SPRING 2018 READING CHALLENGE

[Rachel]

Please post all questions, comments and updates regarding the spring 2018 reading challenge in this thread. :D

Also if someone can copy and paste the challenge tasks in this thread I would greatly appreciate it as my computer is being an asshole.

[Rachel]

Is anyone else getting affected by this storm? Stay safe everyone!

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Rachel wrote: "Is anyone else getting affected by this storm? Stay safe everyone!"

Nice Weather in Colorful Colorado.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

The Spring 2018 Reading Challenge starts March 1st and ends May 31, 2018.

Rules of the challenge:

Read 3 books (or more)
Complete 3 tasks (or more)
Books can be any genre
Rereads ok


This spring, complete 3 (or more) of the following:

1. Some authors apparently don’t like to share their birthdays lol. So this spring, read a book from one of the following who may or may not celebrate their birthday this season:

a. Attica Locke
b. Blake Crouch
c. Celeste Ng
d. Dan Chaon

2. The movie Red Sparrow will be released in theaters on March 2nd. So this spring, complete one of the following:

a. Read a spy thriller
b. Read a book that has been adapted into a film starring Jennifer Lawrence

3. March 16th is World Sleep Day. So this spring,

READ A BOOK WITH THE WORD “SLEEP “ IN THE TITLE/SUBTITLE

4. March 27th is Quirky Country Music Song Titles Day. So this spring:

READ A BOOK THAT CAN BE DESCRIBED AS QUIRKY

5. April 5th is National Deep Dish Pizza Day. So this spring:

READ A BOOK (SET AT LEAST IN PART) IN CHICAGO

6. May is ALS Awareness Month. So this spring:

READ A BOOK WITH THE LETTERS A-L-S IN THE TITLE/SUBTITLE

7. Random Task- This task counts towards the challenge but is not inspired by the season. So this spring:

READ WHATEVER YOU FEEL LIKE READING

Please note that normally tasks may be repeated, but this season the random task may be used only once towards the challenge.

HAVE A HAPPY SPRING, EVERYONE! :D
Start Date: March 01, 2018
End Date: May 31, 2018

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Thanks as always Rachel :-) Hope you can read or watch something good while the storm is raging.

[Christine]

Thanks Rachel. As always you have given us a creative and clever challenge!

[Rachel]

You’re welcome. :)

[Rachel]

Thanks for posting the tasks in this thread, Dustin. :)

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

I just started re-reading Dark Matter by Blake Crouch! Now I see that it fits in perfectly with the Spring Reading Challenge. Talk about the right book finding you at the right time! Maybe I will need to read more Blake Crouch this Spring too!
I highly recommend Blake Crouch!!!!!

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Dan Chaon is featured on this Seasonal Challenge too? Are you kidding me!!!! I highly recommend Dan Chaon!!!!

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

I am just now really reading through this challenge - looks I'm gonna be re-reading The Hunger Games!!!! I'm gonna do so good this Spring :-)

[Rachel]

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "I am just now really reading through this challenge - looks I'm gonna be re-reading The Hunger Games!!!! I'm gonna do so good this Spring :-)"

Glad you like it! :D

[Rachel]

In addition to the hunger games trilogy, I can recommend and - all were made into movies starring Jennifer Lawrence.

(Just an fyi- there are spoilers for various classic novels in the The Silver Linings Playbook)

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

I've seen both Silver Linings Playbook and Winters Bone films, but I haven't read either book :-)

[Jenn]

Thank you for a great Spring challenge, I’m in!!

[Jenn]

For #6

[Rachel]

Jenn wrote: "Thank you for a great Spring challenge, I’m in!!"

You’re welcome! Glad you like it. :)

[Rachel]

Jenn wrote: "
For #6"

Thanks for the update, Jenn! :D

[Rachel]

Quirky country music song title of the week: Did I shave my legs for this?

:D

[Rachel]

Some quirky book recommendations:

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

and of course the group read

Sourdough

[Danell]

Excited for the challenge! Currently on vacation visiting sister in law and her family in Illinois. Will be heading to Chicago tomorrow to help her with a music/flower and garden event on Navy Pier. Wonder if we could find a place that serves a gluten free and dairy free deep dish pizza?

Happy almost Spring!

[Rachel]

Danell wrote: "Excited for the challenge! Currently on vacation visiting sister in law and her family in Illinois. Will be heading to Chicago tomorrow to help her with a music/flower and garden event on Navy Pier..."

Glad you like it, Danell!
Enjoy your vacation. :D

Spring can’t get here fast enough. :)

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

I'm currently reading In a Dark, Dark Wood. Will use it for the random read whatever task :-)

[Rachel]

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "I'm currently reading In a Dark, Dark Wood. Will use it for the random read whatever task :-)

"

Thanks for the update, Dustin! :)

[Rachel]

Finished M is for Malice for the a-l-s task.
Decent story but not my favorite book in the series. I really like this series overall and will miss it when it’s over.

[Christine]

I have two books for the challenge: The House of Broken Angels for A-L-S in the title and I Am Pilgrim for spy thriller. I really liked Broken Angels. All about family. Pilgrim book was a bit too long but suspenseful.

[Rachel]

Christine wrote: "I have two books for the challenge: The House of Broken Angels for A-L-S in the title and I Am Pilgrim for spy thriller. I really liked Broken Angels. All about fami..."

Thanks for the update, Christine! :)

[Jenn]

#7 in a dark, dark wood was a fantastic read!!

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Jenn wrote: "#7 in a dark, dark wood was a fantastic read!!"

I thought so too :-) I'm going to read more by the author.

[Danell]

I read which works for the quirky part of the challenge. Great book!

[Rachel]

Jenn wrote: "#7 in a dark, dark wood was a fantastic read!!"

Thanks for the update, Jenn! :D
I really have to read that author one of these days.

[Rachel]

Danell wrote: "I read which works for the quirky part of the challenge. Great book!"

Thanks for the update, Danell! So glad you liked ! :)

How’s your arm? Hope you’re feeling better.

[Danell]

My arm hurts at times, but for the most part it’s good. Thanks for asking. My husband on the other hand is facing another back surgery. This one will be major compared to the 5 fusions and 8 decompressions he had last year. He needs a rod put in his back.

I’m looking for a job closer to where we live, the 70 mile commute is starting to wear on me. It was wonderful to get away for a week and help my sister in law.

Hope everyone is doing well!!

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

I read The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry once upon a time for one of these seasonal challenges. I would read it again :-)

[Rachel]

Danell wrote: "My arm hurts at times, but for the most part it’s good. Thanks for asking. My husband on the other hand is facing another back surgery. This one will be major compared to the 5 fusions and 8 decomp..."

Glad you’re feeling better-hope your husband’s surgery goes well.

Long commutes are a huge pain-Good luck with the job search. :)

[Christine]

Danell wrote: "I read which works for the quirky part of the challenge. Great book!"

I loved this book!

[Christine]

I just finished reading . I'm using it as my "whatever" book. I liked it, loved the character Penn Cage. Its a mystery set in Natchez, Mississippi. The main character reminds me a bit of Stephen White's, Alan Gregory. I know Dustin read those books. I've been missing him and I think this series will fill that loss.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Thanks Christine. I'm hesitant to try it because then I'd probably have to read the entire series :-)

[Rachel]

Christine wrote: "I just finished reading . I'm using it as my "whatever" book. I liked it, loved the character Penn Cage. Its a mystery set in Natchez, Mississippi. The main charac..."

Thanks for the update, Christine! :)

[Rachel]

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Thanks Christine. I'm hesitant to try it because then I'd probably have to read the entire series :-)"

How’s the chocolate factory, Dustin? I know you’ve mentioned it’s crazy this time of year.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Just a couple more days of Easter Bunny Madness :-) I don't have to work Saturday. People need their Chocolate Easter Bunnies! It was much more insane in February because we were sending out Easter items to stores during the busiest days for Valentines Walk-in customers.

I've been working there since 2012. This past year has been interesting because the business was sold last May and there was a lot of transition changes going on.

[Rachel]

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Just a couple more days of Easter Bunny Madness :-) I don't have to work Saturday. People need their Chocolate Easter Bunnies! It was much more insane in February because we were sending out Easter..."


I remember when you first started working there- I think you started this group around the same time. Enjoy the weekend. :)

[Rachel]

Happy Easter, Everyone! :)

[Christine]

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Thanks Christine. I'm hesitant to try it because then I'd probably have to read the entire series :-)"

That is where I see myself right now.......having to read it all!

[Christine]

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Just a couple more days of Easter Bunny Madness :-) I don't have to work Saturday. People need their Chocolate Easter Bunnies! It was much more insane in February because we were sending out Easter..."

Chocolate Bunnies, oh my!

Who owns the company now?

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Christine wrote: "Who owns the company now?."
It is still independently owned. The person who started it wanted to retire and spend more time with her husband and grandchildren. The person who bought the business was going to start from scratch and then found out Concertos in Chocolate was for sale. The name has changed to Lift Chocolate. It's been a very interesting year :-)
https://www.liftchocolates.com/new-page/

[Christine]

I like the meaning behind the name, that chocolate gives you a "lift". Its also a veteran owned business! Talk about two different worlds, being a marine to being a chocolate maker. I hope it works out for him and you, as his employee. Change can be good........?

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

I agree :-) Change can be good, Time will tell. I do like the name. While Concertos in Chocolate represented the previous owner's musical interest, Lift is a nod to the current owner's past experience and much simpler to pronounce and write out. Re-branding is always tricky and we've had lots of questions & explaining to do about it. The name Concertos in Chocolate is still being used as a brand, but the company name/name on the building has changed. My prediction has been that if I can stay a full year (May 1st) then I'm probably there to stay, but all the changes in the past year did cause me to look into and be more open to other possibilities. I'm sure you'll hear more about it in the future :-) It's been nice to have been able to be at the same employer since 2012. Having a stable environment around me is something I deeply value.

[Rachel]

Finished The Alice Network - 4 stars

It’s not a thriller but it is a spy novel so it counts.

I don’t recall ever being taught in school about the kick ass women working as spies during WWI- So many unsung heroines throughout history. Although the main characters in this story (Eve and Charlie) are fictional-some of the other featured characters are real historical figures and there was an Alice Network. This should be a Jennifer Lawrence movie. :)

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl, Colorful Colorado]

Has anyone seen Red Sparrow yet? It's been on my list of want to see movies for weeks but it's rather long. I prefer movies under 2 hrs, but I am planning to see READY PLAYER ONE this weekend :-)