25.3. Kate S's Task: Happy Birthday American Authors

[Sandy]

25.3. Kate S's Task: Happy Birthday American Authors

Having participated in several SRC Challenges, I have become more familiar with many author’s birthdays. The Fall Season has several prolific American Author birthdays and I would like to honor them with this task. Choose two different authors and read for their birthdays. NOTE: You must select two different options.


1. September 21 The King of Horror, Stephen King’s Birthday. Read a book off this list: Best Horror Novels
REQUIRED: Include in your post the number of the book on the list.

2. September 25 William Faulkner, one of only three authors to have won two Pulitzer Prizes for Fiction. Read any Pulitzer Prize Winner, in any category. Pulitzer Winners and Finalist While the Pulitzer site lists finalists as well as winners, only the winners may be used for this task and your book must be the actual book that won the Pulitzer, not another book by the author.

3. October 8 Frank Herbert of Dune Fame. Read a book with the genre Speculative Fiction on its main page.

4. October 27 Sylvia Plath, famous American poet. Read a collection of poetry, this can be a collection by a single author or a collaboration by several authors. General SRC rules allow more than one poetry book to be used to reach the required 100 page minimum.

5. November 11 Kurt Vonnegut, Jr was known for his unusual works, read one of the top 100 books off this list: Best Experimental Books Ever
REQUIRED: Include in your post the number of the book on the list.

6. November 29, Louisa May Alcott of Little Women fame, read a book first published during her lifetime (1832-1888)

REQUIRED: State the options you chose in your post.

[Kate S]

Reserved

[Kate S]

Reserved

[Sandy]

This thread is now open.

[Megan]

Cute task :D

For 4, "collection of poetry"...will novels-in-verse work?

[Kate S]

Ms Anderson wrote: "Cute task :D

For 4, "collection of poetry"...will novels-in-verse work?"

Thank you, Ms. Anderson.

No, I am going for straight poetry, not novels-in-verse for this task.

[Megan]

Kate S wrote: "Ms Anderson wrote: "Cute task :D

For 4, "collection of poetry"...will novels-in-verse work?"

Thank you, Ms. Anderson.

No, I am going for straight poetry, not novels-in-verse for this task."

I thought they wouldn't, but I figured I'd ask just in case :D

[Kate S]

It is always good to get those questions out of the way early. Thanks for asking. ;)

[Jayme]

Many of Stephen King's books are on the Best Horror Novels list :)

[Bea]

Option 2: Beloved - winner 1988

Option 5: One Hundred Years of Solitude - #26 on list

[Kate S]

Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "Many of Stephen King's books are on the Best Horror Novels list :)"

There are a lot of his books there. It would be a fine place to slot one of his books in for the Halloween season. :)

[Kate S]

Bea wrote: "Option 2: Beloved - winner 1988

Option 5: One Hundred Years of Solitude - #26 on list"

Great choices, Bea. I hope you enjoy them.

[Angela]

Option 4: 45 users of speculative fiction

Options 5: The proceeds go to the Sandy Hook School Support Fund.

[Kate S]

Angela wrote: "Option 4: 45 users of speculative fiction

Options 5: The proceeds go to the Sandy Hook School Support Fund."

I am pretty sure you mean options 3 and 4 (instead of 4 and 5) and if that is the case, both look good. (Note: Angels Cried is cataloged as 'poetry' on Amazon.com.) Enjoy.

[Jayme]

Kindred looked good. I looked at that book for another task.

[Angela]

@Kate-yes I did mean 3 and 4. Whoops! Thanks for approving them.
@Jayme- I have had Kindred on my tbr for while and I am looking forward to reading it.

[Jayme]

The summary sounded interesting

[Sandy]

Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "The summary sounded interesting"

It's really good. We read it a couple years ago in the book group I go to at the library, and I think everyone in the group liked it a lot.

[[deleted user]]

Option 1: The Silence of the Lambs #11
Option 3: A Scanner Darkly

these ok?

[Kate S]

Delmy =^.^= wrote: "Option 1: The Silence of the Lambs #11
Option 3: A Scanner Darkly

these ok?"

Both look good, Delmy. Enjoy!

[JennRenee]

can Shel Silverstein books be used for this task. They are between 100-200 pages of poetry.... Falling Up

[Kate S]

JennRenee wrote: "can Shel Silverstein books be used for this task. They are between 100-200 pages of poetry.... Falling Up"

The children's rule still applies. If the genre 'children' appears on the main page, the book must be over 300 pages for 20, 25, 30, and 50-point tasks. So, sorry, but Falling Up will not work.

[Chris]

Could I please get approval for

for Option 3. Speculative Fiction is currently listed at the bottom of the list of genres on the main page.

[Kate S]

Chris wrote: "Could I please get approval for

for Option 3. Speculative Fiction is currently listed at the bottom of the list of genres on the main page."

Approved.

[Valorie]

Can I get this one approved for option 3, just in case it falls off the main page? Thanks

[Kate S]

Valorie wrote: "Can I get this one approved for option 3, just in case it falls off the main page? Thanks
"

Approved.

[Sheila]

Do I understand this right that as long as the two books are by two different authors they can be from the same option? I don't see where it says 2 different options, just 2 different authors. Am I reading this right Kate?

[Bea]

Sheila wrote: "Do I understand this right that as long as the two books are by two different authors they can be from the same option? I don't see where it says 2 different options, just 2 different authors. Am..."

Sheila, I thought the task was to choose two different authors whose birthdays were listed (i.e., two different options). What about it, Kate?

[Sheila]

You are probably right Bea. I just read it differently and was hoping to do two horror books.

[Kate S]

Sorry, Sheila, but Bea is right. Two different author birthdays=two different options. There are a few duplicates on the experimental list and the horror list. Hope you can find something you enjoy.

[Sheila]

Thanks Kate. I just read the task wrong I guess. Hey a girl can always hope, right?

[Kate S]

Sheila wrote: "Thanks Kate. I just read the task wrong I guess. Hey a girl can always hope, right?"

I can see how it could be read the way you did. And yes, hoping is a good thing in many ways. :)

[Sheila]

Anyway I already have my books picked out.

Option 1: Stephen King - Phantoms by Dean Koontz # 67
Option 5. Kurt Vonnegut - Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad # 24

[Kate S]

Fantastic. Enjoy them, Sheila

[Robin (Saturndoo)]

I have read and it is a very good book :)

[Elizabeth]

For Option 2, I would like to clarify whether we should read the actual book that won the prize or any book of a winner author is acceptable.

[Claire]

Option 1: The Shining by Stephen King

Option 2: The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson

[Kate S]

Elizabeth wrote: "For Option 2, I would like to clarify whether we should read the actual book that won the prize or any book of a winner author is acceptable."

The actual book which won the award.

[Kate S]

Claire wrote: "Option 1: The Shining by Stephen King

Option 2: The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson"

Look good, Claire. Enjoy.

[Amanda]

For this can we read The Bell Jar? it's listed as poetry by 208 people...

[Kate S]

Amanda (Pearl the Book Girl) wrote: "For this can we read The Bell Jar? it's listed as poetry by 208 people..."

Sorry, no this is a novel by the poet not a collection of poetry. Hope you find a place for it.

[Donna Jo]

Are the books we read supposed to be by American authors? Or just the tasks based on said authors.

[Kate S]

Donna Jo wrote: "Are the books we read supposed to be by American authors? Or just the tasks based on said authors."

There is no requirement about where the author was born. As long as the book fits the task, the author could have been born anywhere in the world.

[JennRenee]

can I get Homeland approved for speculative fiction. its on the bottom on the main page. thanks

[Kate S]

JennRenee wrote: "can I get Homeland approved for speculative fiction. its on the bottom on the main page. thanks"

Good to go! Enjoy, JennRenee.

[Donna Jo]

Kate S wrote: "Donna Jo wrote: "Are the books we read supposed to be by American authors? Or just the tasks based on said authors."

There is no requirement about where the author was born. As long as the book ..."

Thanks. I'm good to go.

[Angela]

I originally chose Angels Cried for the poetry option, but upon reading it, it actually an anthology-mixture of short-stories/poems. Even though it was approved, I wanted to be honest that it is not strictly poetry, so I will just be using this book for another task.

[Kate S]

Angela wrote: "I originally chose Angels Cried for the poetry option, but upon reading it, it actually an anthology-mixture of short-stories/poems. Even though it was approved, I wanted to be honest that it is no..."

Thanks for being honest about it. It sounds like an interesting book anyhow and a good book for people to be aware exists.

[Angela]

It was an interesting/ heartfelt book and I am glad I have other options for poetry that I am considering :)

[Ty]

For Option 2 - the Pulitzer Prizes also include multiple journalism categories. Can we read books written by the authors/reporters instead of the articles - since you specified ANY prize winner, but ONLY prize books, which doesn't really apply to journalism categories.

I guess I'm asking for approval for Gene Weingarten, one of my favorite Washington Post feature writers (and multiple winner of the Pulitzer). Thanks!