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SUMMER CHALLENGE 2019
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Summer Challenge 2019: Tasks
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10.1 - Can You Spell Rogue?
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Read a book with all of the letters in ROGUE in its title/subtitle.
10.2 - He's a Classic!
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Rhett Butler is one of the classic rogues in literature. Read a book by an author whose initials can be found in RHETT BUTLER. All initials count, and letters can be used only as often as they appear in the target phrase.
10.3 - Summer Reading
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Read one of the books from the Goodreads Staff Summer Reading Lists. Goodreads Staffers Summer Reading Picks. REQUIRED: Specify the name of the staffer whose pick you used.
10.4 - Too Busy to Read?
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Sometimes in the summer, it's hard to concentrate on a full book. Read a little bit at a time, with a book with a main page genre of short stories, anthologies, or essays.
10.5 - Family Reunions
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Summer is a traditional time for family reunions and family vacations. Read a book with the word "family" or one of the listed family relationship titles in the title/subtitle.
Family relationship titles that can be used: wife, husband, spouse, mother, father, parent, grandmother, grandfather, grandparent, aunt, uncle, sister, brother, sibling, daughter, son, niece, nephew, granddaughter, grandson, grandchild.
Plurals and possessives may be used, and any of the above relationship titles with "in-law" attached - i.e. mother-in-law, brother-in-law, etc. No other variations allowed.
10.6 - Happy 4th of July!
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Read a book with the words red, white, or blue in the title/subtitle. Words must match exactly - no variations allowed.
10.7 - Smile!
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August 22 is Tooth Fairy Day! Read a book with the main page genre Fairy Tales, standalone or embedded.
10.8 - Roll the Dice
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Go to Dice Roller and reset the number of dice to 3. Read a book with the number of pages (+/- 10 pages) that you reach by arranging the 3 numbers from the dice. You may only roll once!
Example: If you roll 5-4-2, you can read a book with 542 (532-552) pages, 425 (415-435) pages), 245 (235-255) pages, etc.
REQUIRED: State in your post the 3 numbers you rolled
10.9 - Sing Along!
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July 13 is Barbershop Music Appreciation Day. Read a book with 4 or more people on the cover. REQUIRED: Include the cover in your post.
10.10 - Juneteenth
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June 19, or Juneteenth, celebrates the day in 1865 that slaves in Galveston, Texas were told that slavery had ended. It is now more broadly celebrated as the end of slavery generally. Let's expand it a bit more, and read a book by a person of color from this list:
#ReadPOC: List of Books by Authors of Color
REQUIRED: Specify the page of the list on which your book is found.
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15.1 - On the Flip Side
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While it's summer on one side of the world, it's winter on the other.
Read 2 books, one book 1 and one book 2
Book 1: Read a book that can be found on a Listopia list with the word "Beach" intact in list's title.
Ex: The Martian from the Listopia: Best Beach Reads 2015
Outer Banks from the Listopia: Beachy Reads
AND
Book 2: Read a book that can be found on a Listopia list with the word "Snow" intact in list's title.
Ex: Winter Garden from the Listopia: Best Books to Read When the Snow Is Falling
The Stand from the Listopia: Bustle's 13 Long Books for When You're Snowed In
REQUIRED: State the name and/or provide a link to the lists you used. If the list has more than one page and the book you read is not on page 1, state on which page of the list your book can be found.
15.2 - Bad Boys and Wicked Women
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Rogue main characters are often deemed antiheroes.
Read 2 books, one book 1 and one book 2
Book 1: Read a book found on The Best Antiheroes list.
AND
Book 2: Read a book found on Anti-Heroines list.
REQUIRED: State which page of the lists your books can be found on when you post.
15.3 - Stonewall 50
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This June marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.
Choose one option.
REQUIRED: Indicate the option.
Option 1: Read 2 books, one book 1 and one book 2.
Book 1: Read a book with the MPG LGBT. Reasonable variations will be accepted: Ex: M/M Romance, Transgender, Trans, Queer, etc.
AND
Book 2: Read a book with the word "Pride" in the title/subtitle or series title. Plurals and possessive are allowed but no other variations.
OR
Option 2: Read 1 book.
Read a book that has LGBT as a MPG AND has the word "Pride" in its title/subtitle or series title.
15.4 - Fourth of July
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The July 4th is Independence Day in the United States.
Choose one option.
REQUIRED: Indicate the option.
Option 1: Read 2 books, one book 1 and one book 2.
Book 1: Read a book where the entire TITLE is printed in red, white, and/or blue. Subtitles should be ignored. REQUIRED: Include the cover when you post.
AND
Book 2: Read a book that was first published in July of any year.
OR
Option 2: Read 1 book.
Read a book where the entire TITLE is printed in red, white, and/or blue AND that was first published in July of any year. REQUIRED: Include the cover when you post. Ex:
15.5 - Independence Day
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Algeria, Argentina, the Bahamas, Belarus, Belgium, Burundi, Canada, Cape Verde, Colombia, Comoros, France, Kiribati, Liberia, Malawi, Maldives, the Netherlands, Peru, Rwanda, Slovakia, the Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Vanuatu, and Venezuela also celebrate their Independence Days in July. Read a book that is set at least 50% in one of these countries.
REQUIRED: If the setting is not obvious on the book’s main GRs page, include a reference when you post.
15.6 - Happy Birthday, Authors!
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Celebrate by reading a book written by an author born in June, July, or August. One qualifying author in a work by multiple contributors works. Here are a few lists to give you some ideas: June, July, August
REQUIRED: If the author's birthdate is not stated on their Goodreads profile, include a reference that states the author's birthdate when you post.
15.7 - Rogue One
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Read a book with a title that begins with one of the letters in ROGUE ONE and that is written by an author with at least one initial that can be found in ROGUE ONE. All title words count (including articles). Spaces determine words. Any of the author's initials (first, middle, last) may be used. Spaces determine names. Ex: Egg & Spoon by Gregory Maguire; Glory in Death by J.D. Robb
15.8 - Rogues' Gallery
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The rogues' gallery is a collection of photographs of known criminals and suspects kept and used by police to identify people taken into custody. Help create an SRC rogues' gallery by reading a book with the MPG Mystery, Thriller, or Suspense that has a portrait on the cover. For the purposes of this task, a portrait is defined as a painting, drawing, or photograph of a person depicting only the face or the face as well as the head and shoulders. There may be only one person on the cover; at least one eye (or the presumption of one), a nose, and a mouth must be visible; and nothing below the waist can be showing.
REQUIRED: Include the cover when you post. Ex:
15.9 - Summer Lovin'
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Read a book that has a word of at least 4 letters in its title/subtitle that matches a word in the lyrics from Summer Nights. The words "loving," "because," and "doing" may be used for lovin', 'cause, and doin', respectively. Other than those exceptions, words must match exactly.
15.10 - Summer Months
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June, July, and August are the 6th, 7th, and 8th months of the year. Read a book that has exactly 6, 7, or 8 words in the title. Subtitles may be used or ignored, as needed. Spaces determine words. All words count.
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20.1 - Most Improved Player - Perletwo's task: No, Mr. Bond, I Expect You to Read!
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Half the fun of the James Bond novels and movies is the array of ingenious yet grotesque villains and their byzantine plots for world conquest. This task honors them: the Blofelds, the Draxes, the Drs. No, and their wonderfully bizarre henchmen such as Oddjob and Jaws.
This is a one book task. REQUIRED: Indicate which option you've chosen when you post.
1. The title of the post is a play on the famous exchange "Do you expect me to talk?" "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!" - fun on the page, but immortalized by the merrily ringing line delivery of Gert Fröbe as the title character in the movie Goldfinger. In his honor, read a book by a single author whose first and last initials can be found in either GERT FROBE (umlaut not required) or AURIC GOLDFINGER.
2. Though Bond fights a variety pack of villains through the series and its book and movie extensions, his arch-nemesis is Ernst Stavro Blofeld and Blofeld's uber-consortium of evil organizations. Read a book in which the main character faces an ongoing personal nemesis or recurring villain. The ongoing personal nemesis or recurring villain must appear in more than one book/work.
Examples of arch-nemesis relationships: Sherlock/Moriarty; Clarice Starling/Hannibal Lecter; Harry Potter/Voldemort; the Fellowship/Sauron; Luke & Leia/Darth Vader; Dracula/Van Helsing; and so many more.
Required: If the nature of the ongoing, established hero/villain relationship is not clear from the Goodreads main page, provide links to other book pages or other sites to establish fit when you post.
3. Blofeld's consortium is called the SPecial Executive for Counterintelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion or SPECTRE, and among its subsets is the Soviet counterintelligence agency SMERSH ("SMERt' SHpionam" [Смерть Шпионам, Směrť Špionam], meaning "Death to Spies"). Grammatically speaking, SPECTRE is an acronym, and SMERSH is a portmanteau. Read a book with either an acronym or a portmanteau in the title/subtitle. Ex:
SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper (SEAL - acronym - stands for SEa, Air, and Land); YOLO Juliet (YOLO - acronym - stands for You Only Live Once); Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic (affluenza - portmanteau - from affluence and influenza); Kiss & Blog (blog - portmanteau - from web and log)
These lists might give you some ideas:
List of Common Acronyms Acronyms must be used as acronyms and appear in all caps in the book's title/subtitle (i.e., KISS must mean Keep It Simple, Stupid).
List of portmanteaux
REQUIRED: Identify the word you used and its source words when you post.
20.2 - Rookie at the Top - Aprilleigh’s task: Staying Out of Trouble
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I’ve been a bookworm my entire life, having taught myself to read before I started school. This and my various other hobbies kept me too busy to get into much trouble. Let’s take a look at some of my other favorite hobbies.
Books with main page genre children or kids are excluded from this task. Select one of the options below and read one book.
Required: State the option chosen when you post.
Option 1: Roll for Initiative
I discovered Dungeons & Dragons with the 1981 revised edition. The box contained a rule book, a module (adventure), six polyhedral dice, and a crayon (to fill in the dice numerals). The first step was to use the dice to create a character, after you decided what race and class you wanted to play.
Read a book with one of the words RACE, CLASS, DICE, or ROLL intact in the title (ignore subtitles).
Option 2: Worth a Thousand Words
I’ve never met an art form I didn’t like and I’ve tried my hand at most of them - drawing, painting (acrylic, oil, and watercolor), mixed-media, sculpture, and photography. My aunt even offered to pay my way through art school if I chose that career. Drawing is my favorite because it’s versatile and is a prerequisite for painting, which is my second favorite because it challenges me. I love studying the sketches of some of my favorite artists.
Read a book by an author whose initials are found in one of the following: MATISSE, PICASSO, or REMBRANDT. All initials count (defined by spaces), and you can only use a letter as often as it appears in the name.
Required: State the name chosen when you post.
Option 3: Swim with the Fish
I love my freshwater aquarium (so do my cats, for different reasons). As a biologist, planning and maintaining my aquariums is a big part of the fun. I have four display tanks - for each, I get to design a layout with live plants and other items, select compatible fish and invertebrates, and keep the nitrogen-cycle balanced to maintain the water quality.
Read a book with one or more fish on the cover. Fish are limbless cold-blooded vertebrate animals with gills and fins. They live wholly in the water and do not breathe air. Sharks, rays, and eels are fish. Whales, dolphins, and other aquatic creatures that are not fish will not work. The animal on the cover must clearly be a fish (as opposed to scales, bones, fins, eyes, etc. that might be assumed to be a fish based on the book's title). For example:
Required: Include the book's cover when you post.
Option 4: Teaching an Old Dog
I’m an educator and polymath. I love sharing knowledge, helping people understand elusive concepts, and watching them make connections between new and old information to better understand the world around us. I like it even better when I learn as much or more from them as they do from me.
Read a non-fiction book with a main page genre of Biology or Mathematics.
20.3 - BEST REVIEW CONTEST – Paul's task: Cugel
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Books with the main page genre "Children's" or "Kids" are not allowed for this task.
To honor the author (Jack Vance) of the book (The Dying Earth) that was the subject of my review that was kindly voted as "best", I have devised a simple task.
Cugel (self-named "the Clever", often too clever-by-half) is the rogue of most of the books in the Dying Earth series (perversely, he does not appear in the book that holds that name, and which I reviewed). Nonetheless, he will be the key to this task.
Read a book with a title/sub-title that contains ALL of the letters in the name "CUGEL".
20.4 - GOLDEN OLDIES - Sara G's task: Roller Coasters
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Every year, one of my favorite summer activities is going to amusement parks and riding roller coasters. There's nothing better than spending a hot summer afternoon on thrill rides with friends and family, and after dark some of the rides are even better. I live in central Florida so we have quite a few fun options here.
This is a one book task. Choose one option from those below and read one book that fits that task.
Required: State which option you used when you post.
Option 1: Busch Gardens Tampa
Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida has some of the world's top roller coasters and the park is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. (It's also my favorite of these three parks!) Read a book with the number "60" intact in the page count.
Option 2: Universal Studios Orlando
A new Harry Potter themed roller coaster is opening at Universal Studios Orlando this summer and I plan to be one of the first to ride it! It's called Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. In honor of this new ride and its magical creatures theme, read a book with the main page genre (MPG) Animals.
Option 3: Disney World
Of course, our most famous theme park here in Florida is Disney World. My favorite roller coaster there is called Expedition Everest in Disney's Animal Kingdom. On that ride, you travel up to Mount Everest's base camp and encounter the elusive Yeti. Read a book with a title of 3 or more words where the initial letter of each word in the title can be found in EXPEDITION EVEREST. Subtitles should be ignored.
20.5 - BIGGER IS BETTER – Balletbookworm's task: PRIDE2019
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June 28, 2019, marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riot, a clash between police and activists/community members outside the Stonewall Inn after a police raid. The first Gay Pride parades were held in June the next year to mark the first anniversary of the Riot. Fifty years later, Pride has grown into an international month-long celebration inclusive of all genders, gender expressions, sexualities, and relationships.
In honor of Pride, choose one of the following options and read one book with a page count greater than 300 (this is the Bigger is Better task!) that fits the task parameters.
Required: State the option you chose when you post.
Option 1: STONEWALL
The June 28 raid of the Stonewall Inn and subsequent uprising catalyzed activists working to dismantle anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation across the country. Read a book with a title of at least three words where all initial letters of the words are found in THE STONEWALL RIOT. Each letter may be used only as often as found in the phrase. (If you would like a suggestion, may I recommend The Stonewall Reader: Edited by The New York Public Library, recently published by Penguin Classics?)
Option 2: The Icons
Two pioneering transgender activists who participated in the Stonewall uprising were Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. They were prominent figures in the fight for transgender rights, youth rights, civil rights, and AIDS activism. This year both women are being posthumously honored with statues to be unveiled in Greenwich Village. Read a book by a single author whose initials can be found in either MARSHA P JOHNSON or SYLVIA RIVERA. All name parts count, including initials.
Option 3: The Lammys
The Lambda Literary Awards, aka the Lammys, are awarded every year by the Lambda Literary Foundation to published work that celebrates LGBTQIA+ themes. The most recent awards were given out on June 3, 2019. Read a book that has won or been nominated for a Lammy, in any category: Lambda Literary Awards Winners and Nominees. Remember, books must meet general SRC rules, too.
Required: State the page of the list your book can be found on when you post.
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20.6 - SEASONED READER – Mai's task: Midway Through The Year
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2019 marks a watershed year for me as I made a big, permanent move halfway across the world, to finally settle down after years living in shared dorms and rooms I couldn’t be proud to call my own.
To share in my excitement, choose one of the following options and read one book that fits the task.
Required: State which option you used when you post.
No books with the main page genre children or kids are allowed for this task.
Option 1: In my previous country, I rarely had access to physical copies of new titles in English and had to scour used bookstores for the accidental book brought in by random travelers. Now, my favorite pastime is browsing bookstores and thumbing through those that are published recently. For this option, read any book that was first published this year (2019).
Option 2: 2019 also marks the first in 20 years that published works from before 95 years ago enter the public domain in the United States (background reading on the issue here). To celebrate free access and the expansion of the public domain, read a book first published in 1923 or before.
Option 3: I’ve participated in the SRC intermittently since 2013, and while much has changed in my life, reading has stayed the one constant. Not until now, however, can I gather my books into my own library space.
Read a book that has one or many books on the cover. Here's a list if you need some suggestions (but the book you read does not have to come from the list): Books on Books: metacovers
REQUIRED: Include the cover in your post.
20.7 - Shorter is Sweeter – Kristina Simon's task: On a Roll
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One of the things I love about reading challenges, in general, and the SRC specifically, is how they push me to read outside my go-to genres.
This is a one book task. Roll one die (one time!). Find the number you rolled on the list below. Read a book that has one of the MPGs listed beside the number you rolled that ALSO:
a. is written by a single author whose first and last initials can be found in the genre titles listed for the number you rolled.
OR
b. has a 3+ word title where the initial letter of each word can be found in the genre titles for the number you rolled. All title words count. Subtitles should be ignored. An ampersand (&) counts as the letter A.
If you rolled a:
1. Your genres are: HISTORICAL FICTION or HISTORY
2. Your genres are: SCIENCE FICTION or FANTASY
3. Your genres are: YOUNG ADULT or NEW ADULT
4. Your genres are: NONFICTION or TRUE STORY
5. Your genres are: MYSTERY or THRILLER or HORROR
6. Your genres are: ROMANCE or WOMENS FICTION
Letters that make up the genre titles may be combined to find author initials or the initial title letters, but letters may be used only as many times as they are found in the genre titles.
For example:
Roll = 5. Genres are: MYSTERY or THRILLER or HORROR
I could read Red Dragon, which has the MPG Horror, and is written by Thomas Harris whose initials (TH) can be found in THRILLER.
OR
I could read The Lions of Lucerne, which has the MPG Thriller and the initial letter of each word (TLOL) can be found in THRILLER and HORROR.
Another example:
Roll = 2. Genres are: SCIENCE FICTION or FANTASY
I could read Girl Gone Viral by Arvin Ahmadi. MPG is Science Fiction. Author initials (AA) can be found in FANTASY.
OR
I could read The Candle and the Flame. MPG is Fantasy. Initial letters (TCATF). TC can be found in SCIENCE FICTION. ATF can be found in FANTASY.
Required: State the number you rolled when you post.
20.8 - NICKELS & DIMES – Tammy AZ's task: Home States
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My husband and I were both born, raised, and attended college in Montana and after he finished college we moved to Arizona. We've always considered ourselves Montanans but I recently realized we've actually lived a couple more years than half our lives in Arizona. In honor of my two home states read a fiction or non-fiction book set at least 50% in either Arizona or Montana.
Required: If the setting is not obvious from the book's description or metadata, include a reference that establishes setting when you post.
20.9 - MODERATOR'S PET – Megan Rae's task: The Country Show
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I live in a fairly rural town and one of my favourite summer activities is visiting the various Country Fairs and Shows in the area. I also hold stalls at some of these events selling my handmade pet accessories. These fairs are all about celebrating the countryside, agriculture, local craftsmen and British heritage.
Choose one option and read a book which fits that option. REQUIRED: State the option when you post.
Option 1: Livestock
At the Country Show, farmers show their most impressive animals to compete for the top prize! Read a book with a farm animal on the cover - Any animal from this list - Farm Animals - will count. For example:
REQUIRED: Include the cover when you post.
Option 2: Local Crafts
Local crafters use the Country Show as an opportunity to display and sell their creations and wares, which are usually lovingly handmade. Read a book with the letters CRAFT (in any order) in the TITLE only. Letters found in the subtitle do not count.
Option 3: History
The first known Country Show was held in Lancashire in 1768. Read a book with TWO (or more) of those numbers (1,7,6,8) in the year first published. Ex: 2018, 2017, 2016, 1986, etc.
20.10 - Group Reads
Read ONE of the books selected as the Group Reads choices for the season:
Medieval Fiction: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
Discussion
Robot Fiction: Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel
Discussion
Non Fiction - Ancient Civilizations: The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut's Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt by Kara Cooney
Discussion
REQUIRED: You must participate in the book's discussion thread with at least one post about the contents of the book or your reaction to the book after you have read the book.
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25.1 - Sandy's task - Game of Books
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Originally a series of doorstopper books, Game of Thrones has been a hugely popular tv show for many years - but now it's over. There is supposed to be at least one more book in the series to come, but who knows? While you're waiting, continue with Game of Books, reading two books from the following lists. You may use 2 different lists, or read 2 books from one list..
No books with the main page genre childrens or kids are allowed for this task. Your books must have a combined total of at least 500 pages.
Caution: There are books on these lists that are childrens books and/or graphic novels - being on the list does not override the requirements.
1. Book Recommendations for Arya Stark.
2. Book Recommendations for Jon Snow.
3. Book Recommendations for Daenerys Targaryen
4. Book Recommendations for Tyrion Lannister
5. Book Recommendations for Sansa Stark
6. Book Recommendations for Petyr Baelish (Littlefinger)
REQUIRED: Include in your post the list(s) you chose and the pages on which your books are found.
25.2 - SandyL's task: Road Trip on Route 66!
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I've always enjoyed traveling around the USA on vacation - it's so vast it's hard to see it all. Taking a road trip is a great way to visit different cities and states and see all the beautiful things our country has to offer. Although no longer completely intact (much of it is now Highway 40), the legendary Route 66 still calls to travelers and there are famous landmarks that are visited by thousands of tourists every year. Route 66 starts in Chicago, IL and ends in Santa Monica, CA. And since that's a long way to drive, I'm going to focus on some popular attractions along the western part of the route for this challenge.
This is a two book task. Choose two options and read one book for each.
Required: State which options you choose when you post.
Option 1: Cadillac Ranch - Amarillo, TX
Read a book by an author whose initials are found in CADILLAC RANCH. All initials count.
Option 2: Wigwam Motel - Holbrook, AZ
Read a book with an MPG of Western (stand alone or embedded).
Option 3: Grand Canyon - Arizona
Read a book that contains all the letters of GRAND in the title (no subtitles).
Option 4 - Santa Monica, CA
Read a book featuring a sandy beach on the cover. The cover must clearly show a body of water and a sandy beach, not just water or sand. Ex:
Required: Include the cover of the book when you post.
Option 5 - Road Trip Books
Read a book from one of these lists:
Required: Specify which list you used and what page of that list your book is on.
Road Trip
Young Adult Road Trip Novels
Road Trip! Best Road Trip Romance Novels
Best Road Trip Gay Romance
25.3 - Diana K's task: 75th Anniversary of D-Day
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June 6 will be the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the Allied Forces invasion onto the beaches of Normandy during World War 11.
Choose 2 tasks from the list below and read one book for each task.
Required: State which options you chose when you post.
Option 1: Read a book about D-Day or about the preparations for the invasion. Examples include The Longest Day, D-Day Girls: The Spies Who Armed the Resistance, Sabotaged the Nazis, and Helped Win World War II, The Lost Girls of Paris.
Required: If the D-Day connection is not clear from the description, include a reference when you post.
Option 2: Landings were made at five beaches: SWORD BEACH, JUNO BEACH, GOLD BEACH, OMAHA BEACH and UTAH BEACH. Read a book that includes all the letters of one of the beaches in the title and/or subtitle.
Option 3: While most everyone knows that the United States and Great Britain supplied many of the soldiers in the invasion, there were also troops from Canada, Australia, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, and Poland. Read a book set at least 50% in one of those other countries OR about someone from one of those countries' experience during WWII.
Option 4: A striking image for visitors to the invasion area today are the rows and rows of grave markers at the battle cemeteries. More than 110.000 war dead from the entire Battle of Normandy are buried in 27 war cemeteries. Read a book with a gravestone on the cover.
Required: Include the cover when you post.
25.4 - Andy P.'s task: Authors That Work Well Together
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This is a two book task.
No book with children or kids as a main page genre may be used for this task.
The combined page count for both books must be 501 or greater.
Choose two books, written by two different authors, whose combined initials can be put together to make a single word in English. The word must appear in www.dictionary.com as a part of speech: noun, pronoun, adjective, verb, adverb, preposition. Contractions and other words that contain punctuation or symbols will not work. Books must be written by a single author. All initials must be used.
Ex: Michael Connelly (MC) + Allen Eskens (AE) = CAME
Thomas H. Cook (THC) + Ann Cleeves (AC) = CATCH
Required: Indicate the word that you made from the initials when you post.
25.5 - Raynebair's task: My Career in Technology
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I’ve been a computer programmer for nineteen years. Before that, I learned to build my own computer from parts back in college. When I got my first programming job, my only experience was a few entry level college classes, so I fell back on my love of books to help me out. I bought a beginner’s book on how to program and read it cover to cover in the two weeks before that first day. I've continued to build my collection of tech books over the years and they have been helpful, but sadly, the technology advances so fast now, as soon as books get published, something new is on the horizon. But I still have the very first book sitting on my shelf in my office.
This is a two book task. Choose two different options and read one book for each option. Combined page total for both books must be at least 550 pages.
REQUIRED: State which options you used when posting.
Option 1. Read a non-fiction book with a main page genre of Technology or Computer Science, embedded or standalone.
Option 2. Read a book with one of following "computerized" items on the cover: mobile phone, tablet, desktop or laptop computer, digital camera or video camera. Ex:
Required: Include the book cover when you post.
Option 3. Read a book where the page count contains the number 19 intact. (example: 319, 196).
Option 4. Read a book first published in 2000, the year I started my first programming job.
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25.6 - Nick KY's task: Birthday “One”
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Read two books, one from each of two options below.
Option 1. On my birthday in June this year, I will turn a number of years which ends in “1.” But, as I am not 1 year old, my age has two digits. For this first option read a book with a title which is two words in length -- BUT the first word must be the article “The.” (So is it really two words, or just one word with a kickstarter?) Ignore subtitles and series titles. Foreign titles must meet the requirements when translated into English.
Examples which work: The Parasites; The Bat; The Buffalo: The Story of American Bison and Their Hunters from Prehistoric Times to the Present
Option 2. My birthday is on the 26th of the 6th month. Read a book which is between 260 and 600 pages in length. (It may be 260 pp. or 600 pp. exactly or anywhere in between.)
Option 3. As a birthday present to myself – and to those of you who like classic British mysteries – read a book on this listopia: Classic British Mysteries
The only exception: If you do not wish to read The Complete Sherlock Holmes, then you may read one of the nine books from Arthur Conan Doyle which feature Sherlock Holmes. Use this list: Sherlock Holmes Books: The Complete List
Required: State which list you used when you post.
25.7 - Cat's task: Ellan Vannin
Help Thread
I finished the Spring challenge whilst on holiday in the Isle of Man. A tiny island in the Irish Sea, with population of 70,000, Mann is full of history and is a wonderful place to explore.
Come explore some of its quirks with me in this task...
A two book task, pick one option and read both tasks within it.
Required: State which option you picked when you post.
As the Manx flag is the triskelion - a three-legged symbol ("whichever way you throw, it'll stand"), the page count of each book must include a 3 (in any position).
Option 1: Myths and Legends
One of the myths is that the island was formed when Finn MacCool, the Irish giant, scooped out a clod of earth from Northern Ireland and tossed it at a Scottish giant he was fighting. Missing the giant, the clod landed in the Irish Sea, forming Mann, and Lough Neagh too. There are a couple of current myths that the Manxmen enjoy more though:
Book 1: FAIRY BRIDGE
On the main route from the capital to the airport is the Fairy Bridge, where the little people live. Anyone crossing the bridge must say "Good Morning" (or alternative time appropriate greeting) to the little people. Everyone does this - pity the poor taxi drivers crossing back and forth, constantly tipping their hats!
☛ Read a book with a TITLE of at least three words, with title initials found in the phrase FAIRY BRIDGE. Subtitles should be ignored.
Book 2: SNAEFELL
The central mountain on the island, over 2,000 feet and reachable by the electrical train. Famously, on a clear day you can see seven kingdoms from the top of the mountain: Mann, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Heaven and Mannanan (i.e. the sea)
☛ Read a book that is #7 in a series
Option 2: History
The Isle of Man is a part of the British Isles, but not of Great Britain: it is a Crown Dependency, with it's own parliamentary system, laws and money. The Queen is the head of state, known by her title of Lord of Mann. Historically, Mann was governed by Vikings, whose influence can still be seen in the names of places and in ancient political boundaries and structure.
Book 1: POLITICS
The Manx parliament is the Tynwald, brought to the island by the Vikings, making it the oldest continuous parliamentary body - uninterrupted since ~970 - predating "the Mother of Parliaments" in Westminster. Manxmen being proudly independent thinkers, they were the first country to grant women (with property) the right to vote, in 1881, and before New Zealand (though I'll grant you New Zealand went further in their rights). A little known fact: Emmeline Pankhurst, the famous British suffragette, was the daughter of a Manx woman!
☛ Read a book with MPG Politics or Feminism
Book 2: INDUSTRY
While there is still a fishing industry, this is of much less importance nowadays than in its heyday, when Manx sailors criss-crossed the seas. Instead, financial services, egaming and film industry are big parts of the economy. My favourite piece of Manx industrial heritage is the wonderful Lady Isabella, the largest working waterwheel in the world, used to pump water out of ore mines.
☛ Read a book with author initials found in LADY ISABELLA. Spaces determine names. All initials count.
Option 3: Leisure
As there is a lot countryside, the great outdoors makes up a fantastic part of the leisure options on the island: check out the seals at the Calf of Man, hike Snaefell, go sea-kayaking or quad/trail-biking. For more cerebral entertainment, the Gaiety Theatre (a gem of an Edwardian theatre) hosts amateur and professional shows, with comedians and musicians coming over to perform. The island also has music festivals throughout the year, and especially during the TT weeks in May and June, when the population doubles with motorbike fans flocking to see the races, and normal life on the island all but shuts down with road closures. And should not forget, the World Tin Bath Championships are held annually in Castletown Harbour, when hundreds of tin baths are paddled around the course with varying degrees of success!
Book 1: TRANSPORT
The tourist can enjoy a wide variety of transport options: arriving by plane or ferry and then exploring the Douglas Prom on a horse-drawn tram before grabbing the electric railway to the north, or a steam train across the island. But mostly, when you think of the Isle of Man you think of motorbikes...
☛ Read a book with a motorbike on the cover
This must be a motorbike - pedal bikes and scooters will not work: think of machines that go at 170mph!
Required: Include the cover when you post.
Book 2: ANIMALS
The island brings the unexpected: there are no foxes on the island, but there is now a troop of wallabies in the north, having escaped a zoo and who are now flourishing. The cats have no tails but the sheep have many many horns (the Manx cat breed are naturally tailless, they don't go around amputation regular cats' tails!; Loaghtan sheep have four or even six horns, and look just about as crazy as they sound!)
☛ Read a book with page count including one of 0, 4 or 6**.
**Note: Remember, all books for this task must also include a 3 in the page count.
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25.8 - Coralie's task: Naming the New Generation
Help Thread
My parents currently have six great-grandchildren, two girls and four boys.
Read 2 books, one for the girls and one for the boys.
Book 1: the girls
The girls' names are Amity and Verity.
Read a book by a FEMALE author which has a word in the title or subtitle that ends -ITY. The book may have more than one author but all of the authors must be female.
For example: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Book 2: the boys
The boys' names are Troy, Zeke, Arlo and Jack
Read a book by a MALE author who has exactly four letters in his first name as given by Goodreads. Spaces define names. The book may have more than one author but ALL the authors must be male AND ALL the authors must have four letters in their first name.
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30.1 - Amanda A's task: Like Letters
Help Thread
Read two books, one from Book 1 and one from Book 2.
The books must have a combined page total of at least 500 pages.
Book 1: Read a book where every word in the title begins with the same letter. The title must contain at least three words. Subtitles may be excluded. For the purposes of this task, an ampersand (&) will be considered an A.
Ex: The Thirteenth Tale; The Two Towers; Love's Labour's Lost; Sun, Sand, Sex; Ashes and Arsenic; Murder Most Maine
Book 2: Read a book by a single author whose initials are the same letter. All initials count.
30.2 -Schatzie's task: An Ode to Sarabelle!
Help Thread
I recently lost a dear friend to cancer. We had a lot of fun together and she was truly unforgettable.
This is a two book task. Choose two options from below and read a book for each option.
Required: State which options you chose when you post.
Option 1: She had an aggressive form of cancer and was given 6 months to live and that was with chemo and radiation. She made it to 5 months. Read a nonfiction book with a main page genre of science or health, stand alone or embedded.
Option 2: She was my favorite poker companion, even though we liked different types of poker games. While I loved Texas Hold’em, she preferred 7 card stud. She was also an emotional player and she couldn’t bluff worth a darn, (that was easy to exploit.) Read a book with a word in the title/subtitle that is at least 5 letters long, and it must start with a P and end with an R.
Option 3: She could also swear like a sailor. Read a book with a one-word title that contains exactly 4 letters. Numerals, symbols, and punctuation don’t count. For example:
Thud! or Home
Option 4: She loved the music of AC/DC (who doesn’t?). Read a book by an author with the initials of AC, CA, DC, or CD. Middle initials should be ignored.
30.3 - Ava Catherine's task: Faulkner's Reivers
Help Thread
My favorite book about rogues is William Faulkner's The Reivers.
Read two books, one from Book 1 and one from Book 2.
The page number total for both books must exceed 500 (i.e. must be 501 or greater).
No books with the genre Childrens or Kids may be used for this task.
Book 1: The Reivers
Read a book in which a title word of at least four letters contains the letters “ei” intact, as in the title word “Reivers.” Subtitles do not apply.
ex. Wuthering Heights ei=heights
Women in Their Beds: New and Selected Stories ei=their
The Last Days of Café Leila ei=Leila
Fahrenheit 451 ei=fahrenheit
Book 2: 1962: Publication date
The Reivers was first published in 1962 and was posthumously awarded the Pulitzer in 1963. Read a book that was first published in 1962.
30.4 - ElaineL's task: School’s Out!
Help Thread
As an elementary teacher, I get the wonderful perk of a summer off from work. I decided to design my task around my plans for this summer.
This is a two book task; books must be selected from two different options. Your books must have a combined page total of at least 700 pages.
Required: Identify which options you used when you post.
Option 1: For the first time in over a decade, I will not be teaching summer school. Read a book by a single author whose initials can be found in the phrase, “NO SUMMER SCHOOL FOR ME” All initials count.
Option 2: My mom and I take a road trip every summer. Read a book set at least 50% in one of the states we will be driving through this year: Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming.
Required: If the setting is not obvious on the book’s main page, include a reference when you post.
Option 3: I have a huge list of tasks that I have been putting off all school year. I will be taking advantage of this summer to knock a lot of these tasks off my ever-growing to-do list. Read a book with the letters G-I-D (Get It Done) in the title and/or authors name.
Example: On the Edge by Ilona Andrews G,D in title, I in author’s name; The Victory Garden by Rhys Bowen (GID in title); Last True Hero by Diana Gardin (GID in author’s name)
30.5 -Susan A's task: Summer Swimming
Help Thread
Summer is the busiest time of year for my family, mostly due to the frantic pace of my kids’ summer swim team. Summer swimming is a 2 month season that takes place outdoors and features dual meets with shorter races, whereas winter swimming is 9 months long, indoors and features open meets with a greater range of races.
This is a two book task. Please choose two options and read one book for each.
Required: State which options you chose when you post.
Option 1: I can’t believe we have to say this over and over again, but yes, swimming is a sport. Read a book that features the main page genre Sports or Sports and Games. The genre may be embedded.
Examples:
Option 2: Read a book with all of the letters SWIM in the book’s title/subtitle.
Ex: The Swimmer; Before She Knew Him – Before She KneW HIM
Option 3: Summer swimming is all about sprinting. Choose a book that you can read FAST, a book between 100 and 150 pages.
Option 4: The summer swim team colors are red and black. Read a book with ONLY black and/or red letters on the cover. All letters count.
Examples:
Will NOT work:
Required: Include the cover when you post.
Option 5: Read a book with the word swimmer(s), swimming, swim, swam or swum found in the text. Required: Post the sentence and page number, location or time (audiobooks) at which at the word was found when you post.
Example: Out in the Deep ~ "I popped back up when I realized I wasn’t going to get the call and retaliated by kicking Gabe in the stomach, then swimming partially over him before getting into position on defense." ~ loc. 9/241
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30.6 - Dlmrose’s Task: Relatively Obsessed
Help Thread
I’ve been working on my family history since my 4th grade class did an immigration project. Now that so many records are available online my family tree has grown exponentially.
Choose two different options and read a book for each.
Required: Identify the options.
Option 1: Almost all my research is done in a language other than English. I’ve had to brush the dust off my college Latin textbooks to read church records and develop genealogy vocabularies in 4 other languages. I really appreciate the hard work of translation.
Read a book written in a language other than your native language. The edition you read may be in any language, as long as the first published edition of the book was not in your native language.
Required:State your native language.
Option 2: I’ve been studying Norwegian in an attempt to translate a book that includes information about many of my family members:
Fra de hvite seils dager: beretninger og minner om menn og deres skip From the days of white sails: stories and memories of men and their ships
Read a book with a masted sailing ship on the cover. The sails do not need to be raised. Visible sail rigging does qualify.
Required: Include the cover.
Option 3: I try very hard not to be just a collector of names and dates, but to put my family history in context to understand how my ancestors lived.
Read a non-fiction book with a main page genre that includes History
Option 4: Working with Norwegian names has sometimes been a challenge. My great-grandfather b. 1887 used a patronymic surname consisting of his father's first name + sen, but some of his 9 siblings used their father’s surname Johnsen, and some others changed the spelling to Johnson.
Read a book written by a single author whose last name ENDS in -sen or -son, such as Jussi Adler-Olsen, Clara Bensen, Sheila A. Nielson
30.7 -Dulcinella's task: Rogues All Over the Place
Help Thread
As a non-native English speaker, I was looking around to make sure I had the meaning of the word ‘rogue’ just right. As usual, I found myself completely lost in all the cool links I found. So I built my ideas on some of them.
Choose 2 of the following tasks and read two books, EACH book at least 250 pages and with a TOTAL of at least 650 pages.
Required: State which options you chose when you post.
1. Read a book with a word(*) in the title that is also in the title of one of the songs on the album Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Chanteys. You may choose song titles from Disc One or Disc Two. Words must match exactly. No variations.
(*) These words may NOT be used: "a," "the," "in," "of," "on," "to," "and"
Required: State which song you are using when you post.
2. Read a book of which the author has the same first, last, or middle name as one of the artists on the album Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Chanteys. You may choose artists from Disc One or Disc Two. Names may be used in any position.
Required: State which artist you are using when you post.
3. The etymology of the word ‘rogue’ is unsure. The possible origins of the word might point to France, Italy or Norway. Read a book set in one of these 3 countries or any other country where the official language is French or Italian (Croatia, San Marino, Slovenia, Switzerland, Vatican City).
4. There have been a lot of rogues through history. You can find 25 of them at Silver Petticoat Review. Choose one of the 25 rogues listed and read a biography about them.
5. Often ‘rogues’ are depicted in a stereotypical way with an attribute. The ability to pick a lock, for example. Read a book from the list: Lock and Key
Required: State which page of the list your book can be found on when you post.
30.8 -TessaVanessa's task: Double Up
Help Thread
Read 2 books with the exact same title. At least one of the books must be written by an author that shares a name with one of these Twin authors and Writers. The spelling of the name must be the same but the name may be in any position. One qualifying author in a work by multiple contributors will work. All title words count but subtitles, symbols, and punctuation may be ignored. An ampersand (&) may be used as a substitute for the word "and."
Required: Specify the twin author/writer's name you are using when you post.
Example:
These work:
Book 1: A Woman's Place by Lynn Austin
Book 2: A Woman's Place by Barbara Delinsky
Lynn Austin shares a name with Austin Grossman
Book 1: Heat Wave by Richard Castle
Book 2: Heat Wave by Jennifer Greene
Jennifer Greene shares a name with Jennifer Roy
30.9 - Mazza1's task: JUST READING
Help Thread
This is a two book task with a page count of at least 600 Pages.
I run a real life book club. We are a very varied group with members aged 20 – 70 both male and female and a wide range of interest. Some have said we focus on women’s literature but I think we have covered every genre. We pick books 2 months in advance to give members time to access and read the books. We have one rule - nothing over 500 pages. Like most reading groups we have had both hits and misses.
Book 1 - Read any book that fits SRC rules that we have read in our Leeds Book group (Good Reads in Leeds) (up until July this year).
Required: State the month and year that we read the book in your completion post.
Book 2 – Read a book that you need to read for your IRL book club or the BOTM of one of your other Goodreads Groups. For the purposes of this task, a Goodreads Group book of the month (BOTM) must be shown on the group's homepage under Currently Reading for the month of June, July, or August. If you do not have an in-real-life (IRL) book club or belong to another Goodreads Group that has a BOTM listed under Currently Reading on the group's homepage, choose a group from the Groups page and read a book they are currently reading.
Required: State whether the book you read was for an IRL book club or for another Goodreads Group. If the book is for another Goodreads Group, state the name of the group and what month the book was their book of the month when you post.
Optional: Go to the help thread for this task and let me know if you'd recommend this book to Good Reads in Leeds. If you have any good questions for our reading group to discuss, I'd like to hear those, too!
30.10 - Brooke TX's task: Spies, Scouts, Detectives, Pirates, and Sundry Ne'er-do-wells
Help Thread
I can't be the only person who immediately thinks of RPG (role playing games) character classes when they hear the word "rogue," can I? Even if I am, that's all that comes to mind. The rogue character class in D&D (Dungeons & Dragons) includes a variety of subtypes: thieves, assassins, spies, etc. - which, coincidentally, are some of my favorite character types in books! The Complete Thief's Handbook details the thief/rogue class, including the following subclasses: Acrobat, Adventurer, Assassin, Bandit, Beggar, Bounty Hunter, Buccaneer, Burglar, Cutpurse, Fence, Investigator, Scout, Smuggler, Spy, Swashbuckler, Swindler, Thug, Troubleshooter.
This is a two book task. Read two books found on any of the following lists. Your books may be from two different lists or the same list.
Thieves
Jesters, Fools, and Tricksters
Books With Heroes/Heroines Who Are Assassins
Espionage
Swashbucklers
Pirates!
Required: State the list(s) and page(s) on which your books were found.
Mod
Help Thread
Tic, Tac, Toe, three in a row.
No books with the genres children or kids on the main book page may be used for this task.
For this task, you will make Tic-Tac-Toe from three of the genres listed below by reading three books--a Book 1, a Book 2, and a Book 3. To make Tic-Tac-Toe, your three books must have main page genres (MPGs) that match three squares in a row. Rows may be formed horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. The page count of your three books must total at least 750 pages.
In addition to the MPGs, your books must meet the following criteria:
Book 1: Author's last name must begin with T, I or C.
Book 2: Author's last name must begin with T, A, or C.
Book 3: Author's last name must begin with T, O or E.
All books must be written by a single author. The genres in your row may be used in any order.
For example -
TIC - Literary Fiction, author's last name begins with I
Book 1: The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
TAC - Mystery, author's last name begins with C
Book 2: Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine
TOE - Fantasy, author's last name begins with E
Book 3: Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
Required: Indicate which genres you used when you post.
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
The Seasonal Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Stillhouse Lake (other topics)Gardens of the Moon (other topics)
The Remains of the Day (other topics)
The Stonewall Reader (other topics)
City of Bones (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Rachel Caine (other topics)Steven Erikson (other topics)
Kazuo Ishiguro (other topics)
Cassandra Clare (other topics)
Thomas Harris (other topics)
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5.1 - Han Solo
Help Thread
“You’ve never heard of the Millennium Falcon? It’s the ship that made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs.” Read a book by an author whose first and last name initials are found in MILLENNIUM FALCON. Letters may only be used as often as they are found in the target phrase.
5.2 - Indiana Jones
Help Thread
Dr. Henry Walton Jones Jr. and the Temple of Doom doesn't have the same marquee appeal.
Read a book with a U.S. state in the title or subtitle. 2-word state names must appear completely. State names must match exactly. The Hotel New Hampshire, Love Finds You in Wildrose, North Dakota
5.3 - Captain Jack Sparrow
Help Thread
What's a pirate's favorite letter? You'd think it's the "R", but actually it's the "C"!
Read a book where the first letter of the title begins with an R or a C.
5.4- James Bond
Help Thread
The "OO" (Double O) designation is given to the agents in a discrete area of MI6. In the novel You Only Live Twice, Bond was transferred into another branch and given the code number 7777.
Read a book with seven, seventh, 7, or 7th INTACT in the title or subtitle or a book identified on Goodreads as a book in a series with a number that includes a 7.
The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, In 27 Days, Smokin' Seventeen, Thankless in Death (In Death #37)
5.5 - Robin Hood
Help Thread
This legendary heroic outlaw has appeared in many film adaptations.
Read a book written by an author who shares a name with one of the 24 actors from this list that have played Robin Hood. The list appears in post 2 of the help thread. The name may be in any name position, names must match exactly. One qualifying author in a work by multiple contributors works.
ex. #1 Robert Frazer Margaret Frazer
Required: State the actor's name.
5.6 - Lisbeth Salander
Help Thread
The gifted, but deeply troubled computer hacker in the Millennium series has been called one of literature's most compelling characters, and the series have become classics of Nordic Noir. Read a book set at least 50% in a Nordic Country: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Greenland or the Faroe Islands.
5.7 - Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights
Help Thread
Brooding, tortured Heathcliff is one of literature's most romantic heroes.
Read a book from this list So You Love a Bad Boy or Tortured Hero
Required: State the page number of the list where your book appears.
5.8 - Arya Stark
Help Thread
Arya Stark is a prominent character in the Song of Ice and Fire Series. The House of Stark's coat of arms depicts a running grey direwolf on an ice-white field.
Read a book with "wolf" or "wolves" intact in the title, subtitle, series title or author's name.
5.9 - Sir John Falstaff
Help Thread
Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character in four plays by William Shakespeare, including the history plays King Henry IV, Part 1 and Henry IV, Part 2. He is eulogized in Henry V. An incorrigible rogue, he is one of Shakespeare's most beloved characters.
Read a Fiction book with a main page genre that includes History or Historical.
5.10 - Rhett Butler
Help Thread
As Gone with the Wind's Rhett Butler might have said: Frankly, my dear, we don't give a damn what you read... Read a book of your choice that meets SRC rules. For this task, a book with the main page genre childrens or kids may be used if it is not found in AR Bookfinder.