March 2014 REPORTING THREAD

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Anyway, so this month, we're going to read a book from home. That is an author from where you live. And by that I mean either born in your town or lives there now, or lived there while alive.

This obviously is going to be easier for some of us than others. As we can't all live in London or New York with their plethora of books, I have made some allowances. You can make your local area slightly bigger and bigger until you find an author. So the order I want you to go in is:

Start in your actual town/city/village/hamlet/whatever.
Move on to the next largest administrative area.
Then the next
Then the next
'Til you find something (everyone I believe should find someone by their state level or equiv, yell if you need help).

This is obviously going to be different in each country, even each state. So I will give you a couple of examples (Please tell me if I have some things wrong in these, I was working off google). I expect you to play honest, but also please explain to me your process. But I also understand the fact that people like some anonymity on the net (says the girl with a pseudonym) so if your town is only 50 people and you're not comfortable with naming it as you are the only Fred in town, say that. But for example, I'm in a city of 350 000 ppl, I need to name it if I claim there is no authors in this town when I move on. As I will check.

UK Example:
I live in Whitby. There are no authors who lived, live or were born here. So then I look at the Borough of Scarborough – none there. Then the county of North Yorkshire. Now there is no way I would need to get this far, but then I would look at Yorkshire and the Humber

States Example:
I live in Jackson, Tennessee. No authors there, so I move up to Madison County. If there are none in the county, I would move up to Tennessee.

Aus Example:
I live in Taralga. No authors from there, so I move to the Southern Tablelands. If no one there, on to New South Wales I go.

Usual challenge rules apply:

General rules: 
1. The book may be in any format - paperback, ebook, audiobook.
2. The book may NOT be combined with the Year Long Chunkster Challenge.
3. The book must be read between March 1 and March 30, 2014.
4. The challenge is for one book. You may read more books if you chose, but only the highest scoring book will apply.

Now on to the points!!

POINTS (count all that apply)

5 points if the book is actually set in your town/city/village.

Genre:
5pts – Classic
4pts – Graphic Novel
3pts – Sci Fi
2pts – Non-fiction
1pt – Mystery

Author:
5 pts – Has 2 or more local authors (all have to meet the above conditions)
4 pts – Was born after 1984
3 pts – Has an initial in their name
2 pts – Has 3 or more names (on the cover of the version you read)
1 pts – Shares a first name with a saint (link me the saint)(on the cover of the version you read)

Title: (sub-titles do not count)
5 pts – Has the word “home” in it
4 pts – Is 4 words long
3 pts – Has a number in it
2 pts – Has your town/city/village in the title
1 pts – Begins with the letter M

Cover: (based on the issue you read)
5 pts – Has a hexagon on it (apparently March is Hexagonal Awareness Month)
4 pts – Has green on it
3 pts – Has fireworks on it
2 pts – There is a spider on it
1 pts – The title is in white text

Pages:
5 pts - 600 - 1000 pages
4 pts - 500 - 599 pages
3 pts - 400 - 499 pages
2 pts - 300 - 399 pages
1 pts - 200 - 299 pages 

Bonus points:
2pts if the author is a female. With 2014 being the unofficial year of reading women http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014...
2pts if there is a severe weather event in the book for World Meteorological Day.

[Michelle T.]

Hi Rusalka, this challenge sounds awesome!!!! I'm in...

[Kat]

I'm first to report? I don't think this has EVER happened!

I read The Assault by Harry Mulisch - born and lived in Haarlem until he was 31 years old. Interestingly, his father worked for a German bank during WWII, even though his mother was Jewish, which led him to claim he 'was the Second World War'.

The majority of the book (more than 50%) is set in, or is about, my hometown - 5 points (ruling please)

Genre: Mystery - 1 point
Cover: Has Green on it - 4 points

And that's challenge golf - 10 points

BUT I'm really glad I read it - as part was set during WWII it gave me a Dutch perspective of the war, and having it set in and around areas I'm intimately familiar with was a lot of fun.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Woohoo! First off the mark Kat! And so glad you enjoyed it. There is always a glue stick lurking around...

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Michelle T. wrote: "Hi Rusalka, this challenge sounds awesome!!!! I'm in..."

Great to hear Michelle!

[Lynn]

5 points - if the book is actually set in your town/city/village.

Genre:
3pts – Sci Fi (Time Slip / Travel)

Author:
0 pts

Title: (sub-titles do not count)
0 pts

Cover: (based on the issue you read)
4 pts – Has green on it
1 pts – The title is in white text

Pages:
3 pts - 400 - 499 pages

Bonus points:
2pts if the author is a female. With 2014 being the unofficial year of reading women http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014...
2pts if there is a severe weather event in the book for World Meteorological Day (Tsunami)

Total 20 points

Thank you Rusalka - This author wasn't even on my radar if it wasn't for this challenge and I really enjoyed the book, 4 stars.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

No worries! I will have to check it out.

[Tejas Janet]

I'm not sure how to score the one book I've read so far for this challenge. The book is La Salle's Ghost. Author Miles Arceneaux is not a real person. The actual authors are 3 Texas guys, 2 of which are from Austin.

1pt – Mystery
5 pts – Has 2 or more local authors (John T. Davis and Brent Douglass are both Austinites)
1 pts – title in white text
2 pts - 300-399 pages (314)
2 bonus pts - has severe weather event (several bad storms)
___
11 points

+ maybe

3 pts – Has an initial in their name (real author John T. Davis has initial, but nom de plume Miles Arceneaux doesn't)

4pts – Was born after 1984 (real authors born before this date, but nom de plume "born" in late 1980s)
___
18 points??

I'm not much concerned about my total point count, but did have these questions come up in trying to score my book : )

[Kerri]

I finished my book for this challenge last night The House At Riverton, I enjoyed it but didn't love it. It's the second one of Kate Morton's books I've read, I'm not in a hurry to read any more of hers, I think maybe they are a little too slow paced for me.

Points:
1 mystery
4 4 words in title
4 green on the cover
1 title in white text
5 600 pages
2 female author
That gets me 17 points. My eyesight isn't what it used to be, but I'm sure there must be a spider somewhere on the gate? And is that a hexagon shape at the top of the gate? Did Saint Catherine ever get called Kate I wonder? House/ home is close enough good enough Rusalka? Might need a bit of help with my points I think...

[Rusalka, Moderator]

3 pts – Has an initial in their name (real author John T. Davis has initial, but nom de plume Miles Arceneaux doesn't)

4pts – Was born after 1984 (real authors born before this date, but nom de plume "born" in late 1980s

I believe on a couple of these questions/related questions, I ruled "on the cover". I should stay consistent. Sorry :(

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Kerri wrote: "I finished my book for this challenge last night The House At Riverton, I enjoyed it but didn't love it. It's the second one of Kate Morton's books I've read, I'm not..."

lol nice try! 17pts is still a tidy effort!

I've heard that about her books actually. Just a little slow. I get so frustrated with slow...

[Kerri]

Rusalka wrote: "Kerri wrote: "I finished my book for this challenge last night The House At Riverton, I enjoyed it but didn't love it. It's the second one of Kate Morton's books I've..."

Well I had to give it a try, but I got the answer I expected, so 17 it is! Slow frustrates me too.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

It is always worthwhile asking the question :) Hope you have a nice fast paced next read to make up for it.

[Peggy]

I read De Vriendschap

Cover: (based on the issue you read)
4 pts – Has green on it

Pages:
2 pts - 300 - 399 pages

Bonus points:
2pts if the author is a female.

Total: a very impressive 8 points ;-)

[Janice, Moderator]

I read From Away which is written by an author from Edmonton, AB. It's 450 kms away from here, but that was the closest I could find a selection of published books.

Score:

Genre - 0 points
Author - 0 points
Title - 0 points
Cover - 1 point (White Title)
Pages - 1 point (270 pgs)
Bonus - 2 point (female author)
Bonus - 2 point (horrific storm at sea that almost claimed 3 lives)

Total 6 points.... going for the glue stick!

[Tejas Janet]

Updated point count for La Salle's Ghost:

1pt – Mystery
1 pts – title in white text
2 pts - 300-399 pages (314)
4pts – Was born after 1984 (Miles Arceneaux "born" in late 1980s)
2 bonus pts - has severe weather event (several bad storms)
___
10 pts

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Tejas Janet wrote: "Updated point count for La Salle's Ghost:

1pt – Mystery
1 pts – title in white text
2 pts - 300-399 pages (314)
4pts – Was born after 1984 (Miles Arceneaux "born" in late 1980s)
..."

Take the 2 points for 2 or more authors. They use a nom de plume, but there IS more than one author.

[Tejas Janet]

Rusalka wrote: "Tejas Janet - Take the 2 points for 2 or more authors..."

YAY : )

1pt – Mystery
1 pts – title in white text
2 pts - 300-399 pages (314)
4 pts – Was born after 1984 (Miles Arceneaux "born" in late 1980s)
2 bonus pts - has severe weather event (several bad storms)
___
10 pts
+2 pts for 2 authors
___

12 points total

[Marnie]

I read Winter Garden

Pages 383-2 points
Author is female - 2 points
Total 4 points

* rubbing my hands together gleefully- Bring on the glue stick*

[Janice, Moderator]

NO! Whaaaaa.... I lost the glue stick! LOL!

[Jkmays]

I read John Green and I both live in Indianapolis, IN

Author:

1 pts – Shares a first name with a saint (link me the saint)(on the cover of the version you read)

Cover: (based on the issue you read)

1 pts – The title is in white text

Pages: 221

1 pts - 200 - 299 pages

Big three points. FOrtunately I never participate for the point total. hahaha

[Lynn]

Ah yes, but with 3 points you're the new contender for the Glue Stick!

[Janice, Moderator]

Now it's Marnie's turn to cry
Marnie's turn to cry
Marnie's turn to cry-y-y-y-y-y
Cause the glue stick is gone
Gone to KJMays.

[Almeta]

Unspoken Secrets, Lynette Mather



5 points - the book is partially set in Plymouth, MI, with its park fountain and Mill Street section of town, although the teens are whisked off to a fantasy world later.

Author:
only one author lives in Plymouth, MI

Cover: (based on the issue you read)
4 pts – Has green bracelet on it

Pages:
2 pts - 324 pages

Bonus points:
2pts if the author is a female. With 2014 being the unofficial year of reading women

13 points

[Jkmays]

Hahaha...I'm guessing I would be proud of the glue stick?

[Marnie]

Janice wrote: "Now it's Marnie's turn to cry
Marnie's turn to cry
Marnie's turn to cry-y-y-y-y-y
Cause the glue stick is gone
Gone to KJMays."


WHAT!!!! How could this happen??? I will be plotting my revenge Jkmays! :)

[Janice, Moderator]

Jkmays wrote: "Hahaha...I'm guessing I would be proud of the glue stick?"

Oh yes! It's the much sought over booby prize. :)

[[deleted user]]

Oh yes, as last month's glue stick winner, I can say it's a thing I will treasure. >;-)

[Lara]

I read The Calico Heart by Patricia Kiyono and Stephanie Michels

Genre: 0

Author: 6
5 pts – Has 2 or more local authors (all have to meet the above conditions)
1 pts – Shares a first name with Saint Patricia

Title: 0

Cover: 4
4 pts – Has green on it

Pages: 0

Bonus points:
2pts if the author is a female.
2pts if there is a severe weather event in the book for World Meteorological Day. A blizzard

Total: 14 points

Not a big score, but I wasn't sure I'd get a read in, so not bad.

[Cherie]

I read Beyond the Bear: How I Learned to Live and Love Again after Being Blinded by a Bear by Dan Bigley and Debra McKinney

Debra McKinney was born in Hillsboro, Oregon - where I live. The setting for the story was Anchorage, Alaska.

Genre:
2pts – Non-fiction

Author:
0 pts

Title: (sub-titles do not count)
0 pts

Cover: (based on the issue you read)
4 pts – Has green on it (green stripe on his plaid shirt)
1 pts – The title is in white text

Pages:
1 pts - 200 - 299 pages

Bonus points:
2pts the co-author is a female

10 points total

[Tasha]

Book read:

The author Rachel Simon went to a private/boarding school in my county, Bucks County.

I got barely any points for this read!

Genre: 0
Author:0
Title: 0
Cover: 0
Pages: 2pts (346 pages)
Bonus: 2pts female author

Total: 4 pts

[Esther]

I read Les visages de l'humanité by Jean-Jacques Pelletier

POINTS (count all that apply)

5 points if the book is actually set in your town/city/village. I am guessing it 's 0, unless Rusalska feels generous. Only part of it is home. And that's Quebec city, not exactly my town, although you could say Levis is a suburb (*hides from city council*). Fact is the characters hang out at the same restaurants/cafés than I do. Feels like home to me.

Genre:
1pt – Mystery

Author:
2 pts – Has 3 or more names (on the cover of the version you read)
1 pts – Shares a first name with a saint (link me the saint)(on the cover of the version you read). St-Jean, St-Jacques. Do I get 2 points? :)

Title: (sub-titles do not count)

4 pts – Is 4 words long ( if you count articles)


Pages:
4 pts - 500 - 599 pages

Total: 12 points

[Anna]

The Haunted Hotel & Other Stories by Wilkie Collins



5 points if the book is actually set in your city. Most of the stories are set in London

Genre:
5pts – Classic
1pt – Mystery

Title: (sub-titles do not count)
4 pts – Is 4 words long (excluding an article)

Cover: (based on the issue you read)
1 pts – The title is in white text

Pages:
2pts- 317 pages

Total: 14 points

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Was it as good as all the other Wilkie Collins books I've been hearing about, Anna?

Esther, I'm confused. But if it is set in your area with your places you frequent and feel is home, count it. But I am assuming you are not travelling 3 hours a day to frequent these places, that they are within your city/town.

[Esther]

Rusalka wrote: "Was it as good as all the other Wilkie Collins books I've been hearing about, Anna?

Esther, I'm confused. But if it is set in your area with your places you frequent and feel is home..."

You should be confused. I should avoid posting after 5 days of insomnia. sorry about this. I am driving 10 minutes. But it's not where I, nor the author pay taxes. :)

[Lori Z]

Design for Murder
The author lives here in Oklahoma City, as do I. I actually read the first book in this series a few years ago, and lost track of it, but thanks to this challenge I'm going to continue with it.

Genre:
1 pt. mystery
Author:
3 pts. initial in name - Carolyn G. Hart
Cover:
4 pts. has green on it
1 pt. title is in white
Pages:
2 pts. 300-399 pages - 311 pages
Bonus points:
2 pts. author is a woman

Total points: 13 points

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Esther wrote: "Rusalka wrote: "Was it as good as all the other Wilkie Collins books I've been hearing about, Anna?

Esther, I'm confused. But if it is set in your area with your places you frequent ..."

I am not touching the taxes thing with a ten foot pole! lol

Points are all yours. And hope you get some sleep. It wasn't the post that confused me, it was the layout of the city.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Lori Z wrote: "Design for Murder
The author lives here in Oklahoma City. I actually read the first book in this series a few years ago, and lost track of it, but thanks to this challenge I'm going t..."

Glad to hear you resurrected a series you enjoy!

[Lori Z]

Thanks Rusalka! Although it just added a bunch more to Mount TBR, there is now 23 books in the series, the one I just read was # 2. Oh well, just more ammo for topplers, lol.
Thanks again! Another fun challenge!

[Tejas Janet]

Love this challenge that's getting me more acquainted with hometown authors : )

Here's one to give Lynn a run for the money; plus it was a fun read...

The Girl From Long Guyland



5 pts - book set in city where I live (set in Austin, Texas in 2012; also set in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1969)

1 pt – genre is mystery

1 pt – author shares a first name with a saint (author's name is Lara Reznik and she shares a first name with Lara Saint Paul... maybe not the kind of saint Rusalka had in mind but that wasn't specified... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lara_Sai...)

(EDIT - also Lara is a variant of Laura and there is a Saint Laura as well... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Laura

4 pts – 4 words in title

4 pts – book cover has green

1 pt – title is in white text (okay, title is half in white, but it's a nice solid white, not ecru or off-white)

2 pts - 300 to 399 pages long (book is 360 pages)

2 pts - bonus for female author

2 pts - bonus for severe weather event (snow storm and cold temps result in one character getting frostbite resulting in toe amputation)

Total Points = 22

[Casceil]

Arizona Dreams: A David Mapstone Mystery by Jon Talton

Points:

mystery 1 pt.
Saint's name (does "Jon" count for John? If so, 1 pt.)
green on cover (cactus) 4 points
page length 1 pt.

Severe weather is debatable, since this is Phoenix. The book does include one day when the temperature got so high that seven homeless people died from the heat. It wasn't a record high, but it was a record for heat-related fatalities in one day. I remember that day. My daughter was just starting a summer program for high schools students, and they spent two hours on a walking tour of the ASU campus in the heat. Parents of kids from other parts of the country threatened to pull their kids out of the program. But it was still several degrees short of our record high of 122 degrees Fahrenheit. That day they closed the Phoenix airport, because the charts that told the planes how to set their instruments only went up to 120. They have expanded charts now. I'll let you decide whether I get the severe weather bonus points.

So, 6 points that are certain, potentially up to 3 more based on moderator rulings.

The book was a lot of fun. The characters lived in my old neighborhood. (One murder was a block and a half from my old house.) The main character worked downtown in a historic building that was about 3 blocks from my office. I passed it every time I walked to the courthouse. The characters drank at bars I've been to, and ate at restaurants I've been to, and drove around a lot in neighborhoods I know well.

[Esther]

Rusalka wrote: "Esther wrote: "Rusalka wrote: "Was it as good as all the other Wilkie Collins books I've been hearing about, Anna?

Esther, I'm confused. But if it is set in your area with your place..."

Well, you are better than i am because I reread my post and confused myself. :) thanks

[Anna]

Rusalka wrote: "Was it as good as all the other Wilkie Collins books I've been hearing about, Anna?"

Not really, as it often happens with short story collections some stories were better than others.

[Laura]

I read The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure, who was recommended by my library as a local author.

Points=pathetic though lol.

1 pt for the author sharing the name of a saint: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03619...

2 pts for being in the 300 page range.

3 points total! Woo woo lol.

I was surprised though - I really enjoyed the book. Here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Ava Catherine]

As I Lay Dying William Faulkner

Genre:
5pts. Classic

Author:
1 pt. Shares a first name with a saint
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15628...

Title:
4 pts: Is 4 words long (As I Lay Dying)

Cover:
4 pts. has green on it
1 pt. the title is in white text

Pages:
1 pt: 267 pages

Bonus points:
2 pts World Meteorological Day
(page 37) Dr. Peabody says that he has been called out to see Addie Bundren "in the face of a cyclone." The violent storm is an integral part of the book because it causes the river to rise to an unprecedented level washing out the bridges to Jefferson leaving the Bundrens in quite a fix.

Total: 18 points

[Rusalka, Moderator]

I'm confused I'm afraid Connie on your 2 or more authors. It says it was written by William Faulkner only. Not two or more local authors. Sorry.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

I read The Rook

Genre:
1pt – Mystery

Author:
Was born after 1984 - can't find out. But his friends who are friends of mine, are all older than me. I'm a 1983-er. So I think he's at least a 1982-er. So no.
1 pts – Shares a first name with a saint (link me the saint)(on the cover of the version you read). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Da...
There's a few of them.

Cover: (based on the issue you read)
1 pts – The title is in white text
It has an octopus, two lions and a rabbit, but no spidey.

Pages:
4 pts - 500 - 599 pages

Bonus points:
if there is a severe weather event in the book for World Meteorological Day.
Not unless a giant goo cube counts as extreme weather.

Total: 7 Points!
5 stars though. http://rusalkii.blogspot.com.au/2014/...

[Ava Catherine]

Rusalka wrote: "I'm confused I'm afraid Connie on your 2 or more authors. It says it was written by William Faulkner only. Not two or more local authors. Sorry."

yep, I told you I did not understand! haha!! I thought it meant any other authors living in the same town/city. silly me! haha
I knew I was missing something.

Thanks for the clarification.

It has been fixed. : )

[Rusalka, Moderator]

No worries at all!

[Debra]

5 points if the book is actually set in your town/city/village. (Westland, Michigan)

Genre:
2 pts – Non-fiction

Author:
0 pts

Title: (sub-titles do not count)
2 pts – Has your town/city/village in the title

Cover: (based on the issue you read)
1 pts – The title is in white text

Pages:
0 pts - 141 pages

Bonus points:
2 pts if the author is a female. With 2014 being the unofficial year of reading women http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014...
2 pts if there is a severe weather event in the book for World Meteorological Day. (Tornados and severe thunderstorms in our area. We actually had one damage our property.)

14 points total