The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
SUMMER CHALLENGE 2014
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25.7 - Bluemoon's Task: Virtual Vacation
YOU ARE CLEARED FOR TAKEOFFA.
THE BOOK FOR THIS OPTION MUST BE A PLACE YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN BUT WANT TO VISIT AND MUST BE SET DURING YOUR LIFETIME.
This option is not country or state specific. For example if you have visited Berlin, Germany that just excludes Berlin from your travels. You can visit Munich or any other city in Germany. The same is true for US states. If you have visited New York City but you would like to visit the Finger Lakes Region of New York State you may.
I hope this clarifies it a little better for you.
B.
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating
Death in Yellowstone: Accidents and Foolhardiness in the First National Park
Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon: Gripping Accounts of All Known Fatal Mishaps in the Most Famous of the World's Seven Natural Wonders
Flight Behavior
C.
Regarding Ducks and Universes
Embers
Fortune's Fool
Acceptable Loss
House of Stone
The Tombs of Atuan
D.
Mod
nice task and I totally have a book for option c picked out - either The Search for the Red Dragon or a later one in the series...they are set in a world where all the make-believe lands exist
For option A - I have always wanted to go to Venice. And I've had The Rossetti Letter on my TBR pile for a while. The protagonist is in the present day, but she's uncovering the story of a woman several hundreds years ago -- so I suspect we'll be moving back and forth in time. Is that OK?
I would like to get
Chocolat approved for Option 1. Even though it is marked as "historical fiction" on the Goodreads main page, on the author's blog, she says
"Nor is the book set at any particular time. I deliberately wanted to give it an old-fashioned feel, to suggest that this was a place where nothing had changed in many years, whilst retaining some elements of modern life. There are still many rural communities in France – especially in the south – where this remains a true depiction, but Chocolat was never intended to be an accurate representation of “today’s France”. It is a France seen through a very selective, very personal filter which has as much to do with nostalgia as with present-day realism."
Here's a link to the page which the above quote appears.
Joanne Harris - Chocolat
Hope this is enough to get it in, but if not, I'm sure I can find something else. Thanks for looking!
I think I will use option C and DFor Option C, I am considering these two books:
Regarding Ducks and Universes -- Setting: San Francisco B (an alternate/parallel universe to San Francisco A)
OR
Embers -- Setting: chain of island kingdoms called Wefrivain -- Since this book is under 300 pp and goodreads depicts it's 'Chronicles of Narnia' for adults, could you also verify it does not have the children's genre on main page at this time? Thanks
Option D:
Thanks for the vacation(s) Bluemoon!!
For option C, how far in the past would a book have to be set/written?
Dee wrote: "nice task and I totally have a book for option c picked out - either The Search for the Red Dragon or a later one in the series...they are set in a world where all the make-believe la..."Glad you like it!!
Chris wrote: "For option A - I have always wanted to go to Venice. And I've had The Rossetti Letter on my TBR pile for a while. The protagonist is in the present day, but she's uncovering the story..."Sorry task says no historical or future settings for option A.
I will say at this time I am conferring with the mods about the Historical Fiction option. It may fit there but I am not sure how it is going to pan out at this time. When I have an answer for that I will let you know for sure.
Pat wrote: "I would like to get Chocolat approved for Option 1. Even though it is marked as "historical fiction" on the Goodreads main page, on the author's blog, she s..."
Since she states that it is not meant to represent "today's France" I am going to say no for option A. But it will work for option D as there is a piece of chocolate on the cover.
Sandi wrote: "I think I will use option C and DFor Option C, I am considering these two books:
Regarding Ducks and Universes -- Setting: San Francisco B (an alternate/parallel universe to San..."
Yes all of those will work.
Embers noted that it does not have children's as a genre at this time.
Rosemary wrote: "For option C, how far in the past would a book have to be set/written?"I am not ignoring this post Rosemary. I have asked the mods about how we are going to handle this. As soon as I have an answer I will let you know.
Bluemoon wrote: "Rosemary wrote: "For option C, how far in the past would a book have to be set/written?"I am not ignoring this post Rosemary. I have asked the mods about how we are going to handle this. As soon..."
OK thanks!
Bluemoon wrote: "Pat wrote: "I would like to get Chocolat approved for Option 1. Since she states that it is not meant to represent "today's France" I am going to say no for option A. But it will work for option D as there is a piece of chocolate on the cover."
That's fine. I'll use this one for Option A then. It's set in Greece, my NEXT most want-to-go-to place.
My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
Hi Bluemoon, is this ok for Option B (Nature)?The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating - 60 users have shelved it as environment>nature.
Mod
I would like to use The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. It's setting takes Route 66 to California during the Great Depression. I have always wanted to take this route as a road trip someday because of it's history. The Grapes of Wrath was written in 1936, so it's not really a historical fiction since the Great Depression occurred in the 1930s. Would this work?
For option C - 1850s LondonAcceptable Loss
For option D - cover shows pie and peach
Will these work - particularly the option C book?
Bluemoon wrote: "Chris wrote: "For option A - I have always wanted to go to Venice. And I've had The Rossetti Letter on my TBR pile for a while. The protagonist is in the present day, but she's uncove..."That's why I was curious. The book is based in the present day in Venice. The main character is a modern woman working on her PhD in history. However, since she's searching for some historical letters in Venice, the book also tells the story of what happened in the past. I actually read the second book in this series about two years ago and it followed the same kind of format but was set in Cambridge.
mstan wrote: "Hi Bluemoon, is this ok for Option B (Nature)?The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating - 60 users have shelved it as environment>nature."
Yes genre noted here if it falls off.
JennRenee wrote: "does this work for food or drink. there is a bottle on the table, I can't tell if its a pop bottle or a condiment bottle.[bookcover:Breakfast Served Any..."Yes I will take that. I also see part of a hot sauce bottle next to it.
Tesla wrote: "I would like to use The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. It's setting takes Route 66 to California during the Great Depression. I have always wanted to take this route as a road trip someday be..."Yes that would work for option A.
Bea wrote: "For option C - 1850s LondonAcceptable Loss
For option D - cover shows pie and peach
Will these work - particularly the option C book?"
Yes both work.
Pat wrote: "Bluemoon wrote: "Pat wrote: "I would like to get Chocolat approved for Option 1. Since she states that it is not meant to represent "today's France" I am go..."
Ok glad you could find something else.
For a - what do you want to count as visited? Like I've been to many airports but never to the city themselves; etc?
Mod
[bookcover:Br..."Awesome thanks!
Mod
[bookcover:Br..."Awesome thanks!
Dee wrote: "For a - what do you want to count as visited? Like I've been to many airports but never to the city themselves; etc?"If you did not leave the airport you have not visited the destination.
Rosemary wrote: "Bluemoon wrote: "Rosemary wrote: "For option C, how far in the past would a book have to be set/written?"I am not ignoring this post Rosemary. I have asked the mods about how we are going to han..."
For historical fiction the book must be set before your lifetime. The wording of the task will soon be changed to reflect that.
Chris wrote: "Bluemoon wrote: "Chris wrote: "For option A - I have always wanted to go to Venice. And I've had The Rossetti Letter on my TBR pile for a while. The protagonist is in the present day,..."Sorry with the new wording of the task this will not work for historical fiction either.
Tesla wrote: "I would like to use The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. It's setting takes Route 66 to California during the Great Depression. I have always wanted to take this route as a road trip someday be..."I live about 10 minutes from historic Rt 66. I travel it frequently when I go to visit my mom and my in-laws. I don't even think about it being historic, it's just the road home....
I'm an Okie. Grapes of Wrath was standard reading fare when I grew up. It's a great GREAT novel (but it's classic Steinbeck - pretty wordy).
I think I might have been making this overly complicated. Since
My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell was published BEFORE I was born and chronicles a family's adventures in past tense, can I use it for Option C? Or does it need to specify "historical fiction" on the main page? That would complicate things since it's a non-fiction book.
If that won't work, then I'd like to submit
The Wilderness Family: At Home with Africa's Wildlife as my alternate Option A book. It's also catalogued as Nature on the main page so it would fit the Option B task as well. Thanks for all your hard work. I'm sorry to be such a pain. I REALLY want to read the Greece book, so it'd be awesome if it fits!
For Option A how specific can I be as to "never having visited"? For instance I have on my shelves several books by Ann Cleeves set England. I have been to England many times but not to the specific locations that these books have been set Telling Tales, and Hidden Depthsor Australia which I visited many years ago, but not to Queensland where this book is set. Dead Heat. No worries if none of these are ok, I have other thoughts, it just requires that I purchase another book for my kindle or go to the library which is not exactly a burden.
Pat wrote: "I think I might have been making this overly complicated. Since
My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell is set BEF..."Yes both of those work.
For option A, I have always wanted to visit France.Poster Boy is set mostly in France, but some of the book takes place in Oregon, a place I've never been nor thought about visiting. Is this book acceptable?For my second book, option C works the best for me, but I am not sure it understand I correctly -- I'm trying to go with a historical book -- as long it is set before I was born, it doesn't matter whether or not I have visited or would like to visit the setting, correct?
I don't think you've answered my query in message 37 yet, but you can add this book to the answer when you get a chance. Does this one work for Option C, since it appears to be set during WWII which is before I was bornGarden of Stones
For OPTION C - set before my lifetime
This book is set in New York City in the early 1900s
-or-
This book is set in Germany in the 1930s
Congrats again, Bluemoon! I'll never finish a season, but the SRC is always fun.For Option A - set in Thailand
Option D - Food and drinks on Cover
Will these work?
Thanks my friend!
Andy wrote: "For Option A how specific can I be as to "never having visited"? For instance I have on my shelves several books by Ann Cleeves set England. I have been to England many times but not to the specifi..."They work as long as you have not been to the specific area of the country and want to visit there.
Sorry it took so long.
Susan A wrote: "For option A, I have always wanted to visit France.Poster Boy is set mostly in France, but some of the book takes place in Oregon, a place I've never been nor thought about visiting..."I am going to say no to Poster Boy the whole book should be set in your destination.
For the historical fiction it should be someplace that you want to visit. It doesn't matter if you have been there before or not as you were unable to visit in that time period.
For example I could read Zoo Station which is set in 1939 Berlin a place I would like to visit to see what the political climate was there (not really but just using it as an example). So even if I have been to Berlin this takes place before my birth.
I hope this helps. If not let me know what else you need.
Andy wrote: "I don't think you've answered my query in message 37 yet, but you can add this book to the answer when you get a chance. Does this one work for Option C, since it appears to be set during WWII whic..."Yes if you would like to see what it was like at that time in that place.
Book Concierge wrote: "Option B - NATURE
or
[bookcover:Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon: Gripping Accounts of All K..."
Yes both of those have Nature on the homepage.
Book Concierge wrote: "For OPTION C - set before my lifetime This book is set in New York City in the early 1900s
-or-
[bookcover:In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Fam..."
Yes both of those work if they are places you would like to visit.
Anne (Booklady) wrote: "Congrats again, Bluemoon! I'll never finish a season, but the SRC is always fun.For Option A - set in Thailand
Option D - Food and drinks on Cover
[..."
The one for option D works.
[bookcover:Dragon's Triangle|22009564] will work for A as long as all of the book takes place during your lifetime. So if it flashes back to a time before you were born it will not work. I can't tell from the description if it does go back and forth or not.
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Now that summer has finally arrived to some parts (not quite there in the northeast) I thought it would be fun to start planning a summer vacation.
Please select two different options and read a book for each.
A. I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO GO THERE - We all have places that we keep saying someday I will get there. Well that day has arrived.
Read a book with a setting of someplace that you have always wanted to visit.
Some details:
- The setting must be a real place that you could currently visit. Sorry no space travel or travel to fictional lands.
- The setting must be a place you have NEVER visited before.
-The book must have been first published AND set in a time during your lifetime (no historical or future settings)
ex. Still Life Canada, The Good Thief's Guide to Vegas Las Vegas, Murder on the QE2 cruise, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail hiking in CA
REQUIRED - State the new-to-you place where you are vacationing AND that the book was set during your lifetime.
B. GET AWAY FROM IT ALL - Sometimes we just want to get away from it all - work, the hustle and bustle, etc - and reconnect with nature. For this option read a book that has the genre(s) Nature and/or Wilderness on the homepage. The genre may be stand alone or embedded.
C. THE ULTIMATE DREAM VACATION - Most of us have read a book and thought it would be really cool to suspend reality and visit a place that is impossible at this time to visit - a fictional land, someplace in space, sometime in the past or future. For this option you have that ability. Read a book that is set in a place that currently is impossible to get to by conventional means (plane, train, automobile, etc) or that is set in a time period before you were born or in the future beyond present day.
ex. Red Rising Mars, Glory in Death set in 2058, The Tombs of Atuan Earthsea
REQUIRED - State where you are vacationing and if using the time setting, state that the time setting is not within your lifetime.
D. THE STAYCATION - In these hard financial times some of us can't afford to go away on vacation so we will just sleep in late and hang around the neighborhood. Since we are staying home let's have a summer cook out for our friends and neighbors. For this option read a book that has food or drink on the cover.
REQUIRED - Post the cover.
REQUIRED - Indicate the options.
Hope you all enjoy your Virtual Vacations.