50 Points
1. Cocktails for Three by Madeleine Wickham / Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella Category Total: 0 / 50

Category Totals: 275 / 575

Goal: 275 / 350


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[Ashley]

I didn't report any reading over the weekend, and I read a lot, so here are my new points:

I read Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry for the 5 pt rain related word task. (Thunder) It's a Newberry Award winner, and I really liked the book. There was a lot of depth to the characters, and nothing really felt forced. I might even look up the other books that were written about the family.

I also read the Picture of Dorian Gray for my 10 pt Irish author task.
This book was interesting. I am glad that I read it, but a lot of the philosophy and theory got tired. Lord Herny is awful... But, I loved the ending. I am a huge fan of poetic justice... Overall, I am glad that I read this one.

I also finished Angela's 25 pt task. I took 2 books from Cynthia (thanks!). I read Lord of the Flies in the first couple of weeks, and liked it more than I thought I would. It is a very Hobbesian book, and I was studying him in a theory class at the time, so it was really interesting to read about him, and then read a book that uses his theory.
Yesterday, I read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and I loved it! Such a great, fun read! I really liked the ending. Definitely one to go on the wish list!!

I also finished the 50 pt task. I didn't know what to do with this one, because I had no idea who to choose. In high school I read a bunch of Dean Koontz, and still like him, and someone mentioned his pen names. I don't remember who, but thanks!
So, last week I read The House of Thunder, published under the name Leigh Nichols, and I was really disappointed. The book had an interesting plot line and idea, but was written horribly! It is one of the most poorly written books I have ever read. And I felt really cheated by the ending.
I also read Velocity, published under his own name, and I really liked it! This is more what a book by Koontz is supposed to read like! It was really interesting, and did a lot more to hold my attention than the other one.

So, my new point total is 400!! Whew...

[Jamie]

Judith wrote: "Whew! Finished I Capture the Castle for 10.9, so that brings me to 280 points. I know a lot of people loved it, but it was certainly an exhausting book. Very slow going."

I felt the same way about ICTC, but I believe we're in the minority on that!