The Next Best Book Club discussion
Cynthia's Seasonal Challenges
>
OFFICIAL SPRING CHALLENGE - 2009
Cynthia Cynthia Cynthia*bowing*
aah-aah Great One....we are not worthy !
Great job with the task list! Many of them are unique and different, and I like it that lots of them have the word OR in them too.
This is what I've come up with for now:5 points
1. Fantasy - Inkspell
2. Epistolary - Ella Minnow Pea
3. Spring Cleaning - Hard Truth
4. Planes, Trains,... - Sanditon and The Watsons Austen's Unfinished Novels
5. Lent/Book about Sacrifice - Persuasion
6. Women's History - Nature Girl
7. Arbor Day - Daisy Miller (Audio)
8. April Fool's Day/Humorous - The Code of the Woosters
9. Spring Animals - To Kill a Mockingbird
10. Rain-Related - The Lightning Thief
10 points
1. Ireland - The Poor Mouth
2. Mexico - Like Water for Chocolate
3. Australia - I am the Messenger or People of the Book
4. Author Birthday - High Country by Nevada Barr (March 1)
5. Book about Magic - Enchanted Inc.
6. Earth Day - Unaccustomed Earth
7. Mother's Day - Widow of the South (gift from mother-in-law)
8. Military - The March: A Novel
9. TNBBC Top Book List - I Capture the Castle
10. TNBBC Member's 5 Star - Dead Until Dark (Ashley)
15 points
1. Capricorn (Art) - Chasing Vermeer
2. Poetry - Where the Sidewalk Ends
3. TNBBC Group Read - The Bell Jar
4. Spring Break - Revenge of the Spellmans (San Francisco)
5. Award Winner - The Westing Game (1979 Newbery Winner)
6. Translated - Inkheart
7. Rhyming Books - OLD Friends and New Fancies & COLD Comfort Farm
8. Get to Know Author - Big Stone Gap
9. Color Book/Food - Anne of Green Gables
10. 3, 4, and 5 Books - The Well of Lost Plots, Something Rotten, & First Among Sequels
Here is my plan... the ones I have left blank I will fill as the spirit moves. All books are subject to change! :)5 Points
1. Fire Study - Maria V. Snyder
2. Ella Minnow Pea A Novel in Letters - Mark Dunn
3. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Foer
4.
5. The Shack - William P. Young
6. Blackout Girl Growing Up and Drying Out in America - Jennifer Storm
7.
8. Good Omens The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch - Terry Pratchett
9. Down the Rabbit Hole An Echo Falls Mystery - Peter Abrahams
10. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Category Totals:
10 Points
1. The Likeness A Novel - Tana French
2. Rain of Gold - Victor Villaseñor
3.
4. Until I Find You A Novel - John Irving (March 2nd)
5. Magic Study - Maria V. Snyder
6. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things - Carolyn Mackler
7. Postmortem - Patricia Cornwell
8. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon
9. The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde
10. The Virgin Suicides - Jeffrey Eugenides
Category Totals: 10
15 Points
1.
2.
3. Neverwhere A Novel - Neil Gaiman
4. Drood A Novel - Dan Simmons
5. The Witches of Eastwick - John Updike (National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction - 1981)
6. Ines of My Soul A Novel - Isabel Allende
7. Night - Elie Wiesel and A Northern Light - Jennifer Donnelly
8.
9. Redwall - Brian Jacques
10.
Category Totals: 15
25 Points
Category Totals:
Grand Total
Points: 25
Tasks Complete: 2
Jon- one of Wally Lamb's book has twins in it as the main characters. I want to say I Know This Much Is TrueI loved, loved, loved it and everything else he's written.
I have really not liked being a Pisces and not it's even worse. LOL I'd LOVE some suggestions on PISCES: Read a book about a fisherman, fishing, sea life, marine biology etc.I'm much more into non-fiction, like memoirs and such but do read some fiction and can deal with just about anything *if I have to*. LOL
I love this list--there are so many choices, yet they are also challenging. What a fun task. I also found myself feeling a little old. I was happy to see whoever posted saying they were born in 1968--I felt like I had at least one contemporary! (mine is 1970.)I can't wait to get home and go through my to be read list.
There is ONE person who has made 4 comments total in this group on the page I'm on. The rest are all 2, 1, and 0. :( I know I'm not the most active because I'm busy but I do participate when I can.
Cynthia, I have another question LOLFor the 10 point task #6 Read a book with the word Earth, Moon, Sun etc..in it would Breaking Dawn work? I know it might be a stretch. hehe!!
Elizabeth wrote: "I love this list--there are so many choices, yet they are also challenging. What a fun task. I also found myself feeling a little old. I was happy to see whoever posted saying they were born in 196..."I'm REALLY feeling old ~ 1959 is a hard year to find literary awards for.
♡ Eva ♡ wrote: "I have really not liked being a Pisces and not it's even worse. LOL I'd LOVE some suggestions on PISCES: Read a book about a fisherman, fishing, sea life, marine biology etc.I'm much more into no..."
Here are some off the top of my head...
Jacob Have I Loved
The Terror A Novel
In the Heart of the Sea The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex (great if you like nonfiction)
The Perfect Storm A True Story of Men Against the Sea (also good nonfiction)
Also, remember the oldies...
Moby Dick
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea
Jon wrote: "Oh..Scorpios, you could use The Alchemist toook..im really going to bed now, spent way to..."
really/ that would be good as I want to read that one for years already
♡ Eva ♡ wrote: "I have really not liked being a Pisces and not it's even worse. LOL I'd LOVE some suggestions on PISCES: Read a book about a fisherman, fishing, sea life, marine biology etc.I'm much more into no..."
Aren't there any by hemminhway or moby dick, not that I recommend that oen to anybody
Jeane- if Moby Dick is my only choice this is one challenge NOT getting finished! LOL Tried that in high school and have NO desire to ever crack that again! LOLI don't know about the Hemingway but I will look. I'm sure there are a good amount of books and I figured with so many different people with different tastes on here that some help might be offered. Thanks a lot!
Geminis, I read an AMAZING book about twins not too long ago. I highly recommend it. It's called The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry.
Anyone have any suggestions for us Sags? Read a book about athletes or sports... I'm sure I could dig through my husband's stuff and come up with something on golf... But it's not my favorite reading material!
Sorry if this has already been asked: for the tasks where we have to read more than one book (like the 3, 4, 5 one) do we have to read the books consecutively as we did in the Winter challenge? Or can we read other books in between this time?
This is my list of books read and/or currently reading thus far. 5 POINT TASKS
1. The Tales of Beedle the Bard - JK Rowling (05/26/09)
4. When You Are Engulfed in Flames - David Sedaris (audiobook on my commute) (03/07/09)
6. Girls in Trucks - Katie Crouch (04/25/09)
7. Baby Proof - Emily Giffin (Read as an e-book at scribd.com) (05/15/09)
8. Naked - David Sedaris (03/17/09)
10 POINT TASKS
1. In the Woods - Tana French (03/06/09)
2. Sunstroke - Jesse Kellerman (05/18/09)
3. The Book Thief - Marcus Zusak (03/25/09)
4. Skinny Dip - Carl Hiaasen (Birthday March 12) (05/05/09)
5. Garden Spells - Sarah Addison Allen (04/08/09)
6. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things - Carolyn Mackler (05/21/09)
7. The Sugar Queen - Sarah Addison Allen (04/21/09)
10. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer (Rated 5 stars by Darla)(05/18/09)
15 POINT TASKS
2. Nursery Rhyme Treasury - Gaby Goldsmith (04/06/09)
4. LoveHampton - Sheri Rifkin (03/18/09)
5. The Westing Game - Ellen Raskin (Newberry Medal in 1979) (05/05/09)
8. Fashionably Late - Beth Kendrick (03/11/09)
9. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery (04/15/09)
25 POINT TASKS
1. Glamour - Louise Bagshawe (04/05/09)/ Roommates Wanted - Lisa Jewell (04/17/09)
4. Animal Farm - George Orwell (05/29/09)
5. French Milk - Lucy Knisley (graphic novel) (05/06/09)
7. The Devil Wears Prada - Lauren Weisberger (as seen in the movie "The Nanny Diaries") (05/29/09)
8. Just Listen - Sarah Dessen (04/11/09)/ The Truth About Forever - Sarah Dessen (05/02/09)
9. Everything I Needed to Know About Being A Girl I Learned from Judy Blume - Jennifer O'Connell et. al. (05/26/09)
50 POINT TASK
1. Can You Keep A Secret? - Sophie Kinsella (04/27/09)
2. The Gatecrasher - Madeleine Wickham (05/31/09)
[image error]
Total Points:380/575
Total Books: 28/47
Total tasks completed: 25
♡ Eva ♡ wrote: "Jeane- if Moby Dick is my only choice this is one challenge NOT getting finished! LOL Tried that in high school and have NO desire to ever crack that again! LOLI don't know about the Hemingway bu..."
I used moby dick for the winter challenge, surprise which task: a book you never finished!:-))))
This is my first challenge, so we'll see how this goes. I'm aiming for 250 points....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. If It’s Not Food…Don’t Eat It by Kelly Hayford
(I had planned to give up junk food for Lent, so I found a whole book about giving up junk food!)
6. A Lady’s Secret by Jo Beverley
7. The River Knows by Amanda Quick
8. Jack with a Twist by Brenda Janowitz
9. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
10. The Feast of Roses by Indu Sundaresan
Category Total:
10 Points
1. P.S. I Love You by Cecilia Ahern
2. The Eagle’s Throne by Carlos Fuentes
3. In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson
4. The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman (March 16 – Same as my birthday)
5. White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison
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 Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (from Andrea)
Category Total:
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. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt (Savannah, GA)
5. The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie (1981 Booker Prize)
6. Out by Natsuo Kirino
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 Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
(Books 3, 4, and 5 of The Chronicles of Narnia series)
Category Total:
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. Washington Square by Henry James (Classic Literature)
6. Warriors of God: Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in the Third Crusade by James Reston Jr.
7.
8. The Magician's Nephew / The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis
9. Shadow Divers: The True Adventure of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of World War II by Robert Kurson
Category Total:
Category Totals:
[image error]
Jeane wrote: "♡ Eva ♡ wrote: "Jeane- if Moby Dick is my only choice this is one challenge NOT getting finished! LOL Tried that in high school and have NO desire to ever crack that again! LOLI don't know about ..."
I remember seeing that! I saw your post that it was the book you chose for that. I remembering admiring that you finished! LOL
Can anyone tell me how to get to the group reads?
Lynlee said: I'm REALLY feeling old ~ 1959 is a hard year to find literary awards for.
I'm having the same problem... I've never heard of the prize winners for our year!! If you find someting decent let me know!!
I'm having the same problem... I've never heard of the prize winners for our year!! If you find someting decent let me know!!
Hey Eva, I just clicked on the group's bookshelf link in the top right corner...I think it's limited to group reads.
♡ Eva ♡ wrote: "Can anyone tell me how to get to the group reads?"click on the title THe next best book club adn then scroll completely down. The bookshelf you find there is with only books read for the group reads. I think there is another way but don't remember.
Golly, 1959 is looking a little hard, Lynlee! The only award winner I've even heard of yet is Elizabeth Speare, who won the Newberry for "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" that year.
Uh, Rex Stout won the "Grand Master" Edgar Award that year.... We are scraping the barrel here, aren't we?
Eric Ambler won the Crime Writers' Gold Dagger.
Bernard Malamud, the National Book Award.
Daniel Boorstin, the Bancroft Prize.
Does that help any?
Thanks Jeane and Mary Beth- I'm trying to finish looking for books for the challenge and I'm a little over halfway done. :) Thanks a lot!
♡ Eva ♡ wrote: "Thanks Jeane and Mary Beth- I'm trying to finish looking for books for the challenge and I'm a little over halfway done. :) Thanks a lot!"
I think so many of us are spending the day doing the same thing!!!!! enjoy too!!!
Eva - did you see my suggestions for your "fish" dilemma? Let me know what you finally decide on - it's an interesting topic to tackle!
Mary Beath and Jeane- both links took me to the same place so you're both right! LOL Thanks again guys!
Maggie wrote: "Anyone have any suggestions for us Sags? Read a book about athletes or sports... I'm sure I could dig through my husband's stuff and come up with something on golf... But it's not my favorite read..."I really enjoyed Moneyball which is about baseball and how one team (I think the Anaheim Angels) chose their players using different statistics than most teams. I know it sounds kind of strange (and maybe boring) and I am usually a big mystery and science fiction fan, but I found it fascinating and it even made a little interested in baseball for a short period of time. There is also a mystery series by Harlan Coben where the main character is a sports agent--the Myron Bolivar series I think. They are his earlier books.
Wow! Great challenges ... thinking cap is firmly on!
7. In Honor of Mother’s Day…- Read a book where the author/main character shares the same first name as your mother OR…
- Read a book recommended by/given to you by your mother.
Does it have to be your Natural Mom or can it be your Step Mom?
I guess for mother day it zould be okay to read a book by marian keyes of my mother her name is mariane...right?
Susanna wrote: "Golly, 1959 is looking a little hard, Lynlee!
The only award winner I've even heard of yet is Elizabeth Speare, who won the Newberry for "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" that year.
Uh, Rex Stout...
Eric Ambler...
Bernard Malamud...
Daniel Boorstin...
Brilliant... thank you!!
The only award winner I've even heard of yet is Elizabeth Speare, who won the Newberry for "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" that year.
Uh, Rex Stout...
Eric Ambler...
Bernard Malamud...
Daniel Boorstin...
Brilliant... thank you!!
for the literary prize does patricia cornwell count? this is what wikipedia gave about the awards: Patricia Cornwell is the 2008 winner of the Galaxy British Book Awards’ Books Direct Crime Thriller of the Year award—the first American ever to win this prestigious award. The only author to receive the Edgar Award, Creasey, Anthony Award, and Macavity Awards, and the French Prix du Roman d'Adventure in a single year for Postmortem (1991)
Gold Dagger for Cruel and Unusual (1993)[20:]
Sherlock Award for "Best Detective"[21:]
ECPA Gold Medallion Book Award, 1985 in the Biography/Autobiography category for A Time For Remembering".[22:]
Susanna wrote: "Golly, 1959 is looking a little hard, Lynlee! The only award winner I've even heard of yet is Elizabeth Speare, who won the Newberry for "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" that year.
Uh, Rex Stout w..."
Sure does! Thanks :)
♡ Eva ♡ wrote: "I have really not liked being a Pisces and not it's even worse. LOL I'd LOVE some suggestions on PISCES: Read a book about a fisherman, fishing, sea life, marine biology etc.I'm much more into no..."
Eva,
The Zen of Sushi and The Secret Life of Lobsters should both count. I've read the first, but not the second. It is a very intersting look at the hisotry of Sushi and is non-fiction but also has some story type elements to it. I can't remember the author right off, but it should be easy to find.
For all of my fellow Sags out there who are struggling with Sports Books... I am a fiction lover by nature, so here are some links to Sports Fiction websites...Young Adult Sports Fiction
Mainly Baseball and Basketball Adult Fiction
Have fun!
Though I wasn't a huge fan of it, Grisham's Playing for Pizza would work as a sports book.
I can't believe it didn't occur to me before, but one of my favorite books ever would fit for the sports task, too: Power of One. I don't particularly like boxing, but this book is wonderful!
Thanks Elizabeth- my list is coming along nicely and I was still stumped on that one. I'm going to go check them out right now- definitely it sounds like something I could at least get through, if not like. :) Thanks!
for the fellow pisces: Would Life of Pi work?Also, Cynthia, can I use Crankfor the poetry task? It is a book written in verse...
♡ Eva ♡ wrote: "Mary Beath and Jeane- both links took me to the same place so you're both right! LOL Thanks again guys!"You're very welcome! And, if you're having trouble finding a book for Pisces, I decided to go with Double Whammy by Carl Hiaasen because it takes place at a bass-fishing tournament....
Ok I am working mine out... I think this will get me excited about reading books that have been sitting on my shelf forever. Can anyone reccomend one for Aquarius set on the sea or about ships? All I can think of right now is Moby Dick and I cannot read it again :(
I've never done these challenges, but I'm really going to try to finish! Here is my plan so far:5 POINTS
1. Fantasy Novel – The Princess Bride, William Goldman
2. Epistolary Novel – Dear Mr. Henshaw, Beverly Cleary
3. Spring Cleaning – Leni: The Life and Work of Leni Riefenstahl, Steven Bach
4. Planes, Trains and Automobiles audiobook – ?
5. Easter/Lent - ?
6. Women’s History Month -?
7. Arbor Day “recycle book” -?
8. Humorous Novel – Three Bags Full, Leonie Swan
9. Spring Animals in title – Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal, Christopher Moore
10. April Showers Bring May Flowers - ?
10 POINTS
1. Set in Ireland – Round Ireland With a Fridge, Tony Hawks
2. Cinco De Mayo - ?
3. Australian Author – The Book Thief, Markus Zusak
4. Author Birthday – Cider House Rules, John Irving (March 3)
5. Magic – The Killing Dance, Laurell K. Hamilton
6. Sun in Title – Mistress of the Sun, Sandra Gulland
7. Given to me by Mom – Hannah’s Dream, Dianne Hammond
8. Memorial and Armed forces day - ?
9. TNBBC Top Books list - ?
10. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
15 POINTS
1. SAGITARIUS: The archer – read a book about an athlete or sports. - ?
2. April is National Poetry Month – Read a book of poetry OR about a famous poet. - ?
3. TNBBC Group Read – A Great and Terrible Beauty, Libba Bray
4. Set in Florida – Nature Girl, Carl Hiaasen
5. Major Literary Prize, 1981 - ?
6. Translation – Suite Francaise, Irene Nemirovsky
7. Two books with rhyming titles – ?
8. Author Interview – You Suck, Christopher Moore
9. Book with color/meal – Green Grass Grace: A Novel, Shawn McBride
10. 3, 4, 5 series or titles – ?
I'll keep updated as I add things!
Vicki - Would The Old Man and the Sea or A Perfect Storm work? You could also check into books about the Titanic.
For the Pisces - how about Captains Coureageous? It's Kipling and YA, a "coming of age" novel set at sea.
Vicki wrote: "Ok I am working mine out... I think this will get me excited about reading books that have been sitting on my shelf forever. Can anyone reccomend one for Aquarius set on the sea or about ships?..."
Vicki, you could try:
The Terror by Dan Simmons
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
The Dawn Patrol by Don Winslow (about surfing)
Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson
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...
Also, kudos for 9. Read a book from the TNBBC Top Books list…. There was debate about how to use that list and I think you managed it beautifully. You gave some leeway but still limited the choices in an interesting way.