The Next Best Book Club discussion
Cynthia's Seasonal Challenges
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OFFICIAL SPRING CHALLENGE - 2009
Nicole wrote: " April wrote Nicole wrote: "Finally on the board with the following completed:
5 Point tasks:
7. Listen to an audiobook: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
8. For April..."
I'm currently reading Good Omens The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch for the challenge and am likely to finish it tonight. I really love it and really want to keep reading it, but sadly I have work. I haven't read much of the hype, but I could see how if you do the book could come off as disappointing.
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.
7.
8.
9. Down the Rabbit Hole An Echo Falls Mystery - Peter Abrahams
10. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafón
10 Points
1.
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
15 Points
1.
2.
3. Neverwhere A Novel - Neil Gaiman
4.
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. The White Darkness
10.
25 Points
1. Gossamer, The Red Shoe
2.
3. The Art of Racing in the Rain and Whale Talk
4. Noughts & Crosses
5. Blood Brothers
6. The Six Wives of Henry VIII
8. On The Jellicoe Road and
9.
Total
70 Points, 6 Tasks
Rory wrote: "Ashley wrote: "Rory wrote: "5 POINT TASKS1. Peeps by Scott Westerfeld 3/7/09
Did you know there is a sequel to Peeps? It's called The Last Days. The main characters aren't the same, but the main ..."
Good! I'm glad! I did like the first and third Midnighters ok, the second was kinda bizarre and a little... dull, and the ending stunk! I almost didn't read the uglies series, but had heard so much about it, I decided to at least give the first a try, and Wow! I'm so glad I did! It's much more my reading style anyway. It is less fantasy. I read some fantasy, but not very much at all, it's hard for me to get into it (unless it's fairy tales!) but stuff like the Uglies, that could technically happen, way more my speed! Let me know what you thought about The Last Days!
5 Points1.Read a fantasy novel-Undead and Unemployed
10 Points
15 Points
2.Read a book of poetry-What My Mother Doesn't Know
10.Read the 3rd, 4th, and 5th book in a series-Undead and Unappreciated, Undead and Unreturnable, and Undead and Unpopular
25 Points
5.Bonnie's Task: Read a book outside your normal genre-Watchmen
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I completed my first task!15 pts (#2) 100 Great Poems of the 20th Century -DONE!!
Oh- And I have my book for 10pts #7 - My mom suggest I read Spider's Web by Agatha Christie.
5 POINTS:1. '1984' ~George Orwell
2. 'Magical Thinking' ~Augusten Burroughs
3. 'Wizard's First Rule' ~Terry Goodkind
5. 'The Poisonwood Bible' ~Barbara Kingsolver
6. 'A Good Woman' ~Danielle Steel
7. 'Lord of the Flies' ~William Golding
8. 'Born Standing Up' ~Steve Martin
9. 'Lamb to the Slaughter...' ~Roald Dahl
10. 'Juniper Tree Burning' ~Goldberry Long
10 POINTS
4. 'To Kill a Mockingbird' ~Harper Lee
5. 'Houdini's Box-The Art of Escapism' ~Adam Phillips
6. 'Brave New World' ~Aldous Huxley
7. 'Jumping the Nail' ~Eve Bunting
9. 'The Bell Jar' ~Sylvia Plath
10. 'And Then There Were None' ~Agatha Christie
15 POINTS
1. 'Hitman' ~Bret Hart
2. 'Pearly Everlasting' ~Thomas Reiter
5. 'No Future Without Forgiveness' ~Desmond Tutu
6. 'Inkspell' ~Cornelia Funke
7. 'Slaughterhouse-Five' ~Kurt Vonnegut
'The Memory Keeper's Daughter' ~Kim Edwards
8. 'A Dirty Job' ~Christopher Moore
10. 'A Swiftly Tilting Planet #3' ~Madeleine L'Engle
'Many Waters #4'
'An Acceptable Time #5'
25 POINTS
1. 'The Gate House' ~Nelson DeMille
'Runaway' ~Alice Munro
2. 'See a Grown Man Cry, Now Watch Him Die' ~Henry Rollins
4. 'Catch 22' ~Joseph Heller
5. 'Animal, Vegetable, Miracle' ~Barbara Kingsolver
8. 'A Wrinkle in Time' ~Madeleine L'Engle
'A Wind in the Door'
9. 'Hollow Earth: The Long and Curious History of Imagining Strange Lands, Fantastical Creatures, Advanced Civilizations, and Marvelous Machines Below the Earth's Surface' ~David Standish
Whew!! I just discovered this group and the seasonal challenges, and I am so freaking excited!! I have told everyone at work, so hopefully they will jump on here and join the fun!!! Thanks!
I just finished I Am the Messenger by Mark Zusak for my Australian author. I really liked the book, although the end was a little bizarre, and felt almost rushed. I really liked it though.Total now- 125!
5 Points 1. Fire Study - Maria V. Snyder
2. Ella Minnow Pea A Novel in Letters - Mark Dunn
3. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close -
4.
5. The Shack - William P. Young
6.
7.
8.
9. Down the Rabbit Hole An Echo Falls Mystery - Peter Abrahams
10. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafón
10 Points
1.
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
15 Points
1.
2.
3. Neverwhere A Novel - Neil Gaiman
4.
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.
25 Points
1. Gossamer, The Red Shoe
2.
3. The Art of Racing in the Rain and Whale Talk
4. Noughts & Crosses
5. Blood Brothers
6. The Six Wives of Henry VIII
8. The White Darkness and
9.
Total
85 Points, 7 Tasks
Recently completed task:#2 for 15 points (National Poetry Month ). I read: Istället för hiphop by Daniel Boyacioglu. A translation of the title (if there was one) would be Instead of hiphop.
Current score: 60.
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Ok...I think I have this right.5 points:
2. I love you, Ronny, by Nancy Reagan
4. A Mercy, Toni Morrison
5. Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro
6. Captivating: Unveiling the mystery of a woman's soul, John Eldrige
8. Plum Lovin', Janet Evanovich
10 points
6. A New Earth, Ekhart Tolle
7. The Schooling of Claybird Cats, Janis Owen (mom's name)
9. I Capture the Castle, Dodie Smith
10. Jane Eyre, Bronte
15 points
1. The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch
2. Risking Everything: 110 Poems of Love and Revelation
4. Nefertiti: A Novel, Michelle Moran (visiting Egypt)
9. The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne
25 Points
1. Grave Sight, Charlain Harris
Run for your Life, J. Patterson
4. The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald
5. Eat, Pray, Love, Gilbert
9. Gemorah: A personal journey into the violent international empire of naples organized crime system, Jewiss
Julie wrote: "Ok...I think I have this right.5 points:
2. I love you, Ronny, by Nancy Reagan
4. A Mercy, Toni Morrison
5. Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro
6. Captivating: Unveiling the mystery of a woman's sou..."
Leora wrote: "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.
"
Do we have the right to add more later if we are on track?
I haven't posted any lists of what I intend to read. I just make sure that everybody understands what I have read, and for how many points. So I just update this thread when I've finished reading books for a task, like I did above your posts. And of course you can read more than what you've posted above. Read as much as you can and finish as many tasks as you find possible. :)
Heather wrote: "5 POINTS:1. '1984' ~George Orwell
2. 'Magical Thinking' ~Augusten Burroughs
3. 'Wizard's First Rule' ~Terry Goodkind
5. 'The Poisonwood Bible' ~Barbara Kingsolver
6. 'A Good Woman' ~Danielle ..."
Heather, you can not read Henry Rollins for the second 25-point task. The man is still alive - you need to find something before 1900.
1. For St. Patrick’s Day – Read a book by an Irish author, set in Ireland, OR about Ireland.Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy READ
Total points = 100
WV Heather wrote: " Sara wrote: I feel like telling teachers everywhere to pick books that are age-appropriate and that kids will actually enjoy, or they might RUIN reading forever for those kids! I'm STILL totally g..."WV Heather - I'm curious to know... which books have you taught that have been a success with the students? What age group(s) do you teach?
Completed another task:5 pt task #10 -
Flowers in the Rain - Rosamunde Pilcher
A little sappy for my current mood, lots of "move out into the country - there life is better, your true love will magically appear and all will be well" sorts of sentiments. But, with that said, I can definitely imagine being in a mood where this would be perfect. The stories are all very hopeful and reassuring.
Total Points: 45
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15 pt. task #5 Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt won the Newbery Award in 1967, the year I was born. I finished it last night. Total points = 35
Ashley wrote: "I just finished I Am the Messenger by Mark Zusak for my Australian author. I really liked the book, although the end was a little bizarre, and felt almost rushed. I really liked it though.Total..."
How was I am the Messenger compared to The Book Thief?
This thread is huuuuuuuuuuuge already!
Carol wrote: "This thread is huuuuuuuuuuuge already!"It's because Spring Challenge is the most rockingest challenge ever. It's the reader's version of spring training (baseball).
Cynthia wrote: "Bridgit - No to both - (for the transportation task - because neither of those things actually goes anywhere - but I will accept it if you walk someplace and listen to an audiobook at the same time..."We'll miss you and your tabulation skills!
5 POINTS2:84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (3/04/09)
4:From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris (3/10/09)
10 POINTS
4:A Great and Terribly Beauty by Libba Bray (3/02/09)
6:Moon Called by Patricia Briggs (3/11/09)
10:All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris (3/03/09)
15 POINTS
8:City Dog by Alison Pace. (3/01/09)
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Points: 55
Tasks Completed: 6.5/39
-Beth MN
Leora wrote: "Happy Tuesday All!I just finised task 15-1, I read "Gods Behaving Badly" by Marie Phillips, since I am an Aries. Someone, -I wish I could remember who so could thank them -suggested it.
..."
I'm so excited to hear that you loved it! I'm a fellow Aries and I'm reading it for the challenge too. I looked back and it was actually Cynthia who suggested it.
WV Heather wrote: "I'm a high school teacher and I get a little tired of blanket attacks on education from people who have no idea what it's like to be a teacher. I teach over 150 students a day. I work my ass off trying to find novels and material I think my kids will not only enjoy but also appreciate as literature. Will I succeed in pleasing them all? No way. But believe me I try."
I really hope you didn't think I was attacking teachers or education or anything--I didn't mean it that way at all. I guess for a little bit of context, I started school early and was nearly a year younger than everyone else in my class (and that year made a difference, believe me). I'm also grew up in a very religious home, and I was quite shockingly sheltered, considered I attended public school from the 3rd grade on. None of my friends were having sex or doing drugs or drinking or torturing animals or whatever typical teenagers do. I may have watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but that wasn't exactly gratuitous violence. All I meant with my comment was that I, personally, wasn't mature enough to handle those books at 14/15, and honestly, they would probably STILL disturb me.
And I'm not saying Lord of the Flies and Invisible Man aren't "great" pieces of literature, by whatever criteria great literature is judged by... but the fact that 10 years later, ALL I can remember is Piggy's head on a stick and a girl getting raped... I have a feeling that wasn't what the teachers (or authors, for that matter) wanted me to take from those books. I'm not trying to tell anyone how to teach their classes--I wouldn't presume. (Oh, and I HAVE taught--but I taught MATH, not English... Totally different ball game, there.)
I know that everyone has different ideas of what teenagers can and cannot handle (and it definitely varies from teen to teen), but why do they need to "handle" this stuff? Why not give them a break from the harsh and tragic things that happen, and let them read a book that shows them the goodness and happiness in the world? Why do all the classics have to be tragically depressing things? (Obviously this is a blanket statement that has exceptions, I know this...) I wish we had read some Jane Austen in high school. Or maybe "As You Like It"... I still haven't read that one.
As a side note: An alternate book was offered in place of The Invisible Man... Wuthering Heights. I thought at the time that I would have rather read the other book, but having now read both... *shakes her head* I hated Wuthering Heights waaaaay more than The Invisible Man disturbed me.
This is undoubtedly NOT the place to have a huge discussion on the quality of education in the US. There are good and talented teachers trying to work within the system because of their love of teaching, and I thank them profusely, from the bottom of my heart, and wish there were more. However, if any teacher walking thinks we have a successful system, then that person should really go find something else to do, because that person is not seeing the reality. As to No Child Left Behind, we are leaving behind far too many children. Too many children in the primary grades are not being taught to read, and, without the skill of reading, they are unable to acquire the additional knowledge that is presented to them as the years go by. It is the skill of reading, likely coupled with a teacher's guidance, that nurtures a love of reading. I was lucky to have gotten both and wish all children have such luck.
Had too many characters so I had to add another post! Still have a few to figure out, but I won't be hurting for books to read anytime soon!25 points
1. Goddess of the Rose by P.C. Cast
2. will find later
3. Must Love Black by Kelly McClymer and The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett
4. Good Omens The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett
5. Sci - Fi: True Blood by Patricia Waddell
6. Will decide later
7. ----
8. Close Kin and In the Coils of the Snake by Clare B. Dunkle
9. Piratica Being a Daring Tale of a Singular Girl's Adventure Upon the High Seas by Tanith Lee
Kristen wrote: "Had too many characters so I had to add another post! Still have a few to figure out, but I won't be hurting for books to read anytime soon!25 points
1. Goddess of the Rose would work for the second 25-point task... can you shed some light?
Completed Tasks10 Points
#10 1st to Die Fiona gave it a 5-star and we both joined this group on the same page!
15 Points
#2 Where the Sidewalk Ends
Total Points: 25
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Ashley wrote: "Bonnie, I have a hard time picking my favorite, but I also really liked Beauty Sleep, and thought Golden was good! I also liked Water Song, about the Frog Prince, but part of that is because I ha..."
If you like fairy tales there is a young adult series called The Sister's Grimm by Michael Buckley. My kids and I have been listening to them on CD and we liked them so much I went and bought the set. They incorporate all the fairy tales characters.
However, I have been reading the rest of your discussion and these might be to juvenile for your taste. I am not sure. Reading this discussion has piked my interest in the books you have been reading. Are they similar to WICKED and other books from Gregory Maguire?
El,Thanks! I obviously didn't read beyond the "nonfiction" part of that. Silly me.
Elizabeth wrote: "This is undoubtedly NOT the place to have a huge discussion on the quality of education in the US. There are good and talented teachers trying to work within the system because of their love of tea..."Thanks for this comment. :) As a teacher (and I'm sure that most other teachers would agree), we will be the firt to admit that our education system is screwed up. However, we work with what we can and most of us love our jobs. I personally wouldn't trade mine for anything. I have no idea what the argument/debate was about on here (I haven't read that far back I guess), but your comment really struck me. It's nice to hear somebody say something nice about teachers. Not everything bad in the world (or even the school system) is our fault.
I've FINALLY finished another task. And only a piddly 5-pointer at that... But it was a great book and totally worth the effort.I listened to The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton entirely in my car, which was REALLY difficult, since it was so good. I wanted to take the CD inside with me whenever I went home, so I could keep listening... but I didn't...
I'm at a total of 45 points.
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I just started the audiobook of The Road ........ I hope the whole book isn't as depressing as the first 5 tracks... My mind is already wandering... I was thinking, "I wonder if I could read The Host again for this task. Or maybe Secrets of the Nile ....." (That's my favorite Nancy Drew/Hardy Boy Super Mystery from when I was younger... :) ) I'm going to give The Road a chance though....
I'm also working on 5 other books:
*Audiobook of Artemis Fowl 6: The Time Paradox (Task 5.7)
*Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl (Task 15.6)
*Leaves From My Journal (Task 25.2)
*Winnie-the-Pooh (Task 25.4)
*Severance Package (Task 25.5)
Hear, hear, Courtney!As a teacher who has worked with many different age groups, I would like to say that the only people to get more criticism about how they do their jobs is politicians! And most of the classroom teachers I know love their students and want them to succeed. The biggest problem with US schools is that people who have never taught are making the rules for the teachers trying to do the job. Most teachers are more frustrated by government mandates and administrators who are incompetent than they are by the actual teaching!
25 POINT TASK: 8. Cassie's Task: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares and Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Points To Date: 65/550
Tasks Completed: 4/39
I wish I'd never said anything, because now I've come across as a teacher-hating moron when nothing could be further from the truth.
finished:25 points:
4. The Great Gatsby 3/12
15 points:
1. The Last Lecture 3/12
Total Points: 40
Courtney wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "This is undoubtedly NOT the place to have a huge discussion on the quality of education in the US. There are good and talented teachers trying to work within the system because of..."I love The Outsiders. I have read it about 15 times. I cannot imagine having to wait to finish it. LOL
Sara wrote: "I wish I'd never said anything, because now I've come across as a teacher-hating moron when nothing could be further from the truth."Moron? Nah. And hate is a pretty strong word. Don't be too hard on yourself. I thought your comments constructive. I said there were many good and talented teachers, but let's face it, there are duds, too. And, I know that not all administrators are incompetent. Generalizations can make the best of us look like fools.
Sara - I didn't take it that way! I just rarely get a chance to tell anyone outside of education how frustrating some of the stuff we hear in the news is - seems like the media would rather denigrate the job we do than hear how well we do, especially when you consider that in our country EVERYONE gets to go to school, and teachers are coping with mixed groups.I love to hear that people appreciate teachers - and yes, I also know some teachers that we all wish would get out of the profession. But overall, they tend to be a dedicated group of workers, and they like positive strokes as well as anyone else.
I'm seeing a book or two posted here from Ros's task on the Big Reads list. I was trying to fulfill all the tasks from my already purchased stack of books, but . . .
Another completed task~~15 point task #8...I listened to Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich at work and there was a wonderful interview with her after the book was done.
I love the Stephanie Plum novels, but I have to say I really enjoy listening to them more than reading them.
Total points = 50
YAY! Finished!5 Points
1 - Coraline by Neil Gaiman
2 - Anne Frank The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
5 - Memnoch the Devil by Anne Rice
6 - [[book:Girl, Interrupted|68783] by Susanna Kaysen
8 -
9 - The Midnight Kittens by Dodie Smith
10 - The House of Thunder by Dean Koontz
10 Points
1 - In the Woods by Tana French
2 - Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
3 - not yet
4 - Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
5 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
6 - Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer
7 - Pandora by Anne Rice
8 - Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
9 - I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
10 - http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/... Interview With the Vampire
15 Points
1 - Nightmare in Pink by John D. MacDonald
2 -
3 - Dracula by Bram Stoker
4 - Blindness by José Saramago
5 - People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
7 - ---
8 - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling audiobook
9 - not yet
10 - ---
25 Points
1 - not yet
2 - not yet
3 - not yet
4 - Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
6 - not yet
7 - not yet
9 - not yet
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April wrote: "Ashley wrote: "I just finished I Am the Messenger by Mark Zusak for my Australian author. I really liked the book, although the end was a little bizarre, and felt almost rushed. I really liked it t..."I haven't read The Book Thief yet. I have been trying to for about a year, and I never seem to find time when I actually have access to the book, but I am hoping to use it for a challenge here, so I will finally read it. I will let you know what I think when I do though!
Sara wrote: "WV Heather wrote: "I'm a high school teacher and I get a little tired of blanket attacks on education from people who have no idea what it's like to be a teacher. I teach over 150 students a da..."
******SPOILER FOR LORD OF THE FLIES*****
Sara, I just finished Lord of the Flies, and Piggy's head never gets put on a stick... Jack does put a pig's head on a stick for an offering to the 'beast', but Piggy... gets knocked off a cliff by a boulder, and his body washes out to sea...
It sounds like it's been a while since you read it, and I don't know that this makes the book any less bizarre/disturbing, but at least it wasn't a human head on that stick...
Julie wrote: "Ashley wrote: "Bonnie, I have a hard time picking my favorite, but I also really liked Beauty Sleep, and thought Golden was good! I also liked Water Song, about the Frog Prince, but part of that ..."
Wow... I feel like I am posting too much...
But, thanks for the suggestion. I have seen those around, and have intentionally avoided them, because I wasn't sure how I would feel about them, but if you guys are really enjoying them, maybe I should give them a shot. Thanks!
rebecca wrote: "Hear, hear, Courtney!As a teacher who has worked with many different age groups, I would like to say that the only people to get more criticism about how they do their jobs is politicians! And m..."
Government and my students' parents ... those are my two biggest complaints. As a teacher AND a parent, I see both sides, but many of my students' parents only see one side and it's extremely frustrating. I got yelled at by a parent at our Open House last night because the water fountain outside my classroom is too hard for my little ones to push down. I do it for them, but apparently that's not enough. Ugh!
Good God, Courtney!Does he expect you to pre-chew their food for them at lunch as well?
Sara wrote: "I wish I'd never said anything, because now I've come across as a teacher-hating moron when nothing could be further from the truth."I did not take it that way. Please don't think that. I think everyone has a right to express an opinion, certainly your opinion was informed by your experience, just as mine is formed by my own experiences. :-) Anyways, how are you coming along on the challenge?
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)
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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)
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Heather in KS