The Next Best Book Club discussion
Cynthia's Seasonal Challenges
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OFFICIAL SPRING CHALLENGE - 2009
Sara wrote: "Sandie wrote: "Finished the St Patrick's Day task for 10 points. Read P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern."How did you like it? I'm 86 pages in so far... Had to turn it back in to the library, b..."
isn't it nice that book?
Yeah Cynthia!!! I love the Rookie addition too! You guys were talking about Funhome too-I loved that one. I read a few graphic novels/autobiographies after I read Persepolis and I've liked them all. I can't quite see myself reading a superhero type of graphic novel but there are some others out there that are really good.
10 points5. March 24 is Harry Houdini’s Birthday – Read a book about magic, a magician etc.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
total 50 points
I quite enjoyed this one. Will read the next two later.
Rory wrote: "I got on the Twilight bandwagon well into it's spiraling popularity. The media specialist at my school saw me on campus last summer & said "You have to read this series...it's the next Harry Potte..."Rory, I just read your wonderful defense of reading. As a lifelong librarian, I must agree with what you've said about using one book to pique a child's interest in reading and letting that flower into a lifetime of reading.
May I send your statement on to some friends who are passionate about getting children to read?
You folks are amazing how can I keep up?Hey what about a challenge for the lowest score?
Updated list and my total points to date. I'm going to need to read faster... :)
25 Point
1. The Godmakers – Don Pendelton / The Rainbow – DH Lawrence
2. An Introduction to Kierkgaard – Peter Vardy/ or about Fyodor Dostoevesky
3. The Kite Runner – Khalid Husseini
4. Sophies World – Jostein Gaarder changed to Of Mice and Men – John Steinback
5. Embracing the Wide Sky – Daniel Hammet (read 2/23 – 25 points)
6.
7. The Once and Future King – T.H. White (X-Men)
8. Uglies – Scott Westerfeld / Graceling – Kristin Cashore
9. The Secret Currency of Love; the Unabashed Truth about Women, Money, and Relationships – ed. Hilary Black
15 Point
1. O Pioneers – Willa Cather (Taurus – this may not work its kinda western ish??)
2. 10 Poems That Set You Free – Roger Housden
3. The Road – Cormac McCarthy or A Great and Terrible Beauty – Libby Bray
4.
5. A Swiftly Tilting Planet - Madeleine L’engle
6. The little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery changed to Sophie’s World – Jostein Gaarder
7.
8. The Hunger Games _ Suzanne Collins
9. Black Swan Green – David Mitchell
10.
10 Point
1. Angelas Ashes – Frank McCourt
2. Like Water for Chocolate – Laura Esquivel
3. Down Under – Bill Bryson
4. Good in Bed – Jennifer Weiner
5. The Crystal Cave – Mary Stewart
6. Earth Abides – George R. Stewart
7. The Confident Woman – Majorie Hansen Shaevitz
8. One of Ours – Willa Cather
9. The Road – Cormac McCarthy changed to To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee or The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath
10. Water For Elephants – Sara Gruen
5 Point
1. The Gargoyle – Andrew Davidson (read 3/27 - 5 points)
2. Selected Poems and Letters of Emily Dickinsen – ed. Robert Linscott
3. Brisingr – Christopher Paolini
4.
5. Sacrifice – S. J. Bolton
6. My Story; Marilyn Monroe – with Ben Hecht (read 2/21 – 5 points)
7. Steering by Starlight - Martha Beck (audio book)
8. Born Standing Up – Steve Martin (read 4/3 - 5 points)
9. The Secret Life of Bees – Sue Monk Kidd
10. The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahme
3/19 – Total points for Goal – 450
3/24 - Total Read points - 30
4/8 - Total Read points - 40
Mini book reviews:Born Standing Up - Steve Martin
An intereseting read but it wasn't really that funny -perhaps in parts. Hes a private and intellectual person and his sucess did not just happen he worked hard at it. Lots of references to 1960s,70s,and 80s icons - some a bit lost on me.
The Gargoyle - Andrew Davidson
This was a fun read. I loved the connection to the Dante's Inferno, the clergy, and its supernatural tones. I do think its geared towards women because of its theme of love that transcends time - mushy.
The Gargoyle
Born Standing Up A Comic's Life
Task 10.8 (armed forces day/military subject):Just finished "All Quiet on the Western Front" by by Erich Maria Remarque. Very good book, and I don't like military stuff! But very thought-provoking and horrifying. I give it 3.5 stars.
Also, I need to correct my points. Here are the tasks I have completed, for a total of 75 points:
5 Points:
7. For Arbor Day – Do your part to save some trees by… Body Surfing by Anita Shreve
10 Points:
6. In honor of Earth Day (April 22)…. Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer
7. In Honor of Mother’s Day… Lone Star Café by Lisa Wingate
8. In Honor of Memorial and Armed Forces Day – All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
15 Points:
2. National Poetry Month - Favorite Poems of Emily Dickinson
25 Points:
9. Title of 12+ words -- The Professor and the Madman, A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary – by Simon Winchester
Just finished re-reading The Catcher in the Rye to complete 25 pt task #7 (book referenced or seen in a movie - The Shining). I read this in high school way back in the 80s, and of course experienced it quite differently now as the parent of a teenage son. It definitely stands the test of time, though - even with dated settings & cultural references, Holden's angst still rings true. Interesting - there were passages that made me tear up, and I don't remember being that moved the first time I read it! Guess that's the difference in a parental perspective... Total points this task = 25
Total points to date = 325
Leora wrote: "Just completed task 5-8, I read Fool by Christopher Moore. It was a light, funny read but very baudy! My first Christopher Moore.
I now have 310 points."
Hi Leora - I was considering reading his Lizard Lust or some such title. He seems to be a prolific writer and I'm dying to get my hands on one of his titles. Your post may just push me to pick it up ! A
Completed Tasks10 Points
#5 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
#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
#8 Identical The link to the interview I read is http://www.teensreadtoo.com/Interview...
25 Points
#9 He's Just Not That Into You The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys
Total Points: 75
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Donna Jo wrote: "Rory wrote: "I got on the Twilight bandwagon well into it's spiraling popularity. The media specialist at my school saw me on campus last summer & said "You have to read this series...it's the nex..."Donna Jo: Absolutely!
I forgot to mention in my post that one of the "rough & tough hispanic boys" now has a public library card & I see him there on Friday nights no less! That was thanks to Twilight and The Outsiders!
Ukay...I have picked up nine hundred and seventy two Science Fiction and Fantasy novels and I have put them all back. I need a really, really good recommendation, please. Whining done - thank you. :)
El - Thanks for the recommendation! I will look into Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams.
Amy wrote: "Ukay...I have picked up nine hundred and seventy two Science Fiction and Fantasy novels and I have put them all back. I need a really, really good recommendation, please. Whining done - thank you..."Amy, not a sci-fi/fantasy fan? :)
I find this is a hard to genre to give suggestions. Personally I loved Dune, but it might be longer than one wants to put energy in for a 5 point task. The Princess Bride is also a good one. It's not my favorite genre but I've found a couple over the years that I've really enjoyed.
El wrote: "Amy wrote: "Ukay...I have picked up nine hundred and seventy two Science Fiction and Fantasy novels and I have put them all back. I need a really, really good recommendation, please. Whining done..."Thanks, El - I will pick up nine hundred and seventy two and nine hundred and seventy three as, would you believe, I have yet to check out these two titles !!
Amy wrote: "Ukay...I have picked up nine hundred and seventy two Science Fiction and Fantasy novels and I have put them all back. I need a really, really good recommendation, please. Whining done - thank you..."I love fairy tale retellings, and there are a lot of really great ones that fit this task. Robin McKinley writes YA novels, but I love what she writes. I became a fan in Jr. High, and I still love them. Sometimes, YA Fantasy seems the best bet for people who don't generally like the genre. That's how it is for me anyway. There are very few traditional fantasy books I am a fan of, but quite a few more in the YA category. Good luck!
Amy wrote: "Ukay...I have picked up nine hundred and seventy two Science Fiction and Fantasy novels and I have put them all back. I need a really, really good recommendation, please. Whining done - thank you..."Amy, I read Dead Until Dark for the Fantasy task ... I have never been a huge sci-fi/fantasy reader, but I really enjoyed this one and will be reading the rest of the series. It's a quick fun read, a bit light and fluffy - but it won't take too long to read, so not too much time wasted if you don't enjoy it! Or dare I suggest Twilight? ...
Another Fantasy series I came across through this challenge is Trudi Canavan's trilogy - the first one is The Magicians' Guild. This was a great read, and I have the next two waiting for me now too!
Amy wrote: "El wrote: "Amy wrote: "Ukay...I have picked up nine hundred and seventy two Science Fiction and Fantasy novels and I have put them all back. I need a really, really good recommendation, please. W..."Oh, BTW, looking at your to read shelf, The Tales of Beedle the Bard is fantasy, and Ender's Shadow is Sci-Fi. You could read either of those. I think most books by Orson Scott Card would fit this task. He wrote Enchantment, which is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, and one of my favorite books!
Amy:Here are a few that are great YA books that fall into the SciFi/Fantasy genres - ALL ARE FIVE STAR READS (in my humble opinion):
Truesight
The Blue Sword
Trickster's Choice
Princess Academy
The Crystal Cave
The Hero and the Crown
The Little Prince
Tuck Everlasting
Uglies
The Giver
If you are looking for more adult and/or philosophical reads:
Anthem
1984
Interview With the Vampire
The Handmaid's Tale
The Sevenwaters Trilogy, Book 1 Daughter of the Forest
If you want something that has some literary signifigance read Anne McCaffrey (first book Restoree) as she's one of the first women writers of Sci/Fi fantasy or, of course, Ursula K. Le Guin.
Amy wrote: "Ukay...I have picked up nine hundred and seventy two Science Fiction and Fantasy novels and I have put them all back. I need a really, really good recommendation, please. Whining done - thank you..."Looking at your to read list why not read Griffin & Sabine - An Extraordinary Correspondence
Cynthia wrote: "Amy wrote: "Ukay...I have picked up nine hundred and seventy two Science Fiction and Fantasy novels and I have put them all back. I need a really, really good recommendation, please. Whining done..."I 2nd that recommendation! One of the most creative, though-provoking books ever!
Awesome, awesome responses - thank you. Now...how do I get my sixteen year old daughter to clean her room that fast when I request ?
Bribe her with books?
Just finished Storm Glass and LOVED it! I won an ARC copy from another GR group and couldn't put it down. 5 point challenge
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9. May Bird and the Ever After Book One
10.
10 point challenge
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8. Slaughterhouse-Five
9. I Capture the Castle #1
10.The Restaurant at the End of the Universe - 5 stars from Mary
15 point task
1.
2.
3. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
4.
5.
6.
7. True Blood and The New Policeman
8.
9.
10.
25 points
1.
2. Wagner
3.
4. Good Omens The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
5.
6. The Decline and Fall of the House of Windsor
7. Gulliver's Travels (from Pagemaster)
8.
9.
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Thanks to Cynthia!!!!!!!So I was thinking about all the work that Cynthia is doing here for all of us....
How about some sort of reward/prize/compensation...?
Any ideas - theres so many of us if we all pull together?
If anyone is graphically minded, how about some cool banners to put up?
Kristen wrote: "If anyone is graphically minded, how about some cool banners to put up?"What sort of banner and where? :)
I don't know.. something to do with the group to go on the group.... and something that of course will help Cynthia's ego grow immensely because she is awesome.
We got a SWEET certificate last challenge! :)EDIT: PS - My mom was never able to get me to clean my room, and now my husband is trying to work on me.... We'll see if it ever sticks...
Susanna wrote: "Bribe her with books?"I like bribes.
I've completed Ros's task for 25 points. I read The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett.[image error]
I just finished Never Shower in a Thunderstorm: Surprising Facts and Misleading Myths About Our Health and the World We Live In for the 25.9 task.total points 50 + 25 = 75
Bridgit wrote: "finished the Cinco de Mayo task - Malinche by Laura Esquivel. I have to say that I really hated this book. Luckily it was pretty short!Bridgit, I also was very disappointed in 'The Law of Love' by Laura Esquivel - my challenge for Cinco de Mayo task. I heard so many great things about 'Like Water for Chocolate' but I got tired of waiting for my name to come to the top of the waiting list, so I thought maybe this would be the same caliber - maybe her writing just isn't my cuppa. Now I'm going to have to read LWfC to find out!
I finished Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli for Task 5.6. While I enjoyed it, I didn't like it as much as I thought I was going to. Maybe my expectations were too high.Total Pts: 245
LEADERBOARD
DONNA JO - 395
LIZZI - 385
MEGHAN - 385
BRIDGIT - 360
KRISTEN IL - 360
SANDY - 350
BONNIE - 340
BJ ROSE - 335
SHARON - 335
BEV - 325
LEORA - 310
JOSIE - 300
ASHLEY ID - 290
TINA - 290
KRISTINA - 270
RORA - 270
KRISTENR - 265
PERS - 265
EVA - 255
CAIT - 245
LIZ BRKLYN - 245
RORY - 245
BETH MN - 235
KRITIKA - 225
COURTNEY - 220
ANGIE - 215
FIONA (TITCH)- 215
SARA - 210
ANGELA - 205
LOUISE - 205
SUZIER - 205
MAGGIE - 200
ALICE - 190
ASHLEY AL - 190
CATHEROO - 190
NICOLE NC - 185
SANDIE - 185
APRIL - 180
EL - 180
LINDSEY - 180
MARY BETH - 180
JAMIE MN - 175
JON - 175
LAURA - 175
REBECCA J - 175
CYNTHIA (SCM) - 170
FALLON - 170
STEPH - 170
SUSAN - 170
WENDY - 170
AMY - 165
LORI - 165
STEPHANIE - 165
LIZ VEGAS - 160
BECKY - 155
ELIZABETH NC - 155
LYNLEE4 - 155
VICTORIA - 155
JUDITH IA - 150
LILY - 150
ROS - 150
CYNDEE - 145
JOY - 145
ALISHA - 140
DAVID - 140
KAREN - 135
ROSEANN - 135
JEGKA - 130
CAROL - 125
HEATHER KS - 125
RHIANNON - 125
CASSIE - 120
KATE - 120
ANN FROM SC - 115
POTJY - 115
RENFREW - 115
SERA - 115
CATHERINE - 105
MANDAY - 105
ABBIE - 100
JENNIFER IN - 100
RYAN - 100
WV HEATHER - 100
BETH - 95
TRYPHENA - 95
CYNTHIA - 90
LACY - 90
TRACY - 90
JEN B - 85
JOANNA - 85
LAUREN - 85
MEREDITH H - 85
ELIZABETH (ALASKA) - 80
HAYES - 80
JENNY - 80
LINDA - 80
JESSICA SC - 75
JULIE (ID)'S - 75
JULIE UK - 75
KATHRYN - 75
KICKI - 75
MALIADES - 75
MEGAN - 75
SUSANNA UK - 75
MELODY - 70
NATALIA - 70
REBECCA - 70
SLAIMI - 70
KRISTINA UK - 65
SAI - 65
AMANDA - 60
KELLY - 60
ALYSSA - 55
JEN - 55
JOANIE - 55
MEL - 55
ROBIN - 55
JEANE - 50
JESSICA MI - 50
RACHEL - 50
SHANNON - 50
SARAH - 50
ALLISON - 45
ELIZ - 45
JULIE TN - 45
ASHLEY UT - 40
JAMIE WA - 40
JENNIFER MD - 40
KIM - 40
LDB - 40
LISA CO - 40
LIZ NY - 40
SHELLIE - 40
TOBIE - 40
VICKI - 40
KATIE - 35
TERRI - 35
DOROTHY - 25
JAIME 26 - 25
KRISTI - 25
MELISSA - 25
KELLY MA - 20
MACKENZIE - 20
NICOLE CA - 20
CAITLIN - 15
JENNI - 15
GREG - 10
MORGAN - 10
JAMIE 23 - 5
JUDITH NY - 5
MICHELLE - 5
SHELBY - 5
Cynthia wrote: "Amy wrote: "Ukay...I have picked up nine hundred and seventy two Science Fiction and Fantasy novels and I have put them all back. I need a really, really good recommendation, please. Whining done..."I hadn't thought of that, Cynthia, but I think I want to keep it for my letters challenge. Maybe I'll read the second in the series - they are such beautiful books to get lost in.
Rory wrote: "Amy:Here are a few that are great YA books that fall into the SciFi/Fantasy genres - ALL ARE FIVE STAR READS (in my humble opinion):
[b:Truesight|763711|Truesight|David Stahler Jr.|http://photo.g..."
Hi Rory - I actually audio-booked The Handmaid's Tale back in the Fall and I found it fascinating. I was taking an evening class about forty minutes from our home and often the trip was dark and rainy with lights playing off of the headlights of oncoming cars and the brake lights in front of me. It was very easy to get lost in Atwood's world to the peril of those on the road with me ! Great study in life's "what if" for anybody who has yet to partake.
Amy wrote: "Cynthia wrote: "Amy wrote: "Ukay...I have picked up nine hundred and seventy two Science Fiction and Fantasy novels and I have put them all back. I need a really, really good recommendation, pleas..."Amy My book club read Enders Game by Orson Scott Card and even the people who hated Science Fiction really enjoyed it. I would read it before Enders Shadow, though both were interesting books.
If you'd rather have something funny, I'd recommend something by Terry Pratchett. Although there are a lot of books in his DiscWorld series, most of them can be picked up and read without reading all of them (although why deny yourself later). I enjoyed his children's book Truckers so much, I read it aloud to my husband (pre tape player in the car).
4. Read a book by an author who was born in March, April, or May. Before the Storm by Diane Chamberlain-(born 3/18)-4/8
Total: 205
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Just finished the Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams for the task 10.10. I pulled this off of Sigal's list. I'm not sure that this really counts as a sequel to the Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide so much as it is really a continuation of it. Definitely glad I have read it, and now want to see how I can try to get the other books in the series to fit into the challenge somehow...Total Points 360
Wow, this was a long time coming - just completed The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz for Task 15.3 (previous TNNBC selection and the Pulitzer Prize winner for Fiction 2008). Very intense characters which I can't help but feel are not all borne from Diaz's imagination (and I mean not Trujillo and the obvious historical dudes). Lots of spanish phrases that slowed down the flow, but not insurmountable.
Donna Jo wrote: "Amy wrote: "Cynthia wrote: "Amy wrote: "Ukay...I have picked up nine hundred and seventy two Science Fiction and Fantasy novels and I have put them all back. I need a really, really good recommend..."Hi Donna Jo - I actually have Enders Game on my "to-read" shelf, but I haven't made up my mind if I want to save that longer read (469 pages) for the Summer Challenge when I have a little more time. It's in the mix as a strong potential though !! :)
5 POINTS1.Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan
2. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
3. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
4. TBD
5. Hadassah: One Night with the King by Tommy Tenney
6. I Am Scout: The biography of Harper Lee by Charles J. Shield
7. Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
8. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
9.
10. The Orchid Thief by Susan Orleans
10 POINTS
1. In the Woods by Tana French
2. Feathered by Laura Kasischke
3. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
4. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
5. The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam by Ann Marie Fleming
6. Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George
7. Red Glass by Laura Resau
8. Soldier’s Heart: Reading Literature Through Peace and War at West Point by Elizabeth D. Samet
9. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
10. Indignation by Philip Roth
15 POINTS
1. Margaret Bourke-White: The Photography of Design, 1927-1936 by Stephen Bennett Phillips
2. Loose Woman by Sandra Cisneros
3. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
4. It Happened On Cape Cod by Shawnie Kelley
5. Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively
6.
7. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
8. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (interview on The Colbert Report)
9. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
10. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series
25 POINT TASKS
1. How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez
2. Eden’s Outcasts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father by John Matteson
3. Bloomability by Sharon Creech
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
4. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
5. The White Mountains by John Christopher
6. The Queen’s Fool by Philippa Gregory
7. TBD
8. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
Jinx by Meg Cabot
9. My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, and Fenway Park by Steve Kluger
Points earned: 20
5 Points7. For Arbor Day – Do your part to save some trees by reading a book and “recycling” it. Diary of a Wimpy Kid Rodrick Rules - donated to my daughter's 4th grade class
8. For April Fools Day…A Walk in the Woods Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
Total = 155
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Amy wrote: "Rory wrote: "Amy:Here are a few that are great YA books that fall into the SciFi/Fantasy genres - ALL ARE FIVE STAR READS (in my humble opinion):
[b:Truesight|763711|Truesight|David Stahler Jr.|h..."
Amy: I thought the whole "protection from" idea in the book was dangerous - I read it...geez...over 10 years ago. Now I look at the world around us & see literature coming to life before my eyes.
Just finished another one. 25 pt. #5 - Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin. I've never really gotten into "chick lit" before. And considering the premise of this story, I really didn't want to like it. I didn't want to like any of the characters in it. But, I enjoyed it a lot. It even got to a point that I didn't want to put it down. For some reason though, I don't find myself wanting to read the second one (Something Blue). Maybe because it is from Darcy's point of view and I did not like her character at all.
New total: 145 pts.
Cyndee! I finally had a minute to look through my books! I'm very forgetful so I couldn't just think and come up with the titles no matter how much I liked them. Unless it's a well known author I won't remember. And I don't have a YA list yet so that makes it a little harder too. But here are a few that I liked:
You Remind Me Of You- Eireann Corrigan (I heard from a friend who knows YA that this is good too but I haven't read it~
Ordinary Ghosts
any Ellen Hopkins books
Speak- Laurie Halse Anderson (I have Twisted and haven't read it and have heard that Catalyst 4 and Wintergirls are good too)
The Year My Sister Got Lucky- Aimee Friedman was okay
I have a lot more on my to-read list and have read a lot more too that I didn't come across- those are just some I came across just now. :D
Almost Home is another good one~Begging for Change~
Confessions of a Teen Nanny (how I came across this I have no idea but I did like it)~
anything Sonya Sones~
Perfect was okay~
Smack is another okay one~
Such a Pretty Girl is a quick but good one~
What Girls Learn A Novel is a good one~
Okay- I think I went through them all even though I feel like I'm missing some. I also found quite a few unread books of mine that I had listed as read...thanks!
Five Point Tasks 1.Science Fiction Novel: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
3. Spring Cleaning: Off Season
4. Commute???
5. For Easter/Lent: Persuasion
7. Arbor Day: Love the One You're With(swapping it on paperbackswap)
9. Spring Animal Title: To Kill a Mockingbird
10. Book with Rain related word: The House of Thunder
Category Totals:
10 Point Tasks
1. Irish Author:PS, I Love You
3. ANZAC Day: The Book Thief
5. Book about Magic: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
6. Earth Day: The Pillars of the Earth
7. Mother's Day: The Kindness of Strangers
8. Armed Forces Day: Cold Mountain
9. TNBBC Top Books List: The Secret History
10. Five Stars Member's List: The Time Traveler's Wife
Category Totals:
15 Points
1. SCORPIO: The Road
3. TNBBC Unread Group Read: Water for Elephants
4. Location You've Been (CT): Swapping Lives
5. Award Winning Author:Beloved (Pulitzer in 1988)
6. Translated Book: Love in the Time of Cholera
7. Rhyming Novels: Can You Keep a Secret? & True to Form
9. Book with Color Title: The Secret History of the Pink Carnation
10. 3-4-5: All That Remains, Cruel and Unusual, & The Body Farm
Category Totals:
25 Points
1. Karen's Task: The Good Guy AND Rebecca
2. El's Task: Alice's Adventures: Lewis Carroll in Popular Culture-Will Brooker
3. Angela's Task: The Historian AND Blue Diary
6. Jon's Task: The Six Wives of Henry VIII
7. Darla's Task: Emma by Jane Austen
I just finished The Price by Alexandra Sokoloff for the get to know the author task. I thought it was great. It was creepy and extremely suspenseful. I love that while you kind of have an inkling into what's going on before the main character does, you still can't help but wonder what in the world is really going on.
The author also seems a bit twisted and weird (in a good way, of course) and she puts that into her novels which make them all the more interesting.
http://booktalkcorner.today.com/2009/...
So, that brings my total up to 140 points.
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Tamora Pierce - Wild Magic & Wolf Speaker
They were both excellent if somewhat easier than my usual fair to read! And great to see a book with a strong female role model for my daughter :)