OFFICIAL SPRING CHALLENGE - 2009 Showing 3,401-3,450 of 6,381

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

Ah, Kristina, that buying books for the Challenge can get tricky. I had intended to read only those books already on my shelf. But last week, I found myself at Amazon. And this week, my daughter wanted to send me a book to make sure I had enough while I'm recuperating from knee surgery next week. So I have three more coming - for the Challenge! What a hoot!

[Lori]

Kristina wrote: "i'm so excited to see this challenge, i've been thinking today about which books i could read for which category...

I bought a book today for Darla's task :)

Kristina"

This challenge stuff is totally addicting and great fun. I love doing the challenge and reading all the posts on here. Such a fun group, you will have a blast.

[Sara ♥]

Oh my gosh, you guys! I'm ALMOST done with The Book Thief.... It's SO GOOD! I had to stop listening (audiobook) because my lunch break was over. I have like 6 tracks left (1/3 of a CD out of 11 CDs)... It's so sad...... :*(

I'm going to end up finishing it in the car before I head into the gym, and my eyes are going to be all red, and the lady who always sits on the stationary bike next to me is going to be all worried that I'm bawling.... :*( But it's sooo good!

[Catherine]

5 Points -



4. Love You To Death by Meg Cabot Finished

6. All American Girl by Meg Cabot
7. The Devil Wears Prada [e-Book:] by Lauren Weisberger
8. Barry Trotter and the Shameless Parody by Michael Gerber
9.
10. Stormchaser by Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell

10 Points -



4. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr Suess
5. Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones
6. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
7. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams


10. The Host by Stephenie Meyer

25 Points -
1. Going Postal by Terry Pratchett & Return to Groosham Grange by Anthony Horowitz


4. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
5. Special Operations: Dogfight by Craig Simpson


8. First Test & Page by Tamora Pierce

[Maliades]

Completed my first one! Read it at work - shh don't tell! I couldn't tear myself away! It was Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer for 10-point task #6. So put me on the list for 10 points! Am really loving this challenge.

[Bridgit]

Hey Cynthia - Quick question...I am looking for books for the 3/4/5 challenge and wanted to know if Louisa May Alcott's "Marjorie's Three Gifts" would count. It is a short story - 48 pages. Or "Oh Susanna! A Farcical Comedy in Three Acts" which is 78 pages. Wasn't sure if all three books had a page count minimum here.
Thanks!

[Donna Jo]

Finished 5.5 by reading Highland Lass by Michael Phillips and Judith Pella

Finished 25.8 by reading The Realm of the Gods by Tamora Pierce and Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen by Dyan Sheldon (which was a lot of fun).

[Ashley]

♡ Eva ♡ wrote: "Ashley wrote: "♡ Eva ♡ wrote: "Ashley wrote: "♡ Eva ♡ wrote: "Ashley wrote: "♡ Eva ♡ wrote: "Ashley wrote: "♡ Eva ♡ wrote: "Ashley wrote: "I know this isn't actually relevant to the Challenge, but ..."


I know what you mean! No one else writes like she does! I really like that though. It makes her books better, I feel, because they are so unique. A lot of other people are afraid to tackle the topics she deals with, but Wow! I love the way she writes, and the topics she chooses to write about! I do want to find more authors that grip you like that. Wow. So good!

[Alan]

I have just checked the instructions again (not always a typical male trait, but I'm learning...) and note that one book cannot be used for multiple tasks. I'm going to start easy with an audio version of Great Expectations I've been meaning to start for ages.

Thanks for the challenge. I love a good challenge ;)

[Terri]

I finished half a task on the way home tonight - finished reading Out of Breath for the rhyming task, and will now read Death Message.

Have to say, I am aghast at the news about the My Sister's Keeper film! I think that is one adaptation I shan't be watching!!

Ashley I like some of Jodi P's books but not all - my faves have been My Sister's Keeper, The Pact, Change of Heart and Nineteen Minutes. I didn't like Second Glance (think that's the title ...)or the Tenth Circle at all ...

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads]

Bridgit - I think the five-point books can be shorter than 100 pages, but I think the ones for the larger point tasks have to be longer.

Alan - You can use for the challenge anything you've read since it started on March 1st, if that helps any.

[April]

I finished Five Point task number 3 - Spring Cleaning
I read 1984 by George Orwell, which has been on my TBR since I joined GR back in August.
I wish I had read it sooner, it was so good and disturbing. I kept finding myself comparing it with other books on government which I've read, Utopia, The Republic....


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yay 170 points, plus I have tommorrow off, one class on Friday (its a gym class) then Spring Break until the 14th, so I'm hoping to get some hardcore reading done!

[Ashley]

SuzieR wrote: "I finished half a task on the way home tonight - finished reading Out of Breath for the rhyming task, and will now read Death Message.

Have to say, I am aghast at the news about the My Sister's Ke..."

I am pretty bummed about the movie too. Sigh, they always ruin them!
Thanks for the recommendations. I think, when I have time, that I will most likely read Nineteen Minutes next. It seems to be generally well liked! Thanks again!

And, I just finished Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan for the Cinco de Mayo task. It was cute, and fun. I liked it a lot.

Total: 280!

[Sandie]

15.3 Read a past OR present TNBBC group read that you haven’t read before.

Just finished The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I'm off now to try and stop crying!


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[Rory M.]

What happens after April 15th & the 50 point challenge is decided on?

[Sara ♥]

Catherine wrote: "5 Points -
4. Love You To Death by Meg Cabot Finished

That's the British title of the first Mediator book, right? How did you like it? That's one of my favorite series. Books 4, 5, and 6 are awesome! Especially Book 6....

Okay, off to listen to the end of The Book Thief and cry my eyes out. (I just know I will, because I've already started...) Then to the gym with red-rimmed eyes. (I wonder if they'd let me wear my sunglasses inside, to cover up... They're prescription, so I could use that argument....)

[Sara ♥]

Rory wrote: "What happens after April 15th & the 50 point challenge is decided on?"

We add another book to our list... (Or maybe several...) To quote Emeril, we "turn it up another notch!"

[Cynthia]

Bridgit wrote: "Hey Cynthia - Quick question...I am looking for books for the 3/4/5 challenge and wanted to know if Louisa May Alcott's "Marjorie's Three Gifts" would count. It is a short story - 48 pages. Or "Oh ..."Those won't work they need to be at least 100 pages each

[Lori]

This is a message to whomever said they like to read Holocaust books. ~~I can't remember who it was.~~

I just finished reading Address Unknown by Katherine Kressman Taylor.

It is an awesome book. It is only about 40 pages long, but it has a strong message. If you haven't read it yet, you really should. I think everyone should read this book.

[Lindsey]

I have been gone for a while and I come back to 584 posts! Sheesh. I am too sleepy to go through them currently but I'm gonna share the many books I read while I was gone.

Total before: 90

25 point task #7 - Read a book you've seen referenced in a movie: The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas (was in Slumdog Millionaire. I used this book for the last challenge too, but it's prob my #2 favorite book so its an easy read for me, plus I read it in English this time)

25 point task #3 - Angela's task
I read Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson and Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

15 point task #7 - Rhyming books task
I read Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris and In the Forests of the Night by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes (sight/night)

15 Point task #2 - Poetry month task
I read Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe

New total: 170

[Josie]

Yesterday I listened to Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild, which is mentioned in the movie You've Got Mail, so that's Darla's 25 point task completed! (Incidentally, the audiobook we have is from the 80s, on cassette tape, but BRILLIANTLY read. I loved it so much as a child, and still think it perfect. The reader does each character's voice differently and so well!)
So that brings me to 230 points.

[Lindsey]

I loooove that book. The movie with Hermione in it is really good too!

[Sarah D]

5 points
2. Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster

35 total

[[deleted user]]

Another book to cross off...

5 POINTS-

1. Twilight 3/27/09
2. Bridget Jones's Diary 4/1/09
3. Hunted A House of Night Novel 3/25/09
4. Three Weeks with My Brother
5. Redemption
6. J. K. Rowling The Wizard Behind Harry Potter
7. Confessions of a Shopaholic 3/16/09
8. One for the Money 3/26/09
9. The Secret Life of Bees
10. Henderson the Rain King

10 POINTS-

1. Bard The Odyssey of the Irish
2. Like Water for Chocolate
3. The Magicians' Guild
4. Good in Bed
5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
6. New Moon
7. Mr. Darcy's Diary
8. The Lucky One 3/8/09
9. Water for Elephants
10. Eragon 3/8/09

15 POINTS-

1. SAGITARIUS: Moneyball The Art of Winning an Unfair Game
2. Where the Sidewalk Ends
3. Stardust 3/18/09
4. The Leisure Seeker A NovelUPDATE (Disneyland)
5. Foreign Affairs A Novel
6. If On a Winter's Night a Traveler
7. The Picture of Dorian Gray/Me Talk Pretty One Day
8. The Choice
9. White Noise
10. Black Dagger Brotherhood 3/4/5: Lover Awakened 3/20/09/ Lover Revealed 3/25/09/Lover Unbound

25 POINTS-

1. Guitar Girl/Romeo and Juliet
2. Diaries, 1885-97 With Earlier and Later Diary Fragments from 1875-1917
3. Little Women/ A Wrinkle in Time 3/3/09
4. Anne of Green Gables
5. In Cold Blood
6. Diana Story of a Princess
7. UNDECIDED
8. Eclipse/ Specials 3/12/09
9. Wicked The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West


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[Rora]

6. JON’S TASK - H.M. Queen Elizabeth II is 83 on April 21st, read a Non-Fiction book of at least 400 pages relating in some way to the British Monarchy past or present. Write a short Goodreads review and post a copy on the Spring challenge thread.

For 25 points I read...The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir

My review...

The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir is a non-fiction historical account of the wives of Henry the VIII, King of England in the 16th century. More than half of the book is about Henry and the lives of his first two wives, Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. The latter of the book details the last 10 years of Henry's life and his other four marriages to Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Katherine Parr.

I found the book to be very well written and researched, and easy to read for those who aren't completely familiar with the time period and personages involved. I found it especially interesting to read about the last four marriages, since I didn't know much about them. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys history, the Tudor period, and a well-written biography.

(New total: 225 points)

[Bonnie]

Hey, what ever happened to Fiona (Titch) and Ros? They started the challenge really strong and then dropped off the face of the messageboards. Maybe they just got busy with real life?

[Kristen]

Or maybe they're saving up some serious pointage before they post again.. who knows.

[Jon]

Sara wrote: "Oh my gosh, you guys! I'm ALMOST done with The Book Thief.... It's SO GOOD! I had to sto..."

you should read 'I am the messenger' after that - good also and v aussie :)

[Angela]

10 POINTS
1. For St. Patrick’s Day – Read a book by an Irish author, set in Ireland, OR about Ireland.
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt-4/1

New Total 180

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[Angie]

I have a feeling Ros and Fiona will knock our socks off next time they post. They'll probably be at or above 400 points.

[Ashley]

I just finished Enchantress from the Stars by Sylvia Engdahl for the Earth day task. (I am assuming that since star is ok, stars will be also... If not I will switch it to Sci-Fi...)

I really liked this book. I don't normally read, or particularly care for science fiction, but this book was great! I planned on just reading a few chapters today, and ended up finishing it all! I liked it a lot. The writing was interesting, and very real. She used different viewpoints to tell the story, and each character had their own very distinct voice and personality. The voice made it possible to know who was speaking before anything was said that would give it away.
Definitely recommend this one!

New total: 290!

[Lizzi]

I finished Practical Magic for 10 point task number 5 (a book about magic or magician), bringing my total to 320 points.

Also, does the title "The Princess Bride" count for 5 point task number 6 ("woman", "girl" etc in title)?

[Lizzi]

Hi guys! I was wondering if anyone can give me good recommendations of books that are by an Irish author, or set in Ireland? Also for the Australian author or set in Australia task. I have a few ideas but nothing I'm particularly interested in reading, so any suggestions would be so appreciated! :-)

I like all genres (fantasy especially!). At the moment I'm in the mood to read something romantic. :-) And I'm not a fan of gratuitous sex scenes, but otherwise anything is good!

Thank you!!

[Meredith]

Hello! I realize we're already a month into this, but I would still like to play. This is what I have so far:

5 Points:
1. Uglies
2. ? (epistolary)
3. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
4. ? (audio or e-book)
5. The Legend of the Firefish
6. American Women, by Gail Collins
7. Little Brother
8. What I'd Say to The Martians and other veiled threats , by Jack Handey
9. Rabbit Run
10. ? (rain, storm, shower, lightning)

10 Points:
1. Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
2. ? (Mexico)
3. The Book Thief
4. Housekeeping vs. The Dirt, by Nick Hornby (April 17)
5. ? (magic)
6. Peter and the Starcatchers
7. The Portable Dorothy Parker
8. One of Ours
9. I Capture the Castle
10. The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty

15 Points:
1. The Aneid (Aries)
2. The Essential Neruda: Selected Poems
3. Water for Elephants
4. River Teeth, by David James Duncan (Oregon Coast)
5. Bridge to Terabithia (Newberry award for Katherine Paterson 1981)
6. Grey is the Color of Hope, translated from Russian
7. Specials and Sex Lives of Cannibals
8. Endgame (attended Derrick Jensen's keynote speech at the University of Oregon Public Interest Environmental Law Conference)
9. My Name is Red
10. A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters, andAn Acceptable Time by Madeline L'Engle

25 Points:
1. G: A Girl of Limberlost
R: The Red and the Black
2. Dostoevsky Reminiscences, by Anna Dostoevsky
3. Ella Enchanted and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
4. A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
5. Battle Royale (Pulp)
6. ? (british monarchy)
7. The Prophet (Walk the Line)
8. A Wind in the Door and Buffy the Vampire Slayer:Wolves at the Gate
9. I love myself when I am laughing ... and then again when I am looking mean and impressive : a Zora Neale Hurston reader

As I calculate it, that's 85 points so far. Thanks!!

[Bonnie]

5 Points
7. E-book/audiobook/recycling: Dear Enemy by Jean Webster (read it as an e-book).

The sequel to Daddy Long Legs. Good, but not nearly as good as the original. It's a bit frustrating that Webster kept up the style of only showing one side of the correspondence. Sallie wrote TO Judy (the protagonist of the first novel) but you never got to read what Judy wrote. I really liked Judy and wish I could've read all the back-and-forth correspondence.

Total Points: 270

[Josie]

Lizzi wrote: "Hi guys! I was wondering if anyone can give me good recommendations of books that are by an Irish author, or set in Ireland? Also for the Australian author or set in Australia task. I have a few id..."

Hey Lizzi, for the Australian OR Irish task, you could try the Aussie author Juliet Marillier, especially her The Sevenwaters Trilogy, Book 1 Daughter of the Forest - set in ancient Ireland, but with fantasy elements, it's one of my favourites (v. romantic, too)!

[Terri]

Cynthia, I've swapped tasks for one of my books .... I'm now using The Kite Runner for Darla's task (seen in The Holiday) and for the 'person who posted after you task' I'm using, from Fiona's list, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly as before, and Twilight (which was a re-read prior to getting the DVD on 6 April!!) , so now claiming 25 points for Darla's task.... hope that all makes sense!


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Total points at 2 April: 190

[Elizabeth (NC)]

Joanna wrote: "Yay! I finally finished task 15.10! (Well, I am a little sad because all of the Thursday Next books are so good, but glad to be done with that task!)
15.10. [b:The Well of Lost Plots|27001|The Well..."

Have you read his Nursery Crime series? It is also very good--at times I enjoyed it more than than the Thursday Next novels. I love his sense of humor. The first Nursery Crime is The Fourth Bear, I believe

[Elizabeth (NC)]

I just finished For a Few Demons More by Kim Harrison, along with Every Which Way but Dead and A Fistful of Charms, for 15 points.
I've enjoyed this series, but three in one month is a little much. I'll be happy when I catch up with the end of the series and then have to wait for the next one to come out--usually I hate doing that, but with this series I think it will give me enough of a break. (or it may be that I also read Twilight--so that is four vampire books in a month--whew!)

points: 145
pages read: 4525

[Beth F]

5 POINTS
2:84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (3/04/09)
4:From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris (3/10/09)
7: My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult (3/12/09)

10 POINTS
3:Obernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody (3/20/09)
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
3:The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (4/02/09)
4:Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore (3/30/09)
6:The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (3/13/09)
8:City Dog by Alison Pace (3/01/09)

25 POINTS
1:The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (3/09/09) and Rebel Angels by Libba Bray (3/16/09)
4:The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett (3/24/09)
5:The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (3/27/09)
8:Holes by Louis Sachar (3/17/09) and Life: An Autobiography as Told by Jack Gunthridge by Jack Gunthridge (3/18/09)


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Points: 215
Tasks Completed: 15/40
-Beth MN

[Kristen]

Lizzie,

I read YA books for both. John Flanagan is an Australian author - he wrote the Ranger's Apprentice series.

For the Irish, I read a standalone novel by Eion Colfer who wrote the Artemis Fowl series and a few other YA novels that were fantasy.

[Meghan]

Finished two books while on our short lake vaca - Postmortem (10.7) and A Northern Light (finishing 15.7).

5 Points
1. Fire Study (3/14/09)
2. Ella Minnow Pea A Novel in Letters
3.
4.
5. The Shack
6. Blackout Girl Growing Up and Drying Out in America (3/8/09)
7.
8. Good Omens The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (3/10/09)
9. Down the Rabbit Hole An Echo Falls Mystery
10. The Shadow of the Wind (3/23/09)
Total: 20

10 Points
1. The Likeness A Novel (3/9/09)
2. Rain of Gold
3. Tender Morsels - Margo Lanagan (3/2/09)
4. Until I Find You A Novel - John Irving (March 2nd)
5. Magic Study (3/12/09)
6. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things
7. Postmortem - Patricia Cornwell (3/31/09)
8. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon
9. The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde
10. The Virgin Suicides - Jeffrey Eugenides
Total: 40 points

15 Points
1. Deadline (3/24/09)
2. Where the Sidewalk Ends (3/11/09)
3. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (3/28/09)
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 (3/25/09) and A Northern Light (4/1/09)
8. The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman 3/3/09
9. The White Darkness (3/15/09)
10. Three Cups of Tea One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time; The Rule of Four; Slaughterhouse-Five
Total: 90 Points

25 Points
1. The Glass Castle A Memoir (3/17/09 - audiobook); The Red Shoe (3/15/09)
2.
3. The Art of Racing in the Rain (3/19/09) and Whale Talk (3/18/09) [from Eva's TBR shelf:]
4. Noughts & Crosses (3/26/09)
5. Blood Brothers (3/26/09 - audiobook)
6. Shadows Of A Princess An Intimate Account by Her Private Secretary (3/30/09)
8. On The Jellicoe Road (3/16/09) and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks (3/8/09)
9. The Boyfriend List 15 guys, 11 shrink appointments, 4 ceramic frogs, and me, Ruby Oliver (3/10/09)
Total: 175 points

Grand Total
325 points, 21 Tasks

[Mary Beth]

Latest Update

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. The Gnostic Mystery by Randy Davila
6. A Lady’s Secret by Jo Beverley
7. The Bride's Baby by Liz Fielding
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: 15 / 50

10 Points
1. P.S. I Love You by Cecilia Ahern
2. Gringos by Charles Portis
3. In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson
4. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (March 4
5. The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis
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 Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (from Spreet)
Category Total: 30 / 100

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. Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson (Newbery Medal 1981)
6. Daphnis and Chloe by Longus (Greek to English)
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 Horse and His Boy, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis (Books 3, 4, and 5 of The Chronicles of Narnia series)
Category Total: 60 / 150

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. My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding edited by P.N. Elrod (Short Stories)
6. Warriors of God: Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in the Third Crusade by James Reston Jr.
7. Fanny Hill by John Cleland (The Impossible Years and Yours, Mine, and Ours)
8. The Silver Chair / The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis
9. House of Cards: A Tale of Hubris and Wretched Excess on Wall Street by William D. Cohan
Category Total: 50 / 200

50 Points
1. TBD
Category Total: 0 / 50

Category Totals: 155 / 550

Goal: 155 / 250


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[Sara ♥]

Jon wrote: "you should read 'I am the messenger' after that - good also and v aussie :) "

I've already added it to my TBR list. I'm excited to hear it's very Aussie... I've loved every Aussie book I've ever read. You guys (and your strange (to me), but totally awesome way of talking) is so fascinating! I've heard the book is "different", which I'm excited about.

[Eva-Marie]

Lizzi wrote: "Hi guys! I was wondering if anyone can give me good recommendations of books that are by an Irish author, or set in Ireland? Also for the Australian author or set in Australia task. I have a few id..."

For the Irish author you could use any of the McCourts. I've read his and his brothers books years ago and liked or loved them all. The Angela's Ashes/'Tis Boxed Set was the best between the two of them in my opinion but 'Tis and Teacher Man A Memoir were well worth reading also I think. :)

[Eva-Marie]

SuzieR wrote: "I finished half a task on the way home tonight - finished reading Out of Breath for the rhyming task, and will now read Death Message.

Have to say, I am aghast at the news about the My Sister's Ke..."


I liked the ones you liked a lot too. Well, I liked all of hers a lot. LOL The two you didn't like all that much are actually two of the three of my least favorites but I still enjoyed them. The Tenth Circle was one I didn't think I'd like at all and ended up getting really into it.

[Eva-Marie]

Oh- so far I've finished the 3 and 4 books for the 3,4, & 5 books task. I'm about halfway through 5 and will post when I'm done!

[Sara ♥]

Lizzi wrote: "I was wondering if anyone can give me good recommendations of books that are by an Irish author, or set in Ireland? Also for the Australian author or set in Australia task....

I like all genres (fantasy especially!). At the moment I'm in the mood to read something romantic. :-) And I'm not a fan of gratuitous sex scenes, but otherwise anything is good!

I'm going to read PS, I Love You for the Irish task.

Nora Roberts writes a lot of Irish stuff, too. (I've only read three of her books, but my mom is a big fan...) Morrigan's Cross takes place mostly in Ireland (short hiatus in New York). That series (the Circle Trilogy) has a nice combination of romance and fantasy. (Evil vampire queen vs. a witch, a sorcerer, a shape-shifter, etc. PLUS a romance story.) The language of the first chapter was a little strange, but once you get past that, you're good to go.

I haven't read a LOT of Australian stuff, but I LOVED The Year Of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty. It's a fun little YA novel written mostly in letters, e-mails, journal entries, etc. It's really cute! It definitely has romance--it's just of the high school boyfriend-girlfriend variety.

[Sara ♥]

Okay, now to post my updates! I've passed the 200 point mark! Woo hoo!

Task 10.3 - Australian Author: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

This book was amazing. Just really really amazing. I didn't cry as much as I thought I would (probably because I kept having to stop the audiobook, which I listened to in my car), but oohhhhhh did my heart break for the characters! It was really great.

Task 15.4 - Spring Break (Arkansas): Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris

This one... I expected to like more. I think I was expecting it to be funnier. It was a nice book, and I had a heck of a time trying to figure out what "SO MO DA NO" meant... (I was partially right...) but I just didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. It was interesting, but I just didn't... care about the characters that much. It seemed kinda superficial to me. Maybe I wasn't in the mood, after reading The Book Thief. *shrugs*

Summary
Tasks Completed: 14/39
Books Read: 18/45
Pages Read: 4597
Points Earned: 205

[Cynthia]

LEADERBOARD
MEGHAN - 350
LIZZI - 320
DONNA JO - 320
SHARON - 305
BRIDGIT - 295
ASHLEY ID - 290
SANDY - 290
KRISTEN IL - 280
BEV - 275
BONNIE - 270
LEORA - 265
KRISTINA - 255
PERS - 240
JOSIE - 230
KRISTENR - 230
RORA - 225
BETH MN - 215
FIONA (TITCH)- 215
EVA - 215
COURTNEY - 210
BJ ROSE - 205
CAIT - 205
SARA - 205
TINA - 200
LIZ BRKLYN - 195
RORY - 195
KRITIKA - 190
SUZIER - 190
ANGELA - 180
APRIL - 180
ANGIE - 175
JON - 175
LOUISE - 175
REBECCA J - 175
LINDSEY - 170
CATHEROO - 165
MAGGIE - 165
ALICE - 160
EL - 160
LIZ VEGAS - 160
MARY BETH - 155
LILY - 150
LORI - 150
ROS - 150
STEPHANIE - 150
SUSAN - 150
ELIZABETH NC - 145
JUDITH IA - 145
SANDIE - 145
ASHLEY AL - 140
JAMIE MN - 140
JOY - 140
KAREN - 135
STEPH - 135
FALLON - 130
CYNTHIA (SCM) - 125
RHIANNON - 125
NICOLE NC - 125
ROSEANN - 125
BECKY - 120
CASSIE - 120
JEGKA - 120
ANN FROM SC - 115
LYNLEE4 - 115
RENFREW - 115
SERA - 115
VICTORIA - 115
ALISHA - 100
CAROL - 100
JENNIFER IN - 100
CYNDEE - 95
KATE - 95
CYNTHIA - 90
MANDAY - 90
LAUREN - 85
MEREDITH H - 85
TRACY - 85
AMY - 80
ELIZABETH (ALASKA) - 80
POTJY - 80
BETH - 75
HAYES - 75
HEATHER KS - 75
JULIE UK - 75
KICKI - 75
LINDA - 75
RYAN - 75
SUSANNA UK - 75
JOANNA - 70
MEGAN - 70
MELODY - 70
NATALIA - 70
SLAIMI - 70
TRYPHENA - 70
ABBIE - 65
KATHRYN - 65
SAI - 65
AMANDA - 60
JEN B - 60
KELLY - 60
ALYSSA - 55
JENNY - 55
JOANIE - 55
MEL - 55
ROBIN - 55
SHANNON - 50
ALLISON - 45
ELIZ - 45
JEN - 45
WV HEATHER - 45
JAMIE WA - 40
JEANE - 40
JENNIFER MD - 40
JESSICA - 40
JULIE (ID)'S - 40
KIM - 40
LDB - 40
LIZ NY - 40
TOBIE - 40
KATIE - 35
SARAH - 35
SHELLIE - 30
ASHLEY UT - 25
DOROTHY - 25
JAIME 26 - 25
JESSICA SC - 25
KRISTI - 25
LACY - 25
MELISSA - 25
RACHEL - 25
MACKENZIE - 20
NICOLE CA - 20
VICKI - 20
CAITLIN - 15
JENNI - 15
JULIE TN - 15
KRISTINA UK - 15
LISA CO - 15
GREG - 10
MALIADES - 10
MORGAN - 10
TERRI - 10
CATHERINE - 5
JAMIE 23 - 5
JUDITH NY - 5
MICHELLE - 5
SHELBY - 5