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I wish I was able to access more books that would help with the group project because I find it interesting to read works from other cultures/countries. However, it seems Ed is really ripping it up in that regard this season - so the map will be filled in soon!I am quite confident that I will achieve a mega-finish. I only have 12 tasks left. I think because I decided (during planning) to focus on trying to make a dent in the towering real life pile of books AND make a big push for my A-Z challenge, I have been staying more on track than usual.
I didn't know about your letter writing project for your great granddaughter, Elizabeth. What an amazing personal family history she is going to have.
The letter writing sounds like a wonderful gift to your great-granddaughter.I've been doing quite a bit of reading in the last 1 1/2 months, more than I had planned. I had a problem with one foot, and had to rest it. So if you have to sit, there's nothing better to do than pick up a good book.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "This is halfway weekend. How is everyone doing?.."
I have completed 7 books, only three are posted for RG. But if I stay focused on RG, I am hoping to complete it!
I think I will Megafinish. I do not believe my score will be very high. Also, the young author's aspect is completely beyond me. There are so few books in the books I want to read that qualify, so I am going with things I want to read rather than to seek out young authors. I will push to read as much as I can the next two weeks.Monday July 15th the teachers are meeting at my school to get their rooms ready for the 2019-2020 school year.
Monday July 29th I have to go back to work full-time, and life will completely change for me. Waaaa..
I am already thinking about the Fall 2019 RwS. Fall is so impossibly busy I never read more than one book for pleasure per week if even that. I may give myself permission to only try to Megafinish during the summer.
What a great gift to your great granddaughter Elizabeth. One of my great grandmothers lived to be 103 years old...so, I got to meet her...and try her home-made "wine"...WOW! even though I was only 12 or 13 at the time. Centenarians were not as common in the 1970s as they are now.Anyway...I got a lot of reading done during my trip in Brazil....and have posted all of those books now...and still a bit backlogged with a few I finished so far in July. I still have a few more countries to add to the map assuming I get the books from the library...and finish the mega-finish first...but I'm on track to do that.
Elizabeth, I agree with everyone else. Your letters will be a priceless heirloom.
Elizabeth, at my age (71), I would give anything to have a written account of my family's stories. My mother now has dementia and all her siblings and further back are dead. Same is true on my Dad's side. It was only in the last several years that I realized I did not know much about my granddad Stull (mother's dad) or any of his family and then it was too late. Mom's memory just could not access any of that.Your gift will be priceless to her as she grows.
Those letters will be such a treasure for her, and the rest of the family, too!
In the Task Ideas thread, Valerie has suggested we resurrect a task with the list Most Difficult Novels. When we had the task before we went only 150 deep. I can't say when/if we'll have the task again (and we're not yet even discussing Fall), but if some of you want to vote for some on that list, we may be able to go deeper than 150.
In the Completed Tasks thread, Rebekah wrote: June wrote: "10.5- D-DayThe Road by Cormac McCarthy
# 68 on The Best Beginning; 102 on The Best Ending
Task- 10
Combo-5 ( 10.3)
Post total: 15
Season total: 370"
How did you like this book? When I read it, it really creeped me out about realistic it portrayed what would happen to us after such an event and thinking about all these wars
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "In the Completed Tasks thread, Rebekah wrote: June wrote: "10.5- D-DayThe Road by Cormac McCarthy
# 68 on The Best Beginning; 102 on The Best Ending
Task- 10
Combo-5 ( 10.3)
Post total: 15
Seaso..."
For me, The Road was an exception to the rule...I usually hate dystopian and sci-fi books. But this one I thought was well written and plausible.
I have to admit I abandoned it after 10 pages. I couldn't stand the writing style (can you say the guy doesn't know what a complete sentence is?). I thought the premise entirely unbelievable.
I liked The Road. You're right that Cormac McCarthy did not always use complete sentences, but I think that's because the author was inside the father's mind and we don't think in complete sentences. I liked the father's love for his son, and his effort to get the son to trustworthy people (because the father felt he did not have much longer to live).I don't want to find out if the premise is believable or not!
Connie wrote: "we don't think in complete sentences. "Some of us do. (Anyway, if he wanted to write stream of consciousness he did an extremely poor job. And there *were* complete sentences. It just didn't hang together well and I found it beyond annoying.)
What I found unbelievable about the premise was that after a couple of years the child would have grown. I remember thinking shoes would have worn out and the son's feet would have grown. And why were they still there? If it was so bleak and he cared so much, why didn't he move on before?
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "In the Task Ideas thread, Valerie has suggested we resurrect a task with the list Most Difficult Novels. When we had the task before we went only 150 deep. I can't say when/if we'll have the task a..."I'm not sure what you are actually asking here, Elizabeth. If I was to vote (for example) it would be for Gravity's Rainbow - but I've already read that one and am not going to read it again!
Valerie wrote: "I'm not sure what you are actually asking here, Elizabeth. If I was to vote (for example) it would be for Gravity's Rainbow - but I've already read that one and am not going to read it again!"Listopias allow you to vote for books. Note: books plural. It is by GR member votes that books get on a list and where a book is ranked on a list. Although I usually only vote for books that I have read, there is no GR requirement for you to have done so.
In RwS, we usually have a minimum threshold of 5 votes when we offer a list to you and 150 was the most we could offer the last time we had this task. I was suggesting that more of you go vote for books on the list - anywhere on the list, and you could even add to it if you choose. Additional votes/voters will likely make a wider choice.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Valerie wrote: "I'm not sure what you are actually asking here, Elizabeth. If I was to vote (for example) it would be for Gravity's Rainbow - but I've already read that one and am not going to read..."Oh! Ok, now I get it. Thank you for explaining it to me.
AAAAAHHH!!I just finished the best book I've read in ages and am having the hardest time picking anything else up because it just doesn't compare. I was entirely on track to complete a MegaFinish, but I'm having serious reader's block because of one amazing, perfect novel and now don't know how long it's going to take me to be able to pick up another book and give it my full attention without falling into reminiscence of said perfect book.
Am I the only one this happens to? I can't be, right?
I also had good luck! I read The Time Traveler's Wife for 10.9 All Star Reads. I want to say how much I enjoyed it and appreciate it being a choice. I own the book, because my daughter-in-law gave me a copy. Having it on the task allowed me to push it the top of the list. Great book. Great suggestion.
Lynn wrote: "I also had good luck! I read The Time Traveler's Wife for 10.9 All Star Reads. I want to say how much I enjoyed it and appreciate it being a choice. I own the book, because my daugh..."I read that one years ago and also loved it...it was one of the books I recommended to everyone I knew for a good year after I'd read it <3
We had some pretty amazing recommendations for 10.9!
Lynn wrote: "I also had good luck! I read The Time Traveler's Wife for 10.9 All Star Reads. I want to say how much I enjoyed it and appreciate it being a choice. I own the book, because my daugh..."I enjoyed that too. It's one of the very few books shelved as science fiction/fantasy that I would even attempt.
All-I don't know if this kind of post is permitted here or not...but a friend of mine has recently started a company devoted to helping kids learn a love of reading. If you have a kid in your life, please take a look at the crowd funding campaign and consider signing up!
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/se...
I found this list. It’s a list of The 100 Greatest Novels Ever but picked in 1898. As one commenter spoke of the books we consider “modern classics” today, may within 50 years be unpublished and forgotten. I had read more than they gave as the average, but there was a quite a few I’d never heard of. How did you do with this list?
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/4...
Gabriel wrote: "All-I don't know if this kind of post is permitted here or not...but a friend of mine has recently started a company devoted to helping kids learn a love of reading. If you have a kid in your lif..."
I bookmarked it. I volunteer in school libraries of both my grandson and my twins. We have a quite a few librarians in here too. (Even if you retire you a still a librarian at heart, Karen!)
Rebekah wrote: "Gabriel wrote: "All-I don't know if this kind of post is permitted here or not...but a friend of mine has recently started a company devoted to helping kids learn a love of reading. If you have a..."
That's for sure! I guess I never came back on to say that I donated to this one! It looks like an excellent blend of tech and paper books. We are in Toronto and will head to Quebec City tomorrow then the east coast of the US. We are having a good time so far!
Karen Michele wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "Gabriel wrote: "All-I don't know if this kind of post is permitted here or not...but a friend of mine has recently started a company devoted to helping kids learn a love of readin..."
You're just down the road from me! At least you are here when the weather is beautiful (ie. the humidity broke). Have fun in TO + Quebec City.
Please take an opportunity to tell us your Favorite Tasks and Sub-challenges in the thread. There's plenty of time, of course, but let's talk it up!
As I've said many times I make a list of far more books than I can read. But it happens every season about this time. Nothing left on the list looks as good as it did when I penciled it in. And all those books I'm penciling in for *next* season look really great, but it's too early to start one. Yikes! Could I be approaching a reading funk?Yesterday I got lucky. Of the 3 or 4 I decided were candidates for next, I chose The Painted Veil. It is exactly what I needed to get me enthused about the rest of August. And Fall still looks great!
Your dilemma makes me laugh, because I am so familiar with it. I made a real push to get a mega-finish, so now I am 'getting to' read some fun extra choices. I haven't been able to slack off though - and believe me I was tempted after Mrs. Dalloway - 3 books that I had on hold from the library came to me essentially all at the same time! The one I just finished, Death at the President's Lodging I had to wait 3 months for!
When I reviewed previous seasons for the fave task/sub challenge question I noticed that typically fall is a low scoring season for me. It is my busy show season, so even though I already have interesting choices picked for the released tasks, I'm not sure how many I will get to.
The other thing that will be keeping me extra busy this fall is my new part time job! Our little library posted a part time temporary job in January. Then you may recall my crying here about the cuts to library funding. So, they postponed hiring until August. Of course, I had LOTS of time in the winter..... not so much now! Anyhow, I've had a couple of short shifts of training and this week completes the training. My role is circulation desk person. So far, it is very fun. My previous career involved a lot of emotional, tense and sometimes volatile situations - so this is a really nice change to deal with happy (and literate!) people!
Good luck with your new job, Valerie! I hope you enjoy it.
Enjoy your new job, Valerie! I imagine your TBR list will grow quickly as you see so many wonderful books pass by your desk.
Thank you, Lynn and Connie! Yes, Connie - it already has been a problem!
Love, Love the theme for next season’s challenge!
Valerie wrote: "I was at a show when I noticed that Kate had released the initial tasks! It started off slow (with few customers), so I was disappointed I couldn't be home to plan - ha, ha... However, that was the first thing I did later that evening! I am not motivated by money, but I am motivated by RwS tasks....."I love this. From show to RwS to library to RwS.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Valerie wrote: "I was at a show when I noticed that Kate had released the initial tasks! It started off slow (with few customers), so I was disappointed I couldn't be home to plan - ha, ha... Howev..."That's right! I can't keep away! ;)
Last couple of days for the polls. Have you voted? Are they coming out the way you'd hoped?
I voted early on. Surprisingly, my picks for Polls 1 + 2 are leading. I didn't vote for the leader in Poll 3, but I've already found a suitable book from the leading list! So, it's all good!
I also voted early, and my picks for Polls 2 + 3 are leading. However, the leading response for Poll 1 will be easy as I had so many books planned last season that I did not get to read.
I voted. One of my three preferences is in the lead, but they were only preferences. I did not have strong feelings one way or another. I tend to focus on authors when I choose books and that was a sort of theme in Summer 2019, so I am glad the repeat a last season task is ahead.
Nothing to do with reading....but last night we had a wonderful time at a concert featuring Heart, Joan Jett and Elle King.Ann Wilson's voice is still so powerful....hard to believe. Joan Jett was excellent as well. I had never heard of Elle King....but she reminded me of Amy Winehouse..... very good. Our tickets were on the lawn...so, we discovered that these much cheaper seats were better than the more expensive ones we normally get...more comfortable and you can see everything.
The only disappointment was the awful food options available.
Ed wrote: "Nothing to do with reading....but last night we had a wonderful time at a concert featuring Heart, Joan Jett and Elle King.Ann Wilson's voice is still so powerful....hard to believe. Joan Jett was..."
We saw Ann Wilson when she was touring with Jeff Beck, last year. It also was an outdoor venue.
Spring of 2019 my husband wanted to go to a concert for his birthday. We saw the B-52s in a ballroom at Gaylord Center (Opryland) in Nashville, Tennessee. It was a very small venue. We stood there with just a few hundred people about 20 feet from the stage. It was a really fun concert. There were tables set around and open bar service.
Lynn wrote: "Spring of 2019 my husband wanted to go to a concert for his birthday. We saw the B-52s in a ballroom at Gaylord Center (Opryland) in Nashville, Tennessee. It was a very small venue. We stood there ..."I'll bet that was fun! Definitely a good way to celebrate a birthday!
Lynn wrote: "Spring of 2019 my husband wanted to go to a concert for his birthday. We saw the B-52s in a ballroom at Gaylord Center (Opryland) in Nashville, Tennessee. It was a very small venue. We stood there ..."Yeah...I'd like to see the B-52s too.
I was just looking up a book on the lexile site, and it looks like it is going to be a subscription site at the end of 2019. That could put a wrench in the works......
Valerie wrote: "I was just looking up a book on the lexile site, and it looks like it is going to be a subscription site at the end of 2019. That could put a wrench in the works......"I investigated a bit. It will continue to be free to look up a Lexile score and you don't even need to register. And, as that is all we use it for ...
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Valerie wrote: "I was just looking up a book on the lexile site, and it looks like it is going to be a subscription site at the end of 2019. That could put a wrench in the works......"I investiga..."
Oh, that's good. I looked very quickly at the new site, but went back to their old format to look up my book's lexile.
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Reading with Style
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What a lovely idea! Wouldn't it be wonderful to have that from our own great grandmothers. She's a lucky girl!
As for how we're doing ... I'm not quite half way in terms of tasks, but I'm ahead on the Ratings Game. I'd say my chances of a mega finish are about 50:50. There are so many books that will repeat tasks instead of checking off new ones ...