The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
SPRING CHALLENGE 2018
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Spring Challenge 2018: Task Ideas
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The Natural History museum in London was first opened in 1881, but did not become independent of the British Museum until 1963. Read a book published between 1881 and 1963.The Natural History Museum is also (rightfully) famous for its dinosaur exhibitions. Read a book with a dinosaur on the cover.
The British Museum is a museum dedicated to human history, art and culture. Read a non-fiction book with MPG history, art or culture.
Around 450,000 young people visit the Science Museum on educational trips or benefit from its outreach programmes each year, more than any other UK museum. Read a non-fiction book about a subject you want to learn more about.
The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Read a book written by an author named Victoria or Albert.
The URE museum is a small local museum in Reading (I've worked there!) that focuses around the display of ancient world antiquities. Read a book set pre-0AD/in the ancient world.
I also really liked task 15.4 this time. So maybe something like that, but with a list of the 10 most visited museums worldwide?
The major British national museums & galleries (National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Tate, Science Museum, NHM, V&A, British Museum and a couple of others) are all free to enter to see their main collections - read a free book? (gift / library)
Read (or listen) to a book on one of these Librivox lists:https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...
Springtime in ParisRead a book set in France or written by an author born in France.
SpringRead a book which GR indicates was first published in March, April or May.
In general, going from Siobhan's thought on this season's 15.4, this might be a useful reference: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/tr...As well as being a general museum, the British Museum has some wonderful exhibitions, some of which are art related: last year they one dedicated to the Japanese artist Hokusai and this year it will have one for Rodin. So perhaps a book set in Japan, or maybe one with a painting or sculpture on the cover.
It also has more general ones like the Vikings a couple of years ago, and there's currently one on "living with gods" - so perhaps a religion or mythology task.
It's also been announced that the Bayeux Tapestry is coming to visit sometime next decade. Maybe a book on England or France, or Anglo-French history (real of fictional)? Or by an English, French or Anglo-French author.
To the lists of British "museums", I'd also add Kew Gardens, which I'd say fits "natural history". Maybe a book with plants or parkland on the front?
In London, there's also the Wallace Collection, which is a strange, quirky personal collection. I went in there one time, and the Laughing Cavalier was staring back at me! Maybe something to do with families, or something using the LC.
There's also the Wellcome Collection, a medical-based museum, which describes itself as "The free destination for the incurably curious". Maybe a book with the MPG "medicine", or about or by a doctor.
I'm also a fan of the Museum of London, which this year is celebrating 100 years of Votes for Women in Britain. How about a book with a strong female protagonist? or where an election or politician play an important role.
And then there's the Tate Britain, and the Tate Modern: possibly a pairing of something published before 1950 and since 1950?
In Paris, there's the Louvre, and there's also a Rodin museum in a house he used to own - so something based in France, or Paris specifically?
Or if the Americans among us would rather use museums from their side of the pond, how about a set of tasks based off the Smithsonian branches? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of.... There are conveniently 10 of those on The Mall, in Washington (On the northern side of the Mall are the National Museum of American History (2) and the National Museum of Natural History (3). On the southern side are the National Museum of the American Indian (10), the National Air and Space Museum (11), Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (12), Arts and Industries Building (13), Smithsonian Institution Building (The Castle) (14), Freer Gallery of Art (15), Arthur M. Sackler Gallery (16), and the National Museum of African Art (17). The National Museum of African American History and Culture is built on the plot of land to the west of the National Museum of American History)
So, for example: the National Air & Space museum could have something SF related; the National Museum of African American History and Culture could perhaps be an African-American author; and so on.
The TV show "Bones" used a fictional "Jeffersonian" Institution. Maybe a novel that takes a real person or place and puts a fictional twist to it (like Susan Wittig Albert's Beatrix Potter books, or Nicola Upson's Josephine Tey books)?
On spring, I can't remember if we've done "March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers".
The patron saints of England, Ireland and Wales all have their saints days in spring: St David (1st March) - bright yellow object (for daffodils) or a vegetable (for leeks) on the cover, or set in Wales; St Patrick (17th March) - book set in Ireland, or with an Irish author; St George (23rd April) - red and white covers or patterns on the cover, books set in England, roses on the cover?
Dragons - dragons are associated with both Wales (the red dragon on its flag) and St George. Read a book with a dragon on the cover, or where dragons are significant to the story.
Wow, Trish! You are a wealth of information and ideas! Very creative!
:)I'm a British Museum member and try to get to most of their exhibitions. The Great Court is one of my favourite public spaces in London. It's weird. I've lived in London since 1985, but I've really only "got" what it has to offer in the last four or five years.
Trish wrote: "In general, going from Siobhan's thought on this season's 15.4, this might be a useful reference: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/tr...As well as being a general muse..."
I really like that list! It has so many interesting places on it. :D I also like the Tate Britain/Tate Modern idea, that'd be such a fun 15 point task.
And I had no idea about the Bayeux Tapestry possibly visiting! I am going to have to keep my eye out for that.
March Madness - While this is basketball specific - how about a cover that shows any ball used in sport on the cover?Kentucky Derby - 1st Saturday in May - Horse on the cover
March 17th is St Patrick's Day - read a book set in Ireland or a book by an Irish authorMarch 30th - April 7 is Passover, commemorating the liberation of Jewish slaves from Egypt - read a book set in Egypt or a book about slavery
May 25th is Africa Day (formerly African Liberation Day) - read a book set in a country that is a member of the African Union or by an author born in one of those countries
Prince Harry is getting married in May so a book with a theme of romance or wedding.
you could easily pick a bunch of museums in the DC area and then each one into a different 5 point taski.e. holocaust museum - book shelved as that (or WW2)
air and space - item on the cover that flies
natural history - nonfiction about something you would find in the museum
the new African American History Museum just opened in DC - abook off popular african american authors list - https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
one of my favorite movies is night at the museum with Ben Stiller and Robin Williams - something based around that
Memorial Day for the year 2018 is celebrated/ observed on Monday, May 28. Read a book that takes place during war-time(civil, WW1, WW2...)"April Showers bring May Flowers"-read a book with flowers on
the cover.
The smithsonian museums in Washington DC (and some others around the country) are free to the public (although they like donations). Read a book that you got for free. Required: tell us where you got it! (library? gift? found at a coffee shop? etc).Read a book where the main plot revolves around a museum or work of art.
Early 15 pointer? According to Wikipedia, many of the first major/"public" museums were opened in Italy during the Renaissance. Read a book set in Italy AND a book set during the Renaissance. OR read a book where both are true.
Many countries in the world use Daylight Savings Time, which will need to be adjusted in the spring. Read a book that contains one of those three words in the title, or has a clock on the cover.
April Showers bring May Flowers - read a book with rain or flowers on the cover.
March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. Read a book with "lion" or "lamb" in the title, or a picture of one of these on the cover.
Read a book by an author with March, April or May as a single word in their name.
Museums can be stately buildings filled with important artworks or historic artifacts or they can be smaller oddball collections such as the Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin. One list of some of these museums in the US can be found here https://mashable.com/2014/05/20/26-we...Read a book that has an oddball museum's theme in its title/subtitle OR read a book that takes place in a state where one of these museums is located
From 1976 to 1979, a traveling exhibition entitled "Treasures of Tuthankhamun" featuring artifacts discovered in his tomb visited six cities in the US: Washington DC, Chicago, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Seattle and New York. The exhibit was wildly popular and people lined up at dawn in DC to try to get tickest and then in long lines to get in. More than 835,000 people saw it in its four-month run there. Huge crowds continued in each of the tour's stops and the exhibition ushered in the phenomenon of the blockbuster museum show.Read a book about ancient Egypt, or read a book about archeological excavations in Egypt or read a book set in one of the six host cities of that tour.
I feel like there's a possible task around Dippy, the beloved dinosaur who used to be installed in the main hall of the Natural History Museum, London. He's been taken down (which was a massive project!) now, and is about to go on tour, and the replacement blue whale is up.
Dippy inspired the film "One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing" - maybe a book inspiring a film task?
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/take-part/dippy-...
There was a Lady Day (March 24th) task last year, which reminded me that in Sweden Lady Day is celebrated as Waffle day, by eating a lot of waffles. If you say Vårfrudagen (Lady Day) quickly, and use your imagination a bit, it sounds exactly like Våffeldagen (Waffle day). Maybe read a book with a pastry on the cover, or a commonly confused word in the title, or featuring a unique way to celebrate a common holiday?
In Antwerp (Belgium) there is a Red Star Line museum about the people who left Europe with a boat to go for luck of fortune in the US.http://www.redstarline.be/en
You could ask for a book where someone goes by ship/boat to a new destination. Or with a ship or a bag on the cover. Or where someone starts a new life
In The USA April 15th is Tax Day-Read a book with $ or the word money in the title
Read a book with an author whose initials can be found in: Internal Revenue Service
Read a book whose title contains the letters from TAXES DUE or YOUR REFUND IS
Daylight Savings Time starts on March 11 this year, with participating countries "springing" forth one hour. Read a book set in the future.
Lots of art throughout history has been centered around figures from the bible. Perhaps you could read a book in which the author's name is a biblical name. I read recently that Pablo Escobar's compound is now a popular museum. Perhaps read a book about crime>drugs or set in central/south america.
Read a book with a main page genre that matches one of the Smithsonian museums. (https://www.si.edu/museums) I.e. "African Art" "Air and Space" etc.
As in past challenges, some tasks may revolve around the seasonal theme of spring. Others may reflect the bonus theme. Other tasks may have nothing to do with either of these themes, they’re just fun ideas for unique reading challenges.
Feel free to post as many ideas as you can come up with. Don't worry about repeating what another player might have already suggested. The more ideas, the better!
The moderators will draw from these ideas as well as their own to create the 5, 10, and 15 point tasks. This thread will be open for ideas until February 15. Spring tasks will begin to be posted on February 17. We look forward to seeing what you come up with!