The Next Best Book Club discussion
Cynthia's Seasonal Challenges
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OFFICIAL SPRING CHALLENGE - 2009
Meghan wrote: "I can't find a book I like for the diarist thing! Urgh."Someone just recommended I read anything by Chuck Palahniuk (author of Fight Club among others) and he has a book called Diary that is an epistolary novel.
Kelly, I think Meghan is talking about 25-point task #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. But, I could be wrong.Meghan, are you looking for a book for the 'Noted Diarist' task or for the 'Epistolary Novel' task?
Would "Little Women" count as an autobiography for El's task?
Ok, so I am so addicted to this board that I have my laptop in my grad class so I can read the posts from today while I was at work. I can't possibly wait until I get home tonight at 8 to catch up!Hello.....My name is Leora and I am a Spring Challenge Addict!
(Please don't take this as a slur on the 12 step meetings, I am being serious! I actually hid one of my spring challenge books in my lesson planner while my teacher's aide was teaching her science lesson today!)
Am I the only obsessed fan out here?
Courtney wrote: "Would "Little Women" count as an autobiography for El's task?"No, Little Women wouldn't count for El's task.
I've been reading while my students are napping and while they're at centers I'm looking at the message boards. :)
Yay, I got my life back and can read again! And on that thought, I completed my first task!
BONNIE’S TASK - PMP Exam Cram 2 :: David Francis, Greg Horine
25 points
5 pts Tasks: 1.
2. THE TRUE AND OUTSTANDING ADVENTURES OF THE HUNT SISTERS - ELISABETH ROBINSON
3. HORNET'S NEST - PATRICIA CORNWELL
4.
5.
6. NATURE GIRL - CARL HIAASEN
7.
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.
9. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
10.
15pts Tasks:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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.
2.
3. LABRYNITH - KATE MOSSE & THE HISTORIAN - Elizabeth Kostova
4.
5. RED DRAGON - THOMAS HARRIS (never read a horror)
6.
7.
8.
9. The Woman of Substance: The Life and Works of Barbara Taylor Bradford - Piers Dudgeon
195/550
OK I've finally managed to flesh out my list. 5 Point
1. Dead Until Dark – Charlaine Harris
2. Dear American Airlines - Jonathan Miles
3. The Accidental It Girl – Libby Street
4. Manhunt – Janet Evanovich
5. Pilgrim’s Progress - John Bunyan
6. ‘Tis Herself - Maureen O'Hara
7. Bridesmaid Chronicles - Julie Kenner
8. Never Have Your Dog Stuffed – Alan Alda
9. Lion’s Lady – Julie Garwood
10. Firestorm – Iris Johansen
10 Point
1. Sushi for Beginners - Marian Keyes
2. Spanish Disco – Erica Orloff
3. Dog Handling – Clare Naylor
4. Jennifer Weiner, March 28 – Goodnight Nobody
5. Magic & The Modern Girl – Mindy Klasky
6. Couch World - Cathy Yardley
7. The Midnight Visitor - Margaret Sutton
8. War Brides – Lois Battle
9. To Kill a Mocking Bird – Harper Lee
10. The Writing Class - Jincy Willett
15 Point
1. (Sag) Natural Born Charmer - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
2. Complete Works of Emily Dickinson
3. The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath
4. Literacy & Longing in LA - Jennifer Kaufman, Karen Mack
5. Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen – Julie Powell
6. Don Quixote - Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra
7. Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife - Linda Berdoll /Best Day of Someone Else’s Life - Kerry Reichs
8. Petite Anglaise - Catherine Sanderson
9. Surrender the Pink- Carrie Fisher /grapefruit, strawberry ice cream
10. Cocktails for Three – Madeline Wickham, Four Paws From Heaven - M.R. Wells, Five Things I Can’t Live Without - Holly Shumas
25 Point
1. Go to Girl - Louise Bagshawe, The Reading Group - Elizabeth Noble
2. Louisa May Alcott: A Modern Biography - Martha Saxton
3. The Pact – Jodi Picoult, Goodbye Jimmy Choo - Annie Sanders
4. Tess of Durbervilles – Thomas Hardy
5. The Glass Castle – Jeanette Walls
6. Eleanor of Aquitaine: Queen of France, Queen of England - Ralph V. Turner
7. None
8. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Bras and Broomsticks – Sarah Mlynowski
9. Fatal Distraction: Or How I Conquered My Addiction to Celebrities and Got a Life - Emmi Fredericks
Time to get reading!
Tobie wrote: "OK I've finally managed to flesh out my list. 5 Point
1. Dead Until Dark – Charlaine Harris
2. Dear American Airlines - Jonathan Miles
3. The Accidental It Girl – Libby Street
4. Manhunt – Janet..."
Tobie, if Lost Stories of LM Alcott is fiction, it will not count for this task.
Again, everyone - for the 25-point diary/diarist task: Either choose a diary by one of the people on the Wikipedia link that was provided, or choose a biography about one of those people on the link that was provided - the person has to have lived prior to 1900. Fiction by any of those people on the link will not count.
Another one down! For the Get to Know the Author task, I was originally going to go to a reading, but I realised I have a conflict on that date so instead I read the book Cunt A Declaration of Independence Expanded and Updated Second Edition by Inga Muscio and watched this interview with Inga. I saw her last month in person, and I was really glad to finally have an opportunity to read the book, although there are things she says that I disagree with. I don't agree with her about abortion for example, or in general that there is one right way to do certain things. On the other hand, I love what she's trying to accomplish and this is a great book for any woman, especially women in America.New total: 45 points
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El wrote: "Tobie wrote: "OK I've finally managed to flesh out my list. 5 Point
1. Dead Until Dark – Charlaine Harris
2. Dear American Airlines - Jonathan Miles
3. The Accidental It Girl – Libby Stree..."
Thanks for the heads up, I fixed my list :).
Fiona, you've read 15 books in 9 days??? How on earth? And most of those books are not short...not even a little.
Charity wrote: "Fiona, you've read 15 books in 9 days??? How on earth? And most of those books are not short...not even a little."I know, right? I'm jealous, too! ;)
Tasks Completed5 Points
#1 Read a sci-fi or fantasy novel- Dark Lover by J.R. Ward
#6 Read a book while in a car- Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward
#9 Read a book with a type of bird in the title- The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney by Suzanne Harper
10 Points
#5 Read a book about magic- Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
15 Points
#6 Read a book that has been translated from its original language- Perfume The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind
Total Points= 40
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Charity wrote: "And skeptical?"She's doing several audios.
Fiona, how smart. If I wanted to make any headway in my list, I should do that here at work, since we can listen to things!
It just seems like audios would take even longer since you are restricted to how fast the narrator reads the story. But, I don't know since I don't do audiobooks.
Aren't most of the audios abridged versions?
I don't think so, most of the ones that I've seen are the unabridged text. But the thing is that you can listen while doing other things. I've been listening to Labyrinth in the car, which is otherwise wasted reading time. I'm also going to start listening to World War Z when I go to the gym, which is also wasted reading time. Or while cleaning etc. :)
I think there are a lot more unabridged editions available now, but abridged versions used to be the norm.
Some are, some aren't. I listen to audios during my commute to work. Since I'm driving anyway, it's like multitasking. I generally try to find the ones that aren't abridged. I always ending up feeling like I missed something if it's an abridged version. I'm in my car for 1 1/2 hours (at least) each day. It usually takes me about a week to finish one of my average-sized books.
Charity wrote: "It just seems like audios would take even longer since you are restricted to how fast the narrator reads the story. But, I don't know since I don't do audiobooks."I certainly can't answer for Fiona, since I don't know how long she listens each day, either. I was just sharing what I saw.
I listen to a lot of audio books during my drive to work. I'm really picky though and I only look for the unabridged versions. I also only use the unbridged for these tasks to keep it fair (in my mind at least).
Mel wrote: "I certainly can't answer for Fiona, since I don't know how long she listens each day, either. I was just sharing what I saw."Yeah, I understand that. :-) Like I said, I don't have any experience with audiobooks, so I don't know the run-time on them or anything like that.
I wish I could do audiobooks, but with 2 small kids at home, I just don't have the ability to listen to them. If I had a commute or a long trip or something, I could certainly see the advantage.
I love audiobooks they're just so expensive and I never have time to get to the library.
I haven't seen an abridged audiobook in a while. I'd go through them faster, but my morning commute is about 8 minutes. ;) I've got one here at work with me also, but there's only so much work I can do while listening to an audiobook. Data entry... filing... that sort of thing. It's a relatively small part of my job...I'm sure Fiona is being honest--I'm not worried about that at all. I just wish I had time to keep up with her!
One of my friends said that if I ever pick up an audiobook it should be Lolita read by Jeremy Irons. She said that it is impossible for her to listen to him speak now and not hear Humbert Humbert in his voice.A lot of people have said that David Sedaris's audiobooks (narrated by him, of course) are really great. I love listening to him on NPR, so I'm sure I could get into those.
Charity wrote: "Mel wrote: "I certainly can't answer for Fiona, since I don't know how long she listens each day, either. I was just sharing what I saw."Yeah, I understand that. :-) Like I said, I don't have any experience with audiobooks, so I don't know the run-time on them or anything like that.
I wish I could do audiobooks, but with 2 small kids at home, I just don't have the ability to listen to them. If I had a commute or a long trip or something, I could certainly see the advantage."
A book of 200 pages is about 4-5 discs long; 400 pages is maybe 10-11 discs long. Each disc usually averages about 70-75 minutes. It depends on the speed of the reader, but that's about average, I'd say.
Thanks, Sara! I definitely think that audiobooks won't be in my future for a while. It seems it would take me too long to finish one and I'd become rather impatient with the whole thing and just pick a "hardcopy". However, if I end up going on a long car trip this summer, then maybe? If I can convince my husband to listen to it, that is....which is the real make-or-breaker. :-)
Oh! And this may sound like a stupid question, but humor me please, how do you keep your place with an audiobook if you have to suddenly stop to do something else? I've always wondered...
1. KAREN’S TASK - As we are all totally completely addicted to GR (Goodreads), let's read…- A book which title starts with the letter G AND
- A book which title starts with the letter R.
For 25 points I read...
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
(New total: 50 points)
Cynthia,This may have been asked before, but I can't remember....For the '3/4/5 task', if I am reading books with the words three, four, five or third, fourth, fifth in the titles, do they have to be read in order? In other words, can I read a book with the word five/fifth in the title before a book with three/third in the title?
And also, do they have to be read consecutively? Can I read a book with three/third in the title and then do another task before coming back to the books with four/fourth and five/fifth in the title? Obviously, I wouldn't be able to collect points until the task is completed, but didn't know if they had to be read back-to-back or not.
Charity wrote: "Oh! And this may sound like a stupid question, but humor me please, how do you keep your place with an audiobook if you have to suddenly stop to do something else? I've always wondered..."In my car, if I turn the CD player off and then back on, it will keep the CD in the right place. On other players, I just remember (or write down) which disc, track, and time I'm at, then fast forward to that point next time I listen.
Charity, I'm currently listening to my audiobook in the car, and my CD player remembers where I am when the car starts and when the radio is turned on & off. So, let's say I pull up to a drive-thru and need to pause it, I just turn the radio off, and then when I turn it back on, it's right where I left it.
Charity, I am 95% postive that somebody asked that question towards the beginning and the answer was that you didn't have to read them in order but if you read a book with third in the title, you can't read "four" or "five." Those all have to match.
Somebody smack me if I'm wrong. :)
Thank you, Sara and Becky. That makes sense. Can you download books to mp3 players?Thanks, Beth! I could not remember for the life of me. I figured that if someone were to read books 3, 4, and 5 from a series that they would want to read them in order, but didn't know about the non-series 3/4/5 books.
In Honor of Women’s History Month read an autobiography of a woman you admire.I read From Strength to Strength by Sara Henderson. I had heard about this amazing woman living in the Outback and wanted to see what she was all about. What an incredible woman - I loved reading her story (full of laughter, sadness and hardship). I really enjoyed this book.
5 pts
New total = 15 pts
Elizabeth wrote: "Alice wrote: " Just finished The Face by Dean Koontz for 25 points"Alice, I hope you like [b:The Welsh Girl|137796|The Welsh Girl|Peter Ho Davies|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172......"
Oh I'm glad you've said that Elizabeth the cover doesn't look terribly appealing! I bought it a while ago from thebookpeople as they had an offer on Richard and Judy reads! I will look forward to reading it now you've recommended it!
"Hehe! I just finished The Princess Bride - and it definitely provided some much-needed comic relief. I had read it once before, and had forgotten how fun it is! (Of course, I've seen the movie too many times to count.) Enjoy!"I absolutely luuuuurve that film!!! It was our cult movie of the youth group I grew up in and whenever we went away we would have to watch it. Always makes me laugh however many times i see it - a never failing feel good story!
4. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles Task – Read or listen to a book while you are on a plane, on a train, or in a car Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris-3/9(6 hours)
Points 65/550
Tasks 5/38
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Have to comment and say that I do not like audio!! First time and not for me! I listened to this book to and from work and found myself very distracted!! For those of you who love audio, I am amazed that you can keep up and not find your self drifting off... books I can hold and read all the way!!! I am so HAPPY to be finished with this task :)
Bonnie wrote: "Ashley wrote:..."That's exciting. I have read quite a few of the ones on your list, and I think I have all the others on my TBR! I have Princess of the Midnight Ball on hold from the library, and cannot wait to read it!
I haven't read East, but I did read Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow, and really liked it. Which one did you read first?
Another good retelling of Cinderella (I did LOVE Ella Enchanted) is Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix, and I liked it becuase Ella is a stronger character- no magic here, she does it all herself!
And, Enchantment by Orson Scott Card, also a favorite, it's a retelling of Sleeping Beauty.
And, I LOVED Robin McKinley's Beauty- absolutely perfect!
I'm actually reading The Book of Lost Things for one of the tasks here!
Fairy tales have always been my favorite. I just finished one called Shadow Spinner, which is basically 1001 Nights, but told from someone else's perspective- the storyteller needs help because she is running out of tales to tell, and the main character is a good storyteller, who is overheard telling stories. I liked it. Probably wouldn't call it a favorite, but it was good.
I do think thought that you should give Water Song a change, or A Crimson Thread, both by Suzanne Weyn. I liked them both. I do generally prefer Cameron Dokey though, but I did also like Snow by Tracy Lynn, because it was the most unique retelling of Snow White I've ever read.
Have you read anything by Donna Jo Napoli? She writes a lot of retellings, and I seem to go either way with the few of her books I've read so far... Generally really good, or only so-so.
I'm so excited that you like fairy tales too! Totally makes my day!!
Finished the Mother's Day task - Hannah's Dream, that's 10pts.5 POINTS
1. Fantasy Novel – The Princess Bride, William Goldman
2. Epistolary Novel – 84 Charing Cross Road, Helene Hanff
3. Spring Cleaning – Leni: The Life and Work of Leni Riefenstahl, Steven Bach
4. Planes, Trains and Automobiles audiobook – Ragtime, E.L. Doctorow
5.
6. Women’s History Month – The Lady and the Unicorn, Tracy Chevalier
7. Arbor Day “recycle book” – In the Heart of the Sea, Nathaniel Philbrick
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 – The Enchantment of Lily Dahl: A Novel, Siri Hustvedt
10 POINTS
1. Set in Ireland – Round Ireland With a Fridge, Tony Hawks
2. Cinco De Mayo -- Set in Mexico, The Falling Woman, Pat Murphey
3. Australian Author –I Am the Messenger, Markus Zusak or The People of the Book, Geraldine Brooks
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.
8. Memorial and Armed forces day – Band of Brother, Stephen Ambrose
9. TNBBC Top Books list –I Capture the Castle, Dodie Smith
10. TNBBC Member 5 star book – Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
15 POINTS
1. SAGITARIUS: The archer – read a book about an athlete or sports. Shanks for Nothing, Rick Reiley
2. April is National Poetry Month – Read a book of poetry OR about a famous poet. Wintering: A Novel of Sylvia Plath, Kate Moses
3. TNBBC Group Read – A Great and Terrible Beauty, Libba Bray
4. Set in Florida – Nature Girl, Carl Hiaasen
5. Major Literary Prize, 1981 – John Updike, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, Witches of Eastwick
6. Translation – Suite Francaise, Irene Nemirovsky
7. Two books with rhyming titles – Widow of the South, Robert Hicks and Smart Mouth, Erin McCarthy
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 – Kim Harrison
Every Which Way But Dead
A Fistful of Charms
For a Few Demons More
25 POINT
1. G/R–
2.Diarist – Boswell's London Journal, 1762-1763
3.Jen’s List – The Reader, XXX and either The Virgin Suicides or Ferris Beach
4. Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery
5.Off Genre – Horror – Come Closer, Sara Gran (Thanks, Alisha, for the suggestion!)
6. Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life, Alison Weir or Nell Gwyn: Mistress to a King, Charles Beauclerk
7.
8. Two Young Adult Novels – Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson and The Book Thief, Markus Zusak
9. Book with 12 or more words in the title – The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America, Erik Larson
Total Points: 15/550
Tasks Completed: 2
Books Read: 3
Total Pages Read: 1402
I just finished 18 Seconds by George Shuman for #5 on the 25 point task (Read a book genre you normally wouldn't). This was a thriller/cop story, I don't normally read this type of story, but I liked it!This bumps my total to 75/500
Finished a task:
8. CASSIE'S TASK - For her friend Melissa (who told her about goodreads and is a YA Librarian): Read two young adult novels.
Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty
While a Young Adult book, the majority of this book seems too whiney and juvenile. However, it redeems itself by the end after the main character, Jessica, calms down and actually beings to make sense. This makes me believe that the subsequent books will be worthy of reading as we watch Jessica develop and make her way out of High School. It is written mostly in diary form with additional letters to Jessica's best friend (who has moved away). The novel does have classic, and oh so true, scenes and dilemmas everyone has faced during their teen years. Despite that, it is also riddled with events that seem highly un-likely, take the rich-NY -party-girl going undercover to experience regular life. While this book may take a few chapters to get interesting, it does get there.
and Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
I love myself some post-apocalypse reading. Susan Beth Pfeffer does not disappoint in her diary-style narration of a world drastically changed after a meteor pushes the moon a little too close to the Earth. The entries are not whiney, unbelievable, or too sappy. They are a developed mix of context, dialogue, and emotion. We follow along as Miranda, the diary writer, and her family react to ensure their survival as the world around them become a violent, dirty, and dark place. The life they once knew does not matter anymore, only the life they know now.
25 points
Maggie, I am excited that you are reading Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. It is one of my favorites that I have read recently. I recommend it to everyone! I really hope you like it!And, I don't remember who asked, and I don't think it has been answered, but Artemis Fowl is shelved in my library as YA, so I think it should count!
I just finished task 10-1, I read 'Silver Wedding' by Maeve Binchy whom is Irish.This was 10 points, so I now have 75 total.
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My update: 5 point task
1) Read a fantasy novel
LIVING DEAD IN DALLAS by Charlene Harris
my points- 65
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15 POINTS
8. Get To Know The Author --- The Source A Novel by James Michener (plus a couple of online interviews with him)
A long, but interesting novelization about the history of Israel.
Total points: 25
Tasks completed: 3