The Next Best Book Club discussion
Cynthia's Seasonal Challenges
>
OFFICIAL SPRING CHALLENGE - 2009
I got the book off of play.com It didnt cost too much as there is no postage for things brought at play.comHave you asked the librarian to see if she can find any books that won awards in 1975
I found they were really helpful for me finding some books.
You never know they may be able to get it from another library.
RosI can access any of the local libraries online and order books in from them but nowhere has any. Going to choose a PD James for 1975
thanks
I think the requirement is not that the book had to have won in the year of birth, but that the author won an award that year. You can read anything written by an author who won an award the year you were born.
Okay...no idea how far I might get with this, but here's my list:5 points
1. The Nixie's Song by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
2. Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
3. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
4. Eldest by Christopher Paolini
5. The Long Awaited Child by Tracie Peterson
6. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
7. Brisinger by Christopher Paolini
8. You Suck by Christopher Moore
9. Kitty Goes to Washington by Carrie Vaughn
10. Storm Front by Jim Butcher
10 points
1. If You Could See Me Now by Cecelia Ahern
2. The Wild Girl by Jim Fergus
3. I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
4. Turnabout by Margaret Peterson Haddix (April 9)
5. Fablehaven : Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull
6. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
7. Betty Sweet Tells All by Judith Minthorn Stacy
8. Love My Rifle More Than You by Kayla Williams
9. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
10. Mindgame by Christine Feehan ~~ 5 stars from BJ Rose
15 points
1. Pisces -- Undecided
2. Edgar Allan Poe : Complete Poems
3. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
4. Cure for the Curse by Patrick Vaughn
5. Newbery -- Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt
6. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
7. Totally Joe by James Howe and
No Choice But Seduction by Johanna Lindsey
8. Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich (audio)
9. Beneath a Blood Red Moon by Shannon Drake
10. Lilith Saintcrow's Dante Valentine series 3,4, and 5...
The Devil's Right Hand,
Saint City Sinners, and
To Hell and Back
25 points
1. Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins (audio) and
Ruins of Gorland by John Flanagan
2. James Polk...American Presidents Series
3. Life of Pi by Yann Martel and
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (Stephanie's shelf)
4. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
5. Robert Frost : Selected Poems
6. The Wives of Henry the VIII by Antonia Fraser
7. Undecided
8. Revelations by Melissa de la Cruz and
Fablehaven : Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull
9. Wicked : The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
Would a war correspondent do for the military?
Lori wrote: "I just joined this group today and I have most of my list ready for the Spring Challenge. However...Any suggestions for books set in Arizona? That is the only place I have ever been on Spring Break."
The Host by Stephenie Meyer and Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli both take place in Arizona... (I think someone else asked about Arizona before, but I can't remember what other books they suggested.)
This is fun! It's my first challenge. I'm looking forward to doing this! Right now I'm working on 5 point #6 - The Partly Cloudy Patriot by Sarah Vowell. It's an autobiography of sorts since it is about her own life and travels.
Sara wrote: "Lori wrote: "I just joined this group today and I have most of my list ready for the Spring Challenge. However...Any suggestions for books set in Arizona? That is the only place I have ever be..."
Lori, Anything by Tony Hillerman (mysteries set on the Navajo reservation in Arizona/New Mexico)would qualify for your Arizona challenge. I highly recommend the Barbara Kingsolver book mentioned earlier -- I have that as one of my challenge books, too -- The Bean Trees and Pigs in Heaven are both set in Arizona and both fantastic.
Have fun -- I know I am, and this is my first challenge, too!
5 pts Tasks: 1. MAKING MONEY - TERRY PRATTCHETT (audiobook)
2. THE TRUE AND OUTSTANDING ADVENTURES OF THE HUNT SISTERS - ELISABETH ROBINSON
3. HORNET'S NEST - PATRICIA CORNWELL
4.
5. THE SHACK - W.P. YOUNG
6. NATURE GIRL - CARL HIAASEN
7. The Voluptuous Delights Of Peanut Butter & Jam-by Lauren Liebenberg
8. THE SOUND OF LAUGHTER - PETER KAY
9. SECRET LIFE OF BEES- SUE MONK KIDD
10. KISSING THE RAIN - KEVIN BROOKS
10pts Tasks:
1. ANGELA'S ASHES - FRANK McCOURT
2.
3.
4. A WOMAN WITHOUT LIES - ELIZABETH LOWELL
5. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J.K. ROWLING
6. EAST OF THE SUN - JULIA GREGSON
7. CALL ME ELIZABETH - DAWN ANNADALE
8. CATCH 22 - JOSEPH HELLER (audiobook)
9. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
10. MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA - ARTHUR GOLDEN (from Roxanne) (audiobook)
15pts Tasks:
1.
2.
3.
4. THE VARIOUS FLAVOURS OF COFFEE - ANTHONY CAPPELLA
5. THE HAIR OF HAROLD ROUX - THOMAS WILLIAMS
6. FACELESS KILLERS - HENNING MANKELL
7. 19TH WIFE - DAVID EBERSHOFF & LARGER THAN LIFE - ADELE PARKS
8. THE KEEPSAKE - TESS GERRITSEN
9. RED LEAVES - PAULLINA SIMONS
10. THREE DOLLARS - ELLIOT PERLMAN & LOVE IS A FOUR LETTER WORD - CLAIRE CALMAN & FIVE QUARTERS OF ORANGE - JOANNE HARRIS
25pts Tasks:
1. GIRL IN A PEARL EARRING - TRACY CHEVAILER (audiobook) & THE RAINMAKER - JOHN GRISHAM
2. GEORGE ELIOT: THE LAST VICTORIAN - KATHRYN HUGHES
3. LABRYNITH - KATE MOSSE (audiobook) & THE HISTORIAN - Elizabeth Kostova
4.
5. RED DRAGON - THOMAS HARRIS (never read a horror)
6. King Edward VIII: The Official Biography - Philip Ziegler
7.
8. TWILIGHT - STEPHENIE MEYERS & NOUGHTS AND CROSSES - MAJORIE BLACKMAN (audiobook)
9. The Woman of Substance: The Life and Works of Barbara Taylor Bradford - Piers Dudgeon
90/525
Happy Friday Everyone!I finished my 2 Ya novels for 25 points.
Marked by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast and Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer.
That brings me to 45 points thus far.
After some digging, I found a few books for Jon's task that look rather interesting, if anyone is looking...(not sure if any of these have been mentioned):Elizabeth: A Biography of Britain's Queen by Sarah Bradford
Bloody Mary: The Remarkable Life of Mary Tudor by Carolly Erickson
The Wives of Henry VIII by Antonia Fraser
Mary, Queen of Scots by Antonia Fraser
The Unruly Queen: The Life of Queen Caroline by Flora Fraser
Elizabeth Trilogy: Young Bess; Elizabeth, Captive Princess; Elizabeth and the Prince of Spain by Margaret Irwin
Richard the Third by Paul Murray Kendall
Diana: Her True Story by Andrew Morton
An Uncommon Woman: The Empress Frederick by Hannah Pakula
Richard II by Nigel Saul
Victoria: An Intimate Biography by Stanley Weintraub
King Edward VIII by Philip Ziegler
Oh! And one more...Aristocrats: Caroline, Emily, Louisa, and Sarah Lennox, 1740-1832 by Stella Tillyard
Charity wrote: "After some digging, I found a few books for Jon's task that look rather interesting, if anyone is looking...(not sure if any of these have been mentioned):Elizabeth: A Biography of Britain's Quee..."
Thanks for the suggestions, Charity. This is one category I don't read much of (correction -- I never read, unless required), so I had no idea where to begin.
And thank you, Jon, for saying we can read two shorter books to make up the total -- 400 pages of nonfiction history was giving me flashbacks from History of Civilization class in college (not one of my favorite semesters)!
Finished Wishful Drinking and The Year of Magical Thinking to complete 15 point task #7, Dr. Seuss & Mother Goose!Total points this task = 15
Total points currently = 55
No Ferlinghetti at the library, Sharon? That's a crime!
15 points10. 3rd, 4th and 5th books of a series: Nordermoor, Todeshauch, Engelsstimme
New total: 65 points
Ok! It took me a long time, and there is no way I will finish this list, but here are my books!5 POINTS
1. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
2. Dangerous Liaisons by Choderlos de Laclos
3. Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen
4. No Doubt About It by Shari Dew
5. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
6. The Partly Cloudy Patriot by Sarah Vowell
7. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein (audiobook)
8. Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
9. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
10. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
10 POINTS
1. Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
2. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
3. Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey
4. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
5. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
6. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
7. Sex with Kings by Eleanor Herman
8. The Unforgiving Minute: A Soldier’s Education by Craig M. Mullaney
9. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
10. The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James
15 POINTS
1. The Spartans: The World of the Warrior-Heroes of Ancient Greece by Paul Cartledge
2. Edgar Allan Poe’s Complete Poetry
3. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
4. Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
5. White Noise by Don DeLillo
6. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
7. Pale Horse by Agatha Christie and The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
8. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
9. The Green Mile by Stephen King
10. The Dresden Files Series by Jim Butcher
25 POINT TASKS
1. Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates and The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
2. John Adams by David McCullough
3. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith and The Bone Box by Bob Hostetler
4. 1984 by George Orwell
5. The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan
6. The Life of Elizabeth I by Alison Weir
8. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
9. The Know-It-All: One Man’s Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World by A.J. Jacobs
Finished another one! YIPEE!!!!10 POINTS
#4 Seven Up by Janet Evanovich Rating - B
15 POINTS
#8 The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho Rating - A+
[image error]
Thanks for those suggestions Charity - all good (i didnt check length but can add together)exceptElizabeth Trilogy: Young Bess; Elizabeth, Captive Princess; Elizabeth and the Prince of Spain by Margaret Irwin - as is fiction
im going to plug this one again - i thought it was really good
The Duchess of Windsor The Secret Life
Finally get onto the board with 10 points. I started this novel last Sunday and have laboured wearily through it. I'm hoping I can pick something to enjoy more with my next choices!
10 Points.
9. Read a book from the TNBBC Top Books list/Year born: Dissolution, , C.J. Sansom (16 from 1966)
Pages read: 439
Jon wrote: "Thanks for those suggestions Charity - all good (i didnt check length but can add together)exceptElizabeth Trilogy: Young Bess; Elizabeth, Captive Princess; Elizabeth and the Prince of Spain by M..."
Whoops! My bad!!
5 POINTS 1. The Dark Is Rising
2. The Diary of a Young Girl
3. 1984
4. TBA
5. TBA
6. America's Women 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines
8. Dirty Jokes and Beer
9. Birdsong A Novel of Love and War
10. TBA
10 POINTS
1. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
2.TBA
3. TBA
4.The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
5. TBA
6. Journey To The Center of The Earth - Jules Verne
7. TBA
8. Corelli's Mandolin
9.1987 - I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith
10. The Nanny Diaries - taken from Kellie who is also my goodreads friend!
15 POINTS
1. tba
2. Sylvia Plath - Collected Poems
3. Love In The Time of Cholera
4. Hoot or the Yearling
5. 1987 - Sid Fleshiman - The Whipping Boy - Newbury Medal
6. The Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas
7. tba
8. Just read a Jodi Piccoult interview so I'll read something by her
9. The Color Purple
10. Anne of The Island, Anne of Windy Poplars, and Anne's House of Dreams by Lucy Maud Montgomery
25 Points
1. The God Of Small Things by Arundi Roy and Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae
2. TBA
3. Melody is below me and I am reading from Melody's bookshelves: Eat Pray Love as well as Memoirs of a Geisha
4. Far From The Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
5. Watchmen by Alan More
6. TBA
7. TBA
8. The Second Two books in the Gemma Doyle Trilogy
9. Bright Lights, Big Ass: A Self-Indulgent, Surly, Ex-Sorority Girl's Guide to Why it Often Sucks in the City, or Who are These Idiots and Why Do They All Live Next Door to Me? by Jen Lancaster
alright, I've got a nicely defined more narrowed down list.
Ros - congrats for being the first to post a review for my lickle task, hope you enjoyed the book! (have you posted it as a goodread review? you dont seem to have a read list) - i cant fathom your reading rate, I know you have alot of time on your hands, but 12 books in 6 days, dont forget to eat will you lolLori - not sure how much of arizona thats needed to qualify but 'home at the end of the world' which i just finished has a few chapters there and i loved the book
Sharon- yeah i thought Scotland ought to be OK - as their royal family merged into the English one in any case with James I, so the present Monarchy descends from both lines. Phew - it gets technical doesnt it!
Update:5-point task #4 ~
Led Astray
I listened to this in my car on my drive to work.
Point Total: 20
LEADERBOARD
ROS - 145
ASHLEY - 90
FIONA (TITCH) - 90
KAREN - 85
EVA - 75
CAROL - 70
PERS - 65
BEV - 55
LIZ (BKLYN) - 55
BONNIE - 50
LIZ VEGAS - 50
LEORA - 45
SANDY - 45
BETH MN - 40
CASSIE - 40
CYNTHIA - 40
JENNY - 40
JOSIE - 40
KATE - 40
LINDSEY - 40
LOUISE - 40
SANDIE - 40
SARA - 40
FALLON - 35
KICKI - 35
KRISTINA - 35
MEGHAN - 35
VICTORIA - 35
ALISHA - 30
JUDITH - 30
MEL - 30
SHARON - 30
SUZIER - 30
ALICE - 25
DOROTHY - 25
EL - 25
JON - 25
JOY - 25
NATALIA - 25
RORA - 25
SERA - 25
SUSAN - 25
ANGELA - 20
ANGIE - 20
ANN FROM SC - 20
BECKY - 20
BETH - 20
COURTNEY - 20
JAMIE MN - 20
ABBIE - 15
CAITLIN - 15
CATHEROO - 15
KATHRYN - 15
ROBIN - 15
STEPHANIE - 15
WV HEATHER - 15
JEN - 10
KRISTEN - 10
MELISSA - 10
MELODY - 10
SUSANNA UK - 10
TINA - 10
LISA CO - 5
MAGGIE - 5
9. Read a book with a color in the title AND eat a meal that includes at least 2 foods that are that color (you don’t have to cook it yourself). The Red Shoe by Ursula Dubosarsky
1. Red Chilli with my stir fry dinner last night
2. Grilled tomato with my big breakfast this morning
Total as at 7 March: 85 Points
April - Yes you may read Watchmen for that taskFiona - Yes you may listen to an Audio for the Spring Cleaning Task
Lori - (Betty Author - Betty Friedan, Betty Webb, Betty Neels) (Betty Character - Mountain Betty A Novel, Betty Sweet Tells All, A Better Class of Murder) (ARIZONA - Blasphemy, The Fault Tree, Midnight Cactus)
Operandi - give me an example of the book you want to use with a war correspondent.
Karen - it was supposed to be 2 foods in the same meal but I'll let you have the points anyway
Speaking of the foods task - do the foods have to be different? We've talked about blue before, but can I have a blueberry jam sauce on chicken, then have blueberries for dessert, and still call it 2 foods?
As long as it is used in two different ways I guess that would be okay.
10 POINT TASK8. In Honor of Memorial and Armed Forces Day – Read a book about a veteran OR someone serving in the military (fiction or non-fiction).
The Names of the Dead, Stewart O'Nan.
5 POINT TASK
9. Read a book with one of the following Spring animals in the title…
- Rabbit or Bunny
- Bird (the word bird or any type of bird)
- Lion
- Lamb OR
- A term for a baby animal such as kitten, cub, calf etc.
The Cubs and Other Stories, Mario Vargas-Llosa.
TOTAL POINTS: 25.
So i only went with books I already own to give me an incentive to plow through them. Some of the categories are blank, but I will fill them in more as i go if i need more books - but i think i have my work cut out for me with the list as it. Here is my list!
5 POINTS
1. White Witch, Black Cursee
2.
3. THE ALCHEMIST
- 4. BY GEORGE – WESLEY STACE
5. For Easter/Lent…
6. MAIDENSTONE LIGHTHOUSE – SALLY SMITH O’ROURKE
7.
8. sPANKING SHAKESPEARE – JAKE WEINER
9.
10.
10 POINTS
1. SHANNON – FRANK DELANEY
2..LAURA ESQUIVEL - MALINCHE
3.
4. BLOOD RED – HEATHER GRAHAM
5. GARDEN SPELLS – SARAH ADDISON ALLEN
6.. BETH CIOTTA – LASSO THE MOON
7. BARBARA KINGSOLVER – POISONWOOD BIBLE
8.JAMES BENN – THE FIRST WAVE
9. I CAPTURE THE CASTLE – DODIE SMITH
10THE HANDMAIDS TALE – MARGARET ATWOOD
15 POINTS
1. VIRGO:
2.
3. CORMAC MCCARTHY - THE ROAD
4.
5.
6. HENNING MANKELL – KENNEDY’S BRAIN
7..A PECULIAR GRACE – JEFFREY LENT & THE LACE READER – BRUNONIA BARRY
8.
9. ALEX KAVA - WHITE WASH (MILK AND VANILLA ICE CREAM)
10.
25 POINT TASKS
1. KAREN’S TASK GLOSS – JENNIFER OKO & ROYAL LOCKDOWN – REBECCA YORK
2. EL’s TASK -
3. ANGELA’S TASK - PENDING
4. ROS’ TASK -. DOUG ADAMS – HITCHHIKERS GUIDE TO THE GALAXY
5. BONNIE’S TASK - ROBERT JORDAN - EYE OF THE WORLD
6. JON’S TASK - ?
7. DARLA'S TASK - PENDING
8. CASSIE'S TASK - FABLEHAVEN – BRENDAN MULL & GLASS HOUSES – RACHEL CAINE
9. SARA'S TASK -
FINALLY on the board!!!10 Point Tasks
1. Read a book by an Irish author, set in Ireland, etc.
In the Woods by Tana French
Tasks completed: 1
Total points: 10
[image error]
Jen wrote: "FINALLY on the board!!!10 Point Tasks
1. Read a book by an Irish author, set in Ireland, etc.
[b:In the Woods|237209|In the Woods|Tana French|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1194......"
What did you think about In the Woods?
Victoria wrote: "Jen wrote: "FINALLY on the board!!!10 Point Tasks
1. Read a book by an Irish author, set in Ireland, etc.
[b:In the Woods|237209|In the Woods|Tana French|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/11..."
Victoria,
I can't speak for Jen, but I read In The Woods and I was not impressed. Mostly I was bothered by the ending......that's all I'm going to say so I don't spoil it.
I just read Cyrano de Bergerac, which was translated from French to English. I have wanted to read it for a while, ever since I watched the French version of the movie (great by the way, loved it). I am a big fan of the story. It's good stuff.
My favorite scene is when he names numerous ways to insult his nose, and then composes a ballad while fighting a duel... I don't even know if that sentence makes sense, but I really liked the play/book!
This gives me 90 pts!
Jon wrote: "Jeane i dont know anything about this book, how easy it is to find or how heavy going it would be, but is along the right lines[b:The British Monarchy and Ireland 1800 to the Present|5742337|T..."
thanks:-)
Bonnie wrote: "Okay, so a question for everyone who has a copy of [b:The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency|7061|The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Book 1)|Alexander McCall Smith|http..."mine don't
Finished another!6. Read a book that was has been translated from its original language (i.e. it could be from Swedish to English or English to Italian etc.).
Sky Burial An Epic Love Story of Tibet translated from chinese to english. 15 points
Total = 40
[image error]
I just finished:20 Points
8. Read two YA novels - Haunting Of Alaizabel Cray, and City of Ashes.
TOTAL: 35 points
Recently completed task:#4 for 15 points (Location visited during spring break). I read: Hey Dolly by Amanda Svensson. It takes place in Malmö, which is a place I've visited during spring break previously.
Current score: 35.
[image error]
Victoria and Joy - I really liked it...until the end, which left me a little disappointed. I thought it was a good story throughout, and well-written. But then the author didn't resolve a major plot line, which was disappointing! Her other book, The Likeness, has gotten better reviews, so I'm looking forward to trying that one.
Bonnie wrote: OMG Rora! How'd you like Summers at Castle Auburn? That's one of my favorite YA books! Have you read any other books by Sharon Shinn?I really enjoyed it. The only other book I've read by her is The Shape-Changer's Wife which I also really liked.
Charity wrote: "After some digging, I found a few books for Jon's task that look rather interesting, if anyone is looking...(not sure if any of these have been mentioned):Elizabeth: A Biography of Britain's Quee..."
Thanks Charity! the Morton book does look good- I may do that one after all!
Here is another book for the 12 word title task if anyone is interested- Through the Storm A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World
(Brit's mom wrote it)
Hey, I was wondering if we are later allowed to change what books we associate with what task? Like if I read another book of poetry later, could I change Where the Sidewalk Ends to the humorous books category?
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...
thanks for you help
Sharon