Sara's NBRC Completed Challenges

[Sara]

The Harry Potter Sorting Hat Reading Challenge
Start date: June 1, 2015
Level: HARD

16/16
GRYFFINDOR // Completed // Average: 3.25

Gryffindor's emblematic animal is the lion:
✔ Read a book about a lion.
La storia infinita by Michael Ende | ✭✭✭ | 31/08/15 | Grograman is a lion.



Gryffindor's emblematic colors are scarlet and gold:
✔ Read a book that has a predominately scarlet cover.
I delitti di Mangle Street by M.R.C. Kasasian | ✭✭✭✭ | 17/08/15



"Nearly Headless Nick" is the house ghost of Gryffindor:
✔ Read a book featuring ghosts or read a book in which someone was decapitated or beheaded. Yikes!
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand | ✭✭✭✭ | 07/08/15 | "Masses of POWs were beheaded, machine-gunned, bayoneted, and burned alive" (p.88)



Members of Gryffindor are described as courageous, chivalrous, and brave to the point of recklessness (sometimes):
✔ Read a book in which the protagonist portrays one of these qualities consistently throughout the book.
Fire by Kristin Cashore | ✭✭ | 17/06/15




SLYTHERIN // Completed // Average: 4.25

Slytherin's emblematic animal is the snake:
✔ Read a book which features a snake on the cover or in the story.
Harry Potter e la camera dei segreti by J.K. Rowling | ✭✭✭✭ | 22/06/15



Slytherin's emblematic colors are green and silver:
✔ Read a book that has a predominately green or silver cover.
Uno studio in rosso by Arthur Conan Doyle | ✭✭✭✭✭ | 18/06/15



The Bloody Baron is the house ghost of Slytherin:
✔ Read a book in which a suicide or murder takes place.
La casa di pan di zenzero by Carin Gerhardsen | ✭✭✭ | 10/06/15



Members of Slytherin are described as cunning and shrewd:
✔ Read a book in which the protagonist portrays one of these qualities consistently throughout the book. Or read a book in which the protagonist irked you.
La fattoria degli animali by George Orwell | ✭✭✭✭✭ | 22/06/15 | MC Napoleon is cunning.




HUFFLEPUFF // Completed // Average: 2.75

Helga Hufflepuff, the founder of Hufflepuff, was a witch during medieval times:
✔ Read a book that is set in a medieval time period (between 5th to the 15th century).
Un cadavere di troppo by Ellis Peters | ✭✭✭ | 28/06/15 | set in 1138 in England.



Hufflepuff's emblematic colors are yellow and black:
✔ Read a book that has a predominately yellow or black cover.
La breve seconda vita di Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer | ✭ | 16/08/15



Fat Friar, the house ghost of Hufflepuff, dedicated his life to religion:
✔ Read a book about someone who is extremely religious.
Theo by Paul Torday | ✭✭✭ | 05/06/15



Members of Hufflepuff are described as hard working, patient, and loyal:
✔ Read a book in which the protagonist portrays one of these qualities consistently throughout the book.
Il canto del silenzio by Maya Angelou | ✭✭✭✭ | 05/06/15




RAVENCLAW // Completed // Average: 3.5

Ravenclaw's emblematic animal is the eagle:
✔ Read a book which features an eagle on the cover or in the story.
Il canto di Penelope: Il mito del ritorno di Odisseo by Margaret Atwood | ✭✭✭ | 06/11/15 | Penelope dreams of an eagle which slaughtered her geese.



Ravenclaw's emblematic colors are blue and bronze:
✔ Read a book that has a predominately blue or bronze cover.
Teo by Lorenza Gentile | ✭✭✭✭ | 08/06/15



Rowena Ravenclaw, the founder of Ravenclaw, was Scottish:
✔ Read a book that takes place in Scotland.
Novemila giorni e una sola notte by Jessica Brockmole | ✭✭ | 12/08/15



Members of Ravenclaw are described as intelligent, witty, and wise:
✔ Read a book in which the protagonist is scholarly, bookish, all knowing, etc.
Harry Potter e il prigioniero di Azkaban by J.K. Rowling | ✭✭✭✭✭ | 10/09/15 | Hermione Granger is scholarly, bookish, all knowing, etc. :)

********************* Completed on November 06, 2015 *********************

[Sara]

Materia Medica Challenge
Duration: August 5th, 2016 - No deadline

Option 1 - Master Herbalist: 25+ books

The Herbs
36/36


✔ Agrimony
Commonly found throughout England, another common name for Agrimony is "Church-Steeples". In the Middle Ages it was believed that if Agrimony was placed under a pillow, the sleeper would not wake until the plant was removed.
Read a book set in England.
Lo strano mondo di Alex Woods, Gavin Extence (09/09/16) ★★★★★

✔ Aloe
The Egyptians revered Aloe as the "Plant of Immortality". Aloe remains one of the only things known to heal atomic burns, and it is also commonly used to treat sunburn.
Read a book set in Egypt.
C'era una volta, Agatha Christie (29/08/16) ★★★

✔ Arnica
Arnica has daisy-like yellow flowers. It is commonly found in skin creams to soothe sore muscles, especially in athletes. It may cause serious complications if taken internally.
Read a book where the MC is someone who is very active.
Limonov, Emmanuel Carrère (12/10/16) ★★★ - MC Limonov is very active.

✔ Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha has been used since ancient times, mostly in India. In Sanskrit ashwagandha means “the smell of a horse”. It is used frequently because of its rejuvenating properties. It bears small red fruit.
Read a book with red on the cover.
La chiave di Sarah, Tatiana de Rosnay (18/11/16) ★★★



✔ Blackberry
Blackberry is a large plant with delicious berries and a very large amount of thorns. The leaves and root were often used to treat sore throats and as a cough remedy.
Read a book with a character who is considered 'prickly'.
Possa il mio sangue servire: Uomini e donne della Resistenza, Aldo Cazzullo (11/02/17) ★★★★★ - Some Nazis officers are very prickly.

✔ Bloodroot
Bloodroot is native from Quebec south to Florida and west to Kansas. The root contains a lot of red juice which stains the skin when broken. The flowers are white. Bloodroot is endangered.
Read a book with a predominately white cover.
Io e Mabel ovvero L'arte della falconeria, Helen Macdonald (26/08/16) ★★★★★



✔ Burdock
Burdock is a tall plant with prickly burrs and purple, pink, or white flowers. The root is edible. Burdock is often used as a blood purifier.
Read a book where one of the characters is a doctor or healer.
Big Fish, Daniel Wallace (31/08/16) ★★★ - Dr. Bennett.

✔ Calendula
Calendula, also known as Pot Marigold, is commonly used for skin ailments and can be found in a variety of skin creams. It has also been used to bring down fevers. The plant self sows like nothing else (I cannot get rid of the little suckers).
Read a romance or 'steamy' book.
La scuola della carne, Yukio Mishima (31/01/17) ★★ - Steamy book about the relationship between a divorced Japanese lady and a 21 years old man.

✔ California Poppy
The California Poppy is the state flower of California. It has tranquilizing properties and is mentally stabilizing. The flowers are usually orange.
Read a book with a orange cover.
Signorina Else, Arthur Schnitzler (16/01/17) ★★



✔ Cascara Sagrada
Cascara was used extensively by the Native American tribes. It has small berries that range from red to purple-black.
Read a book set in the Old West.
Una signora perduta, Willa Cather (27/11/16) ★★★

✔ Catnip
As the name suggests, catnip is known for attracting cats. Catnip tea is used to treat restlessness and nervousness, and is very useful as a mild nervine for children. Studies have shown that it could possibly be as effective as deet in repelling mosquitoes.
Read a book with a cat character.
Le avventure di Pinocchio, Carlo Collodi (29/11/16) ★★★★

✔ Cayenne
Cayenne is a powerful stimulant known for its beneficial effect on the heart and the blood vessels. It has been used in emergencies to stabilize people who have had heart attacks or who are hemorrhaging. It is said to be unequalled for warding off diseases.
Read a book with a character who has some sort of illness.
I miei piccoli dispiaceri, Miriam Toews (18/10/16) ★★★★ - Elfrieda suffers from mental disorders.

✔ Chamomile
Chamomile is an aromatic herb with white, daisy-like petals and a yellow conical center. It has been known as the "Plant's Physician" because it contributes to the health of the garden. It is considered the only certain remedy for nightmares. It is comforting and often used for relaxation.
Read a book with something you consider to be frightening.
Turno di notte, Sarah Waters (25/11/16) ★★★ - War.

✔ Chaste Tree
Chaste (or Vitex) is known as "the woman's herb" because of its beneficial effects for women in all cycles of life. It has been used to increase fertility and help with menopause symptoms, as well as cure acne, headaches, and prevent insect bites. The dark purple berries and the seeds are the parts used to make medicine.
Read a book with a MC who is a woman.
Mi chiamo Lucy Barton, Elizabeth Strout (04/10/16) ★★★★ - MC is Lucy Barton.

✔ Chicory
Chicory is common in parts of England and Ireland. The flowers are a very light blue. Chicory is used in salads and the root is roasted and ground to use as a coffee substitute. A decoction of the root has been used to help with liver problems.
Read a book with a character who loves coffee.
I pesci non chiudono gli occhi, Erri De Luca (23/09/16) ★★★★ - MC's mother loves coffee.

✔ Cleavers
The plant is covered with tiny hooked barbs which allow it to cling to other plants and the clothing of passing humans. It has a reputation of being used to cure benign tumors and growths, and cancer. The flowers are white or greenish-white.
Read a book with a green cover.
Mildred Pierce, James M. Cain (18/01/17) ★★★★



✔ Comfrey
Comfrey is a hairy plant with large, bright green leaves and drooping creamy-yellow or purple flowers. It is a powerful healer and, when used externally as a compress or salve, can increase the speed of healing. Comfrey has also been known as "knitbone" and has been used for hundreds of years to heal fractures and breaks in bone.
Read a book with a yellow cover.
L'interprete dei malanni, Jhumpa Lahiri (04/12/16) ★★★★



✔ Dandelion
Dandelion is a common plant with bright yellow flowers. The name is a corruption of the French "Dent de Lion", which means "Lion's Tooth". The leaves and flowers are delicious in salads. Dandelion has been used to help cure liver and kidney diseases and it is often used to make herbal wine. It blooms all summer.
Read a book with a character who drinks wine.
Il Circolo Pickwick, Charles Dickens (13/11/16) ★★★★★ - MC Mr. Pickwick drinks wine.

✔ Echinacea
Echinacea has rich purple, cone-shaped flowers. It has been used to support the immune system and prevent viral infections. The Native American tribes used Echinacea to cure snake and spider bites.
Read a book where someone is poisoned.
Le più belle fiabe dei fratelli Grimm, Jacob Grimm (29/09/16) ★★★★

✔ Elderberry
Native American tribes called Elder the "tree of music" and used the branches to make flutes. The ancient Germans believed it to be the dwelling of Mother Hulda, the protectress of house and home. The berries turn sky-blue when ripe and can be made into a syrup that can cure or prevent colds.
Read a book with a light blue cover.
25 grammi di felicità, Massimo Vacchetta (26/12/16) ★★★★



✔ Feverfew
Feverfew is a daisy-like plant with white flowers with yellow centers. Regular use of the herb can prevent migraines and arthritis. Bugs can't abide Feverfew, so it is very useful in the garden.
Read a book with a white cover.
Gilead, Marilynne Robinson (10/12/16) ★★★



✔ Ginkgo Biloba
Ginko is a large tree with bright green fan-shaped leaves. They are native to China and Japan. It improves memory and brain function and can also improve blood flow.
Read a book with a tree on the cover.
L'incubo di Hill House, Shirley Jackson (26/12/16) ★★★



✔ Ginseng
Ginseng, or five-fingers root, is a leafy green plant with small red berries. It has been used to cure impotence and can increase mental function.
Read a book with five words in the title.
Come viaggiare con un salmone, Umberto Eco (07/10/16) ★★★

✔ Goldenseal
Goldenseal is often called the ground raspberry because the fruit is red and resembles a raspberry. The stem and leaves are hairy and deep green and the flowers are white. It has been used to cure eye diseases and prevent reoccurrence of diseases such as malaria. It has also been used as a yellow dye.
Read a book with a yellow cover.
Storia naturale della distruzione, W.G. Sebald (29/03/17) ★★★★



✔ Heal-All
Heal-All has square stems and purple, spiky flowers. It is used for many ailments, both inward and outward. It is known as a general strengthener.
Read a book with a character who is very strong.
Lessico famigliare, Natalia Ginzburg (05/11/16) ★★★ - Natalia's father.

[Sara]

part 2 - continued

✔ Kava Kava
A shrub with large spade-shaped leaves, Kava is known for being beneficial to people who suffer from anxiety. Side effects can include sensitivity to sunlight.
Read a book with repeating words in the title.
Il ciclo di Shannara: La spada di Shannara­ - Le pietre magiche di Shannara­ - La canzone di Shannara, Terry Brooks (12/11/16) ★★

✔ Mallow
Mallow has very soft, 3-5 lobed leaves and pale flowers. It is frequently given in the form of a syrup to children as a cure for coughs.
Read a book featuring children.
Come vola il corvo, Ann-Marie MacDonald (26/10/16) ★★★★★

✔ Milk Thistle
Milk thistle is a tall, thorny plant with glossy dark green leaves and white veins. It is beneficial to the liver, and the new flower can be steamed and eaten like an artichoke.
Read a book where a character has a drinking problem or drinks alcohol in great quantities.
Pietr il lettone, Georges Simenon (04/02/17) ★★★ - Hans Johannson has a drinking problem

✔ Mugwort
A tall-growing shrubby plant, with leaves that are smooth and dark green above and covered with a silvery down beneath. In Native American folklore Mugwort was rubbed on ones body to keep ghosts away or wearing a necklace to prevent dreaming of the dead. In the Middle Ages a crown made from its sprays was worn on St. John’s Eve to gain security from evil possession.
Read a book book shelved as paranormal.
Le notti di Salem, Stephen King (18/03/17) ★★★★

✔ Mullein
The leaves are whitish with a soft, dense mass of hairs on both sides, which form a rosette at the base of the stem. The flower-spike is covered with sulphur-yellow flowers with five rounded petals. Blooms during July and August. Historically used as lamp wicks before the introduction of cotton. Mullein oil is very effective in the treatment of earaches.
Read a book with one of these on the cover: ear, rose, or lamp/candle.
La donna giusta, Sándor Márai (13/08/16) ★★★★ - Ear.



✔ Queen-Anne’s lace
Also known as wild carrot, the flowers are white and umbellate with one or two reddish flowers in the center. Queen Anne’s lace earned its common name from a legend that tells of Queen Anne of England pricking her finger and a drop of blood landed on white lace she was sewing. It closely resembles poison hemlock.
Read a book with characters who are royalty.
Il cavaliere dei Sette Regni, George R.R. Martin (04/02/17) ★★★★

✔ Skullcap
American skullcap derives its name from the caplike appearance of the small blue or purple flowers. It is used as a mild sedative. It also has an anti-inflammatory effect and may be useful for joint pain and arthritis.
Read a book with a blue cover.
L'Universo spiegato ai miei nipoti, Hubert Reeves (29/10/16) ★★★★



✔ St. John’s Wort
A herbaceous perennial with bright yellow flowers, St. John's Wort is often used as a natural anti-depressant. It can cause severe interactions with other medications.
Read a book where the characters clash in some way.
La vegetariana, Han Kang (17/11/16) ★★★★

✔ Usnea
Also know as Old Man's Beard, Usnea is a light green lichen most commonly found in the Pacific Northwest of the USA. It has strong antibacterial properties and can be very useful in fighting off infections.
Read a book where a character is injured.
Lettere a Theo, Vincent Van Gogh (29/09/16) ★★★★

✔ Valerian
Valerian has small flowers, white and tinged with pink. They have a strange, but not unpleasant smell. However the root, which is the part used in herbal medicine, smells like a mix between old socks and stinky cheese. Cats are very attracted to the scent. Valerian is mainly used as a sedative and stress reliever.
Read a book with a character who has a cat.
Odore di chiuso, Marco Malvaldi (16/02/17) ★★ - Pellegrino Artusi has 2 cats

✔ Yarrow
Yarrow has also been called Soldier's Woundwort and Bloodwort because of the folklore surrounding this herb. It has been said that soldiers on the battlefield would use Yarrow to stop the bleeding of their wounds. In Folklore, placing Yarrow under your pillow at night would bring visions of your future mate. The flower heads are flat on the top and leaves are deeply serrated.
Read a book shelved as romance.
Le confessioni di Max Tivoli, Andrew Sean Greer (01/01/17) ★★★★ - Book shelved as romance by 20 users



*** Challenge completed (29/03/2017) ***