The Next Best Book Club discussion
Cynthia's Seasonal Challenges
>
OFFICIAL SPRING CHALLENGE - 2009
message 5951:
by
Cynthia
(new)
May 21, 2009 08:14AM
April wrote: "Cynthia, would you accept Beowulf for the 15-point read a translated book task, Beowulf has been translated from Old English to modern English, I think there are some pretty big differences between..."Yeah that's fine.
reply
|
flag
So for Jon's Challenge in the 25 point tasks, I read Royal Affairs: A Lusty Romp through the Extramarital Affairs that Rocked the British Monarchy By Leslie Carroll.
Here is my short and sweet review:
" Fun, trashy look at all of the royal affairs from the British Monarchy, starting with Henry II and ending with Prince Charles and Camilla. This isn't exactly literature, but for royal history/schadenfreude lovers like me, it is an enjoyable and quick read."
Brings me up to 440. I am almost there. I can see the light!
Here is my short and sweet review:
" Fun, trashy look at all of the royal affairs from the British Monarchy, starting with Henry II and ending with Prince Charles and Camilla. This isn't exactly literature, but for royal history/schadenfreude lovers like me, it is an enjoyable and quick read."
Brings me up to 440. I am almost there. I can see the light!
10 Point Tasks
6. In honor of Earth Day (April 22) read a book with the word Earth, Moon, Sun, World, Star or one of the other planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) in the title.
I read The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler. This one was funny, but also a little more sad and poignant than I'd expected.
New Point Total: 260
Tasks Completed: 20.5
[image error]
Last night I finished reading My Best Friend's Girl for task 5.6. It started out ok but went downhill fast. I went to bed with a headache; I think it was from all of the eye rolling I was doing.
Total Points: 550
Now I just have to finish my Princess Diana book (hopefully by this afternoon) and I'm done!
Bucket wrote: "Have you read any other Irving? I've read a few others, but Owen Meany and Garp are definitely the best two - though The Cider House Rules and A Widow for One Year are good. Could've skipped The Fourth Hand and The 158-pound Marriage. "I've only read Owen Meany and Garp, but I also own The Cider House Rules, A Widow For One Year, The Fourth Hand, and Until I Find You. Based on the recommendations of you and others on GR, I think I'll read The Cider House Rules or Widow next.
Shannon wrote: "I've just renewed A Prayer for Owen Meany at my Library for the 3rd time and I hope I can read it before end May!"I hope you can too! It's a fantastic book, one of my favorites. A Prayer for Owen Meany is the reason I will read anything and everything that John Irving puts into print. If you are able to finish, I would love to hear your thoughts on it.
*Sorry for the triple post
Finally have a couple of books to add to my "completed tasks" list! Also, a couple of changes, here at the end... I'm replacing The Guernsey Literary... with "Captain Wentworth's Diary" for the epistolary novel. And I'm replacing "The Sunday Philosophy Club" with "The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday," because I just got a copy of my own and I'm dying to read it.So, here's my updated list (two newly completed tasks -- finished "The Blessing Way" on audio book and "Epitaph for a Spy".) How much can I read in the remaining 10 days?!
5 points:
1. A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L'Engle
2. Captain Wentworth's Diary, Amanda Grange
3. The Enchanted Castle, E. Nesbit
4.
5. The Redemption, M. L. Tyndall
6. Myself When Young, Daphne DuMaurier
7.
8.
9.
10. The Bean Trees, Barbara Kingsolver
10 points:
1. Nights of Rain and Stars, Maeve Binchy
2. Under the Volcano, Malcolm Lowry
3. The Australian Stories, T. James Pierce
4. Moon Tiger, Penelope Lively
5. Inkheart, Cornelia Funke
6. The Wind on the Moon, Eric Linklater
7.
8.
9.
10. The Screwtape Letters (Susan's list, joined 1/29/09), C. S. Lewis
15 points:
1. Museum Pieces, Elizabeth Tallent (set in New Mexico -- I'm a Scorpio)
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8. The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday, Alexander McCall Smith (listening to a lecture given at our local library)
9. either The Golden Bowl, Henry James (if I'm up to Henry James) or The Golden Thread, N. McLeod (that way I don't have to come up with a new meal idea!)
10. The Third Angel, Alice Hoffman; The Fourth Angel, Suzanne Chazin; The Fifth Angel, Tim Green (I'll let you know if I find any unifying themes!)
25 points:
1.
2. My Dearest Friend: Letters of Abigail and John Adams
3.
4. Winnie-the-Pooh, A. A. Milne
5. Road from Coorain, Jill Ker Conway (I don't read many memoirs/biographies)
6.
7.
8.
9.
Hey Cynthia I think you missed my post from the 19th, but here it is again. I completed 10 point task #4. Read a book by an author who was born in March, April, or May. I read Dean and Me:A Love Story by Jerry Lewis who was born March 16th, 1926.
The book was really good. It's sort of written in a way that makes you feel like Jerry Lewis is just sitting next to you talking about the good times. He jumps around, makes inside jokes, gets lost in his thoughts, the way a regular person would when telling a story. It was interesting to see how they became Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis and then how Dean went on to be a big part of the Rat Pack. For example, I always thought of Sinatra as the leader of the rat pack, but according to this, Sinatra idolized Dean for his swagger and confidence, something that Sinatra had to try really hard to emulate. Anywho, its very good.
Also for 5 point task #1. Read a Science Fiction OR Fantasy Novel. I read Capt. Hook The Adventures of a Notorious Youth by JV Hart. It is a story about Captain Hook's childhood. It's good but it took me a while to get through. I had to keep putting it down and moving on to other books. Better for middle school aged children.
New total: 315
15 points:6. Translated Book: the reader by Bernhard Schlink
Post 6038= SPAM!!! Now they are trying to do it within posts instead of creating their own threads. Sneaky suckers!
I just finished reading Hunted by P.C. & Kristin Cast for 5 Point task #3. This is the 5th book in their House of Night series, and it was entertaining enough. I'm invested enough in the characters to continue reading the series, though it isn't the most well-written stuff in the world. But you guys know how it is, I'm sure. I can't just abandon my "friends", I have to know what happens next! ;)My new point total is now 240.
I caught that as well, Angela.Color me not amused.
6. In Honor Of Women’s History Month…A novel with one of the following in the title (woman, women, lady, ladies, female, feminine, girl, girls, maiden, madame).For 5 points I read...The Fox Woman by Kij Johnson
(New total: 575 points)
Woohoo, finally done!
I'll post again with my total list of books.
Here's my total list...5 points:
1. Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper (re-read, 5 stars)
2. The Burrowers Beneath by Brian Lumley (4 stars)
3. Waters Luminous and Deep by Meredith Ann Pierce (5 stars)
4. Not All Tarts Are Apple by Pip Granger (3 stars)
5. The Lion Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (re-read, 4 stars)
6. The Fox Woman by Kij Johnson (re-read, 5 stars)
7. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Montgomery (4 stars)
8. My Life and Hard Times by James Thurber (4 stars)
9. The Hummingbird's Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea (4 stars)
10. Solar Storms by Linda Hogan (re-read, 5 stars)
10 points:
1. Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy (4 stars)
2. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquival (re-read, 5 stars)
3. Mary Poppins by Pamela L. Travers (re-read, 4 stars)
4. The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper (re-read, 5 stars)
5. Elsewhere by Will Shetterly (4 stars)
6. The New Moon's Arms by Nalo Hopkinson (3 stars)
7. Fay by Larry Brown (3 stars)
8. My French Whore by Gene Wilder (3 stars)
9. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (re-read, 5 stars)
10. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (4 stars)
15 points:
1. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (re-read, 4 stars)
2. A Child's Anthology of Poetry by Elizabeth Hauge Sword (3 stars)
3. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (3 stars)
4. Jane Austen in Boca by Paula Marantz Cohen (4 stars)
5. The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov (re-read, 3 stars)
6. The Poor Mouth by Flann O'Brien (3 stars)
7. The Transition of Titus Crow by Brian Lumley (4 stars)and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See (4 stars)
8. Khai of Khem by Brian Lumley (4 stars)
9. Red as Blood by Tanith Lee (re-read, 5 stars)
10. Greenwitch, The Grey King, Silver on the Tree by Susan Cooper (re-reads, 5 stars)
25 points:
1. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer (4 stars)and Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (re-read, 4 stars)
2. The Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father by John Matteson (3 stars)
3. The Princess Bride by William Goldman (re-read, 4 stars) and Stardust by Neil Gaiman (re-read, 4 stars)
4. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (re-read, 5 stars)
5. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt (re-read, 5 stars)
6. The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir (4 stars)
7. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (re-read, 5 stars)
8. Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn (4 stars) and Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing with Fire by Derek Landy (3 stars)
9. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire (re-read, 5 stars)
50 point task: Harpy's Flight by Megan Lindholm (3 stars) and Assasin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb (5 stars)
I just completed another task:Task 15.3 - TNBBC Group Read: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (5/21/09)
I really really enjoyed this book! At first, it reminded me of 84, Charing Cross Road... Corresponding about books. But I liked this one much better (sorry Charing fans...) I love love loved the ending!!
CURRENT STATS
Tasks Completed: 36/40
Books Read: 43/47
Pages Read: 11,762
Points Earned: 505
Sara TX wrote: "I just completed another task:Task 15.3 - TNBBC Group Read: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (5/21/09)
..."
I just hear Annie Barrows speak here in Kansas City as a guest of Rainy Day Books (Yay, independent book sellers) and she was absolutely delightful. She read several of the letters as well as talked about the creation of the book. Great evening.
*cue trumpet fanfare* I might have been a rookie, but I did it! I completed 5.10 today. I'm feeling very stoked - I read a lot of really great books and I can't wait for the summer challenge! Here's my overall list - the asterisked ones were especially good:5 Points:
1. The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman*
2. Blindspot - Jane Kamensky and Jill LePore
3. Resolution - Denise Mina
4. Animal Farm - George Orwell
5. The Oath - Elie Wiesel
6. The Women - T.C. Boyle*
7. The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver*
8. Revenge of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz*
9. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami*
10. Thunderhead - Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child and The Thistle and the Rose - Jean Plaidy
10 Points:
1. The Magdalen Martyrs - Ken Bruen*
2. The Girl with the Crooked Nose - Ted Botha
3. People of the Book - Geraldine Brooks
4. The Fire - Katherine Neville
5. Inamorata - Joseph Gangemi
6. City of the Sun - David Levien
7. Does Your Mother Know - Maureen Jennings
8. Persuader - Lee Child
9. The Eight - Katherine Neville
10. You Only Live Twice - Ian Fleming
15 Points:
1. Now You See Me... - Rochelle Krich
2. Sappho's Leap - Erica Jong
3. Stardust - Neil Gaiman*
4. Shatter - Michael Robotham
5. The Cider House Rules - John Irving*
6. The Demon of Dakar - Kjell Eriksson
7. Blues in the Night - Rochelle Krich and White Sky Black Ice - Stan Jones
8. The Billionaire's Vinegar - Benjamin Wallace
9. Red Knife - William Kent Krueger
10. The Third Policeman - Flann O'Brien, The Fourth Man - K.O. Dahl, and The Fifth Floor - Michael Harvey
25 Points:1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Steig Larsson* and A Rule Against Murder - Louise Penny
2. Louisa May Alcott - Madeline Stern
3. Breakfast at Tiffany's - Truman Capote* and The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald*
4. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
5. The Devil's Picnic - Taras Grescoe
6. In Triumph's Wake - Julia Gelardi
7. The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway*
8. Eragon - Christopher Paolini and The Amulet of Samarkand - Jonathan Stroud
9. Can I Keep My Jersey 11 Teams 5 Countries and 4 Years in My Life as a Basketball Vagabond - Paul Shirley*
50 Points:
1. The Man with the Getaway Face - Richard Stark and Somebody Owes Me Money - Donald Westlake
25 POINT TASK2. EL’s TASK - Read a Non-Fiction book ABOUT OR A DIARY written by one of the noted diarists on This List http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dia... who lived prior to the 1900’s. NO FICTION BOOKS FOR THIS TASK!!
An Account of Corsica, the Journal of a Tour to That Island; and Memoirs of Pascal Paoli, James Boswell.
TOTAL POINTS: 455.
LEADERBOARD
1. DONNA JO - 575
2. SANDY - 575
3. WENDY - 575
4. BJ ROSE - 575
5. KRISTEN IL - 575
6. BRIDGIT - 575
7. KRISTENR - 575
8. LEORA - 575
9. LIZZI - 575
10. RORA - 575
11. JESSICA IL - 575
***************
ASHLEY ID - 570
SHARON - 555
CAIT - 550
AMY MA - 545
BETH MN - 525
ALICE - 505
SARA TX - 505
ANGELA IL - 500
BEV - 500
APRIL NY - 495
TINA - 460
EL - 455
LIZ BRKLYN - 455
MAGGIE - 455
BONNIE - 450
KRISTINA GA - 450
SARA E - 440
MEGHAN - 430
JOSIE - 425
LOUISE - 425
NICOLE NC - 405
CYNTHIA (SCM) - 400
ELIZABETH NC - 400
KRITIKA - 400
SUSAN - 395
RHIANNON - 385
ROSEANN - 385
ANGIE TX - 370
JILLIAN - 370
JOY - 370
RORY - 370
JUDITH IA - 365
JAMIE MN - 355
LORI TX - 355
PERS - 355
MARY BETH - 350
SUZIER - 340
SANDIE - 325
STEPH - 325
LINDSEY - 315
REBECCA J - 315
LYNLEE4 - 305
BECKY - 300
CATHEROO - 295
DAVID - 290
EVA - 280
JON - 280
STEPHANIE CA - 275
FALLON - 270
LAURA NY - 270
ALISHA - 265
JEN B - 260
KATE - 260
MEGAN - 260
SERA - 260
COURTNEY - 255
WV HEATHER - 255
HAYES - 250
JOANN - 250
MALIADES - 250
RENFREW - 250
JENNIFER IN - 240
KRISTINA UK - 240
RACHEL WA - 240
AMY R - 225
SARAH PA - 225
MANDAY - 220
BETH - 215
FIONA (TITCH)- 215
CAROL - 210
LIZ VEGAS - 210
REBECCA - 210
RYAN - 205
ELIZABETH (ALASKA) - 200
KATHRYN - 200
VICTORIA - 200
ASHLEY AL - 190
ASHLEY UT - 180
JEANE - 180
RALPH - 180
JULIE (ID)'S - 175
LACY - 170
MARIE - 170
TRACY - 170
JOANNA - 165
NATALIA - 165
SLAYERMEL - 165
TERRI - 160
JEN MD - 155
JESSICA SC - 155
JOANIE - 155
POTJY - 155
TRYPHENA - 155
LILY - 150
ROS - 150
CYNDEE - 145
LAUREN - 145
MELODY - 145
KAREN - 135
MADELINE - 135
SAM - 135
SHANNON - 135
HEATHER KS - 130
JEGKA - 130
KIM UK - 130
ANN FROM SC - 125
CASSIE - 120
CYNTHIA - 115
KICKI - 115
SUSANNA UK - 115
ABBIE - 110
ANGIE CA - 110
JAMIE WA - 110
MACKENZIE - 110
SHELLIE - 110
CATHERINE - 105
JENNY - 105
LINDA - 105
AMANDA - 95
JESSICA MI - 95
KELLY MA - 95
MEL - 95
ALLISON MO - 90
JULIE TN - 90
KIM US - 90
SAI - 90
MEREDITH H - 85
LDB - 80
VICKI - 80
JULIE UK - 75
RACHEL CA - 75
SLAIMI - 70
JAMIE 23 - 65
ALYSSA - 60
KELLY VA - 60
LISA JULIANNA - 55
MORGAN - 55
ROBIN - 55
KATIE - 50
5PEASINAPOD - 45
ELIZ - 45
JULIE KS - 40
LIZ NY - 40
TOBIE - 40
JUDITH NY - 30
DOROTHY - 25
JAIME 26 - 25
KRISTI - 25
MARY - 25
MELISSA - 25
LAZARUS - 20
NICOLE CA - 20
CAITLIN - 15
JENNI - 15
GREG - 10
MICHELLE - 5
SHELBY - 5
I was on vacation last week, which means I had time for a little bit of reading:10.1. For St. Patrick's Day - Read a book by an Irish author, set in Ireland, OR about Ireland: The Heat of the Day by Elizabeth Bowen
10.2. For Cinco De Mayo - Read a book by a Mexican author, set in Mexico, OR about Mexico: The Death of Artemio Cruz by Carlos Fuentes
10.3. For ANZAC Day - Read a book by an Australian author, set in Australia, OR about Australia: Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey
10.4. Read a book by an author who was born in March, April, or May: The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
10.7. In Honor of Mother's Day read a book recommended by/given to you by your mother: Origin by Diana Abu-Jaber
10.10. Members of the TNBBC have great tastes in books...read a book that earned a 5-Star rating by another member who is on the same joined-date page as you: I, Robot by Isaac Asimov, found on Emma's shelf.
Tasks Completed: 26/40
Pages Read: 9109
New Total: 455 pts.
Liz (Bklyn)
Rora wrote: "6. In Honor Of Women’s History Month…A novel with one of the following in the title (woman, women, lady, ladies, female, feminine, girl, girls, maiden, madame).For 5 points I read...[book:The F..." Congratulations to you and Jessica too. Rora I tried sending you a personal congratulatory message but you aren't accepting messages so...anyway congrats and start thinking about what you want your 25-point task to be and then you can message me when you decide.
[image error]
Congratulations MySpace Comments
Angela wrote: "Post 6038= SPAM!!!
Now they are trying to do it within posts instead of creating their own threads. Sneaky suckers! "Yes I flagged the comment - so annoying.
Lindsey wrote: "Hey Cynthia I think you missed my post from the 19th, but here it is again.
I completed 10 point task #4. Read a book by an author who was born in March, April, or May. I read Dean and Me:A Lo..."Got it thanks
I just finished The Hour I First Believed for task 15.8, I watched an interview on youtube called Night Talk: An Interview With Wally Lamb. I really enjoyed the book, however it is quite heavy and will be glad to not carry it around anymore. I believe my new total is 160. Now that I am done school I am looking forward reading more books for the Summer Challenge!
Finished Task 5.10: April Showers: The rain before it falls by Jonathan Coe for 5 pointsTOTAL POINTS = 135
25.1 - Girl with a Pearl Earring, Tracy Chevalier and Redemption, Karen Kingsbury25.2 - 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
25.8 - The Tail of Emily Windsnap, Liz Kessler and The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
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
15.9 - Red Planet, Robert A. Heinlein - ate strawberries at breakfast and a delicious chocolate cherry cake for snack :)
10.1 - Angela's Ashes, Frank McCourt
10.3 - People of the Book, Geraldine Brooks
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 Louis Stevenson - PDF acquired from planetpdf.com
Total: 240
I gotta pick up the pace if I'm going to hit/break 250!
I've completed another 10 point task - 5. March 24 is Harry Houdini’s Birthday – Read a book about magic, a magician etc. I read Stardust by Neil Gaiman, which was brilliant.My total is now 425 points.
I finished Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction in the early hours of this morning for another 5 points. I haven't read any of the more recent Adrian Mole books so haven't read them since school. I enjoyed remembering the characters from back then and it was topical (well for 2003 anyway!) and funny.5 POINTS
1. A Neil Gaiman book
3. Half of Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
4. ?
6. The Girls by Lori Lansons
8. The Difficult Second Book by Chris Moyles
10. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy
10 POINTS
2. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
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. Eldest by Christopher Paolini (Samantha Adnrik's 5 star book)
15 POINTS
2. Shakespeare by Bill Bryson
3. Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen
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. Books 3,4 and 5 of the Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
25 POINTS
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. ?
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
[image error]
I just finished two more books.I read The Sixth Grade Nickname Game by Gordon Korman for 5 points--humorous novel. This is a cute book about friendship and figuring out who you are. My kids (fifth graders) loved it.
I also finished The Cat who Saw Stars by Lillian Jackson Braun for 10 points number 6. (planets, moon, stars). I have been meaning to read one of these books for a long time, and I was completely disappointed. I think if I kept up with the series, I might have liked it better because it seemed like watching an episode of a sitcom where you don't really know the characters. Nothing much happened and the mystery was not compelling to me at all. I am usually a big fan of series, but I don't think I'll read another one of these.
That puts me at
400 points
9459 pages read.
I know I won't finish, but I'm doing much better than I thought I would.
I added 10.9 and 10.105 Points
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9. Down the Rabbit Hole An Echo Falls Mystery
10.
Total: 40
10 Points
1.
2. Rain of Gold
3.
4. Until I Find You A Novel - John Irving (March 2nd)
5.
6.
7.
8. Outlander
9.
10.
Total: 70 points
15 Points
1.
2.
3.
4.
5. The Witches of Eastwick - John Updike (National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction - 1981)
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Total: 120 Points
25 Points
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Total: 200 points
Grand Total
430 points, 31 Tasks
Cynthia wrote: "Rora I tried sending you a personal congratulatory message but you aren't accepting messages "Oh sorry. I had to change my settings awhile back because I kept getting stuff from authors promoting their books.
I finished Brisingr by Christopher Paolini for task 5.7. I listened to this book on audio and found it just as fascinating as the first two. Now I am impatiently waiting for the conclusion to this series. :)I also finished Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman for task 15.3. I really enjoyed this book. It is well written and very engaging. I was certainly hoping the book would turn out like it did. It is my first Neil Gaiman book, but I am going to have to read more of his work.
[image error]
This brings my total points to 355. I still might reach my goal of 400 points.
For 5 points:6. In Honor Of Women’s History Month…
- Read an autobiography/biography of a woman you admire OR
- A novel with one of the following in the title (woman, women, lady, ladies, female, feminine, girl, girls, maiden, madame).
I read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.
[image error]
So some of you who have finished the challenge have done this, but I was thinking it'd be nice if we all, finished or not, listed our favourite books from this challenge. I know it's a bit crazy to wade through 122 threads looking for interesting titles or people who've posted a positive review. You might list personal favourites or ones you think most anyone would like. To start things off, my personal favourites were:
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit
She's Not There A Life in Two Genders
The Hobbit Or There and Back Again
How to Paint Sunlight Lyric Poems & Others
I think all women should read this one (and don't be put off by the title):
Cunt A Declaration of Independence
And this is great for understanding the financial crisis:
Financial Shock A 360º Look at the Subprime Mortgage Implosion, and How to Avoid the Next Financial Crisis
Good idea Judith.
I particularly liked:
One for the Money
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
The Late Mattia Pascal which I read in Italian so the title was Il fu Mattia Pascal
I particularly liked:
One for the Money
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
The Late Mattia Pascal which I read in Italian so the title was Il fu Mattia Pascal
My favorites have been:The Book Thief
In the Woods
Skinny Dip
Garden Spells
And I am currently reading (and loving) A Thousand Splendid Suns, which I think will earn a place on that list as well.
Great idea Judith!I really loved:
The Glass Castle A Memoir
From a Buick 8
The Book Thief
Angels & Demons
The Alchemist
The Kite Runner
I am also trying to finish The Pillars of the Earth by the end of the month and I already know this will be a 5-star book for me as well!
Great idea Judith!Some of my favorites were:
Eldest & Brisingr
but of course you need to read Eragon first
Neverwhere
The Angel Experiment
The Eyre Affair
Fluke or I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings
The Fablehaven books...Rise of the Evening Star & Grip of the Shadow Plague
but again you would want to read Fablehaven first
Moon Called
Obviously I am a fan of Young Adult Fiction and Fantasy Fiction. I like my reading to be light and entertaining. I have enough drama in my own life so I don't want to read about it or watch it either. LOL
Some of the wonderful reads I've read for this challenge so far:Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of Wars, Disaster, and Survival by Anderson Cooper
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan
Others were enjoyable, but these were probably the best.
Okay the BEST:True Colors by Kristin Hannah
Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult
Five Languages of Love by Gary Chapman
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble and Coming of Age in the Bronx by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
Worst so far...
I Never Promised you a Rose Garden by Joanne Greenberg
Currently reading:
I Know this Much is True by Wally Lamb (loving it), so I know that is going to be a BEST
Also still to read: Pretty in Plaid by Jen Lancaster (love her books, so confident this will rank up there)
Looking back after a few weeks, I'd say these were the most memorable. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter & Sweet by Jamie Ford
Mairelon the Magician by Patricia B. Wrede
The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Monarchy by John Conner and Ralph Griffiths
When Tomorrow Comes Amanda Quick
Lori wrote: "I finished Brisingr by Christopher Paolini for task 5.7. I listened to this book on audio and found it just as fascinating as the first two. Now I am impatiently waiting for the co..."Isn't Brisingr the last one in the series? I thought it was only a trilogy? I have just finished the second one. I love the books I think they're one of the best series for young people in a long time! It'll be even more exciting if there's gonna be a fourth book!
The author, Christopher Paolini, says he had sooooooo much to write that he was turning it into a "cycle" instead of a trilogy.
Judith wrote: "So some of you who have finished the challenge have done this, but I was thinking it'd be nice if we all, finished or not, listed our favourite books from this challenge. ..."Great idea Judith! My favorites so far:
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Rebecca
The Thirteenth Tale
Hunting and Gathering
The Bell Jar
All five star books in my opinion. I gave a lot of four stars too, but I just listed the fivers here.
Books I did NOT enjoy:
Twilight
Change of Heart
The Almost Moon (this one was OK and I liked parts of it but on the whole I wouldn't recommend it to anyone I know)
I'm currently reading Animals in Translation Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior and I'm not into it at all. I think I'm about to give up and start on something else, since I won't come close to finishing the challenge anyway.
Meghan wrote: "The author, Christopher Paolini, says he had sooooooo much to write that he was turning it into a "cycle" instead of a trilogy. "I think it is just one more book, though.
I think my favorite would be Three Cups of Tea One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time I like the Poisonwood Bible and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as well. I think what I mostly enjoyed about the Hitchhiker's guide, was realizing that a ton of references and phrases that we use all the time, have their origins from this book/series. Things like: "42", "paranoid android" "Marvin the martian" "Don't Panic!" "Babel Fish" "Towels/Towel Day" "Life, the Universe, and Everything"
My favorites so far:Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
The Grey King by Susan Cooper
The Red Tent by Anita Diamont
The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende
Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen
There's a few more, this challenge has lead me to pick up a lot of five star reads.
Finished Chasing Vermeer and Anne of Green Gables today for tasks 15.1 and 15.9.5 points
2. Epistolary - Ella Minnow Pea 3/27
5. Lent/Sacrifice - The Giving Tree 5/5
8. Humorous - Notes from a Small Island 4/30
9. Spring Animal - The Goose Girl 5/14
10. Rain-Related - The Lightning Thief 4/9
10 points
1. Ireland - The Poor Mouth 3/14
4. Author Birthday - Daisy Miller 3/3 (April 15, 1843)
5. Magic - The Sea of Monsters 4/11
6. Earth Day - Stargirl 4/4
9. TNBBC Top Book List - The Bell Jar 3/31
10. TNBBC Member's 5 Star - Dead Until Dark (Ashley) 4/18
15 points
1. Capricorn (Art) - Chasing Vermeer 5/22
2. Poetry - A Light in the Attic 3/2
3. TNBBC Group Read – People of the Book 5/19
4. Spring Break - Revenge of the Spellmans (San Francisco) 3/19
5. Award Winner - The Westing Game (1979 Newbery Winner) 3/31
8. Get to know author - The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency 5/10
9. Color/Food - Anne of Green Gables 5/22 (spinach and broccoli in salad)
10. 3, 4, and 5 Books - The Titan's Curse 4/17, The Battle of the Labyrinth 4/23, and The Last Olympian 5/8
25 points
2. EL - The World of Louisa May Alcott 4/3
3. Angela – I Capture the Castle 3/22 and Ella Enchanted 3/3 (Cassie)
4. ROS - Bridget Jones's Diary 3/21
5. BONNIE - The Call of the Wild (animals) 3/8
8. CASSIE - The Demigod Files 4/17 and The Maze of Bones 4/24
9. SARA - Sorcery and Cecelia, or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot: Being the Correspondence of Two Young Ladies of Quality Regarding Various Magical Scandals in London and the Country 5/12
Total Points: 355
Thanks, everyone, for your responses so far! I'm putting several of these on my TBR :-)Bridgit, it made me smile to see that Three Cups of Tea was your favourite because I recommend it to everyone I see. I know it's corny, but the book actually changed my life - it's what made me want to do something with human rights, concentrate my law school career in that area, and ultimately move towards an at least semi-related career in women's/gay rights.
5 POINTS1:Stolen by Kelley Armstrong (4/06/09)
2:84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (3/04/09)
4:From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris (3/10/09)
5:The Gnostic Mystery by Randy Davila (5/20/09)
6:The Spymaster's Lady by Joanna Bourne (4/10/09)
7: My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult (3/12/09)
8:The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson (4/12/09)
10 POINTS
1:Angelas Ashes by Frank McCourt (4/13/09)
3:Obernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody (3/20/09)
4:A Great and Terribly Beauty by Libba Bray (3/02/09)
5:The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling (5/13/09)
6:Moon Called by Patricia Briggs (3/11/09)
7:The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo (4/12/09)
8:The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane (4/25/09)
9:The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (4/28/09)
10:All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris (3/03/09)
15 POINTS
1:Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier (4/21/09)
2:Beowulf by Anonymous (5/18/09)
3:The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (4/02/09)
4:Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore (3/30/09)
5:The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald (4/07/09)
6:The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (3/13/09)
7:A Rush of Wings by Adrian Phoenix (5/01/09) and Lush Life by Richard Price (5/08/09)
8:City Dog by Alison Pace (3/01/09)
9:The Black Dagger Brotherhood an Insider's Guide by J.R. Ward (4/04/09)
10:Dime Store Magic (5/09/09), Industrial Magic (5/18/09) and Haunted (5/20/09) by Kelley Armstrong
25 POINTS
1:The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (3/09/09) and Rebel Angels by Libba Bray (3/16/09)
2:A Midwifes Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich (4/16/09)
3:The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency (5/12/09) and Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith (5/14/09)
4:The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett (3/24/09)
5:The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (3/27/09)
7:The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (5/04/09)
8:Holes by Louis Sachar (3/17/09) and Life: An Autobiography as Told by Jack Gunthridge by Jack Gunthridge (3/18/09)
9:I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away by Bill Bryson (4/20/09)
50 POINTS
1: Master of Seduction by Kinley MacGregor (4/17/09) and Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon (4/23/09)
[image error]
Points: 525
# of Tasks Completed: 35/40
# of Books Read: 42
# of Pages Read: 13,135 (+1 audiobook)
-Beth MN
The Next Best Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Tempting Fate (other topics)Romeo and Juliet (other topics)
Romeo and Juliet (other topics)
Why Don't Penguins' Feet Freeze?: And 114 Other Questions (other topics)
Where the Sidewalk Ends (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Anita Shreve (other topics)Markus Zusak (other topics)
Neil Gaiman (other topics)
Paulo Coelho (other topics)
Douglas Adams (other topics)
More...
