The Next Best Book Club discussion
Cynthia's Seasonal Challenges
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OFFICIAL SPRING CHALLENGE - 2009
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Jon
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Feb 28, 2009 07:06AM
Nice work peoples - now i think ill stay up another hour and place some more books!... after all tis Sunday tommorrow (in sunny Sydney)
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Cynthia, just realized that I WAS UNDER THE SRPING CHALLENGE AND WAS TALKING ABOUT THE WINTER CHALLENGE.... oh and now I touched again the caps on this keyboard....
This is my first challenge and I doubt very much that I will get through all these books, but it has been great fun picking them.5 POINTS
1.
2.
3. Spring Cleaning - The Amazing Maurice & His Educated Rodents
4.
5. Lent - Chocolat
6.
7.
8.
9. Spring Animals - Orphan Lamb
10. Showers/Flowers - Purple Hibiscus
10 POINTS
1.
2. Mexico - TBD
3. ANZAC - Year of Wonders
4.
5.
6. Earth Day - The Merchant of Venus
7. Mother's Day - Jane Eyre
8. Military - Nocturne
9. TNBBC Top Books - Atonement (92)
10.
15 POINTS
1.
2.
3.
4. Spring Break - Blood and Stone (Peak District)
5. Literary Award - One Hundred Years of Solitude (Romulo Gallegos Prize 1972)
6.
7. Rhyming Titles - TBD
8.
9.
10. 3,4,5 - Three Lives, The Four Feathers & The Five People You Meet in Heaven
25 POINTS
1.
2. El's - TBD
3.
4.
5.
6. Jon's - TBD
7.
8.
9. Sara's - Stupid White Men and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation
50 POINTS
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3. ANGELA’S TASK - Look for your first post in the Official Spring Challenge. Once you find it, look at the person below you and go to their profile and pick TWO books to read off of their shelves. If their profile is listed as private, go to the person below that person.Do these have to be books that they've read, or any books they have listed?
2. EL’s TASK - Read a Non-Fiction book about OR by a noted diarist from This List http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dia... who lived prior to the 1900’s. Do we have to read a book about the author or something that they have written?
Fiona: "Read a Non-Fiction book about OR by a noted diarist". I think that means it can either be written by the person, or written about the person. :)
Ok thanks. I was hoping it was a fiction book by the person lol. Will have a look in the library on Monday.
Maggie- It can be any book they have listed on any shelf.
ACK! There are currently 41 books needed to complete the Spring Challenge, with a few more 25 point tasks left to come in AND a 50 pointer due at the midway point. Holy cow! I think we need to figure out how to read in our sleep.
6. JON’S TASK - H.M. Queen Elizabeth II is 83 on April 21st, read a Non-Fiction book of at least 400 pages relating in some way to the British Monarchy past or present. Write a short Goodreads review and post a copy on the Spring challenge thread.Anyone have any suggestions for this? I'm sure I can find something on any of the Tudors, but I'm thinking about stepping outside of the comfort zone on that. Of course, I LOVE the Tudors, so I might not!
Oooooh, I love the challenge where I have to look at the person below my first post and pick two books off their to-read list. Eva is below me and she has over 1,000 books on her to read list (VERY ambitious!!) I can't wait to go through it.
Yes Elizabeth- I had Suzie R. and I found quite a few that I have been wanting to read!!
Oooh hope you find something you like Angela!I had Fiona - lots to choose from and managed to find quite a few that are sitting on my TBR pile!
I got Jon for the "person below you" task and found several that I've been wanting to read for awhile and TWO that I already own. Bonus to Jon for helping me clear out my "owned and unread" shelf! Bonus! Bonus!
I am going to have trouble with Jon's task too... any recommendations Jon? Also I read all genres, so for Bonnie's task what would you suggest for this? Is there a way to see what we read less of on our bookselves without having to go through all the books?
for my task theres heaps but for great biogs try Alison Weir and Antonia Fraser ..Tudors aplenty plus morethis is a particular favourite: Elizabeth the Queen, for medieval theres Eleanor of Aquitaine A Life (married to an english King), the one the lion in winter is based on
Beth im honoured to provide for you lol - what did you pick?
Angela, I haven't read any myself, but Alison Weir's royal biographies come highly recommended. I'm going to read Elizabeth the Queenas I've had it for ages and not read it yet.
Angela - If you have your books categorized with shelves like mystery/romance/fantasy - you would just read something on the shelf with the least number of books...but otherwise - maybe pick something from a genre you haven't read recently. I added a link to a wiki-list of English Monarchs to Jon's task.
Angela wrote: "I am going to have trouble with Jon's task too... any recommendations Jon? Also I read all genres, so for Bonnie's task what would you suggest for this? Is there a way to see what we read less..."
I have trouble with this ine too.The only thing I normally try not to read or short stories and horror, so will have to maybe read that.
Jon said: Beth im honoured to provide for you lol - what did you pick?The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
Also, I'm going to chip in and suggest Alison Weir for the monarchy task for those who've asked. I've never read anything by her but have had friends repeatedly recommend her books to me so I'm going to try one, probably about Elizabeth I. We share a name so she's always been "my" monarch. :)
Beth, i have to choose form your shelves1 Haven't yet because you have so many books on your shelves that I want to read anyway so it won't be difficult.For years I want the read that one by ecco, still haven't.
sounds like Alison Weirs getting some new readership then :)
I'm going to read a Weir book for that task too - going back in history to Eleanor of Aquitaine A Life.
The Lady Elizabeth A Novelby Alison Weir was a pretty good book. My first about the Tudors. AlsoPosie Graeme-Evans writes about the monarchy.
Thanks so much for the suggestions! I think Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life sounds like the one! Thanks again!
Also the link that was provided to El's task gives a list of diarists, but does not provide the years they were born... again is there any easy way to determine when an author is born without having to click on every single one to get a bio?
I think you will just have to click on the bios Angela.
If you read Eleanor, make sure you watch/re watch Katherine Hepburns stunning oscar winning performance in the film too. Liz, Must be a non-fiction - even though Alison Weirs, just started doing fiction as well. Try a biog, just as gripping and all true!
For the diarist task, I'm going to try A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard Based on her Diary 1785-1812 by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. It's received high ratings and the subject matter sounds interesting...women's history...historical medical practices...sexual/social beliefs...etc. It's over 400 pages, but the reviews for it sound good.
OK ...Australia is now going off line, its almost 4 AM
Guess we are really having to work for our 25 points!! I tried to make mine easy to find books :P
Beth, it's sort of creeping me out when we are thinking the same thing! I thought that sounded really interesting too! But I haven't committed yet... Either way, I can't wait to read your review of it!
Well, I think I will participate in this challenge-I have not intention of actually accumulating alot of points, but I love a good challenge to motivate me!5 Points:
1.
2.
3.
4. Planes, Trains: TBD
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
10/50
10 Points:
1.
2. Cinco De Mayo: TBD
3.
4.
5. Magic:TBD
6.
7.
8. Memorial Day:TBD
9.
10.
15 points:
1. Its in the Stars(Libra)
2. Natl Poetry Month: TBD
3.
4.
5. Major Literary Prize: (Bernard Malamud 1967)The Fixer
6.
7. Rhyming Titles:
8.
9.
10. Harry Potter 3,4 & 5 in the series
25 Points
1
2.El's Task
3.Angela's Task-
4.
5.
6.Jon's Task
7.Darla's Task
8.
9.
50 Points
Nora Roberts-The Gift 5/13/09 JD Robb-Memory in Death 5/20/09
395/575
Maggie said: Beth, it's sort of creeping me out when we are thinking the same thing! I thought that sounded really interesting too! But I haven't committed yet... Either way, I can't wait to read your review of it! Great minds think alike!
I just submitted an e-request at the library and there is actually a waiting list for it too--I'd say that's a good sign! Gooooo eighteenth century midwives!!!
So for the genre task, I'm thinking horror or science fiction... i don't read much of those, anyone have any suggestions?
maggie, good to remind me, don't really read sf either.isn't it crazy...608 posts and it didn't even start!
Maggie, I'm also choosing Horror since I've only read about three or four books, yet I own tons that I haven't read. But anyway, one book that I did read was Come Closer by Sara Gran and it was a creepy little novel and from what people have said, it's a good introduction into the horror genre. Also it's pretty short, only about 160 pages and easy to read in one setting.
Can we read King George III and the Politicians - Richard Pares for Jon's Task?
Jeane wrote: "Tina, I am going to use 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne (French to English) for the same task as you!!! "Cool! I hope we enjoy it!
re: Gemini's/ Twins -> the book The Girls by Lori Lansens. It's a novel about the life of conjoined twins.
Lindsey said: Jenny, I highly recommend L'Amant by Duras. Then afterwards, watch the movie, it's really good.Is L'Amant the same as The Lover? Or am I just being tres thick :P Anyhow I managed to find The Lover in my favourite Oxfam book shop :)
Some of these 25 pointers are toughies! I had Judith to pick from in Angela's task and as she has over 2000 books I found a few books that are on my bookshelf at home. Thanks Judith :)
Jenny, you don't have any sci fi or very many mysteries...
Hmmm Sci Fi is an idea I don't think I've read a sci fi book ever! Any suggestions?
Jeane wrote: "Angela wrote: "I am going to have trouble with Jon's task too... any recommendations Jon? Also I read all genres, so for Bonnie's task what would you suggest for this? Is there a way to see wh..."
You could read a collection of Stephen King short stories for a bonus! :)
Jenny wrote: "Hmmm Sci Fi is an idea I don't think I've read a sci fi book ever! Any suggestions?"I would highly recommend Orson Scott Card for the science fiction. He's written some books that are not SF, so you have to check, but Ender's Game is very good (and there's a whole series if you get really into them.) Also, is you like YA fiction, Madeleine L'Engle's Wrinkle in Time is a good sf for people who don't read very much of it.
Lindsey wrote: "Kristina, I think for the final 15 point task, you have to have third, fourth and fifth in the 3 titles, you can't use the same nominal for each book."Oh! Thanks, I am new to this but that makes sense. I'll research some more and fix it later today!
This looks like fun! I am a student so I'm sure I won't get as far as I would like, but we'll see how it goes. I am waiting to go home to try and fill some categories with TBRs from my bookshelf. Finding books to fill the categories is harder than I first thought. Here is what I have so far:5 pts:
1. The Golden Compass
5. Left Behind #1
6. Little Women
8. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff
9. The Secret Life of Bees
10 pts:
4. Mister Pip
5. Practical Magic? maybe
6. A Thousand Splendid Suns
8. The Sorrows of War
9. The Bell Jar
10. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Maggie)
15pts:
1. To Kill a Mockingbird
3. Blindness
4. Darkly Dreaming Dexter
6. The Diary of Anne Frank
8. The Hour I First Believed
10. Chronicles of Narnia (3-5)
25 pts:
3. A Wrinkle in Time & Snow Flower and the Secret Fan or A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
4. Emma
For the 5 pt task about April Fools, a humerous novel or a book of jokes, would a book of collected comics work, like a book of Calvin and Hobbes etc?
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