The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
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WINTER CHALLENGE 2019
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Completed Tasks: PLEASE DO NOT DELETE ANY POST IN THIS THREAD

Option 1: Golden State - 319 pages
Two of 0,1,3,4,8 in page total
Option 4: Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
Inititals in ALBUQUERQUE BALLOON FESTIVAL
Total points: 180

read a book with decreasing digits in page count
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper
432 pages
=======
920 points
10 BB tix
3 GO tix

read a book with author initials in MELTDOWN
Magician's Gambit by David Eddings
DE initials
======
940 points
10 BB tix
3 GO tix

25.7 - Nick KY’s Task: Double Duty – Pulitzer Prizes.
This is a two book task. Read one Book 1 and one Book 2.
Book 1. Read a book with at least one word in the TITLE which has a set of consecutive double letters. Subtitles are excluded.
The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal
Book2. Read a book written by a Pulitzer winning author or finalist from one of these lists:
1. Fiction, 1948 to the present.
Required: State the category and year of the win/finalist.
The Overstory by Richard Powers (Fiction, 2019)
This task: 25 points
To Date: 320

REPOST - forgot to post cover
25.5 Kaora's Task: All Work and Some Play
Option 3: boat on cover
Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell Winter's Bone

This is the Kindle edition which I did read
Option 4) author initials in ALBUQUERQUE BALLOON FESTIVAL
The Wives by Tarryn Fisher The Wives
albuquerque balloon FesTival
Points this post: 25
Total Points: 810

20.3 Best Review Contest - Joanne MI's task - Celebrating the 90's
Min 190 pages; Option 1) 1st published between 1990 & 1999
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy The God of Small Things
1st published 1997, 321 pages
Points this post: 20
Total Points: 830

15.3 - Spin the Wheel
Option 2
Read one book that fulfills book 1 AND book 2.
Dream of Orchids kindle Dream of Orchids - paperback pgs. 310 by Phyllis A. Whitney
D, M , A, E, R in Dream
C in Orchids
L in Phyllis
T in Whitney

THIS POST
Points: 15
Completed Tasks: 1
Golden oldies:
Total This Season
Points: 285/1165
Completed Tasks: 16/64
Golden oldies: 2
******
Pages read this season: 8,074
Books read this season: 23

30.2 - Amanda A & Amy FL's Task: Two Women Honoring a Remarkable Woman - Choose two different options and read a book for each option. The combined total of both books must be at least 500 pages.
Option 1 - Read a book by a single author whose initials can be found in CORETTA SCOTT KING. All initials count.
Exhalation by Ted Chiang (350 pages)
Option 2 - Read a book FIRST published in January of any year.
Beneath the Sugar Sky - published January 9, 2018 (174 pages)
350 + 174 = 524 pages total
Points this task: 30
Total points to date: 340
Golden Oldies: 0
Big Books: 0
Tasks complete: 20
Books read: 27

Option 3: Dear Life: A Doctor's Story of Love and Loss by Rachel Clarke (SPECTRE)
Total: 55

Planetfall
30.6 The World of Xanth
Bk 1: Option 2:
The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett
page 1 of list (Popular Punny Books) 285 pages
Bk 2: Option 2: Planetfall by Emma Newman
Author's initials (E N) in PIERS ANTHONY
MPG: Both Science Fiction and Fantasy
336 pages
Points: 30
Total points: 650

25.7 Pulitzer Prize
Bk 1: Iza's Ballad by Magda Szabó
Double "l" in title
Bk 2: Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Fiction List. 2009
Points: 25
Total points: 675
30.8 - Brooke TX's Task: Worlds Without End
For my first book, I read Doomsday Book, winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel, 1993. I listened to the audiobook, linked to the MMPB - 598 pages.
For my second book, I read Dread Nation, Bram Stoker nominee for Best YA Novel, 2018. I listened to the audiobook, linked to the top pb (no MMPB) - 464 pages.
total pages - 1062 (>500).
total points: 840
For my first book, I read Doomsday Book, winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel, 1993. I listened to the audiobook, linked to the MMPB - 598 pages.
For my second book, I read Dread Nation, Bram Stoker nominee for Best YA Novel, 2018. I listened to the audiobook, linked to the top pb (no MMPB) - 464 pages.
total pages - 1062 (>500).
total points: 840

Task: 25.5 - Kaora's Task: All Work and Some Play...
Option: 1: Palm Springs, CA
Book read: Hay Fever by Noël Coward
Required: 100 pages containing a 1 and a 0
GO/BB requested?: yes. Claim 1 golden oldie. Book first published in 1925.
Option: 4: Albuquerque, NM
Book read: Almost Adulting: All You Need to Know to Get It Together by Arden Rose
Required: author initials AR found in AlbuqueRque
GO/BB requested?: no
Points this task: repost so no change to points
Total points: 475
Golden Oldies ticket requests: 1
Total Golden Oldies: 5
Total Big Books: 1
Books read: 32
Tasks completed: 22

Option: 1: 50 years
Book read:Working at Love by Judy Baer
Required: Published 1989
Option 2: The Sesame Street Muppets
Book read: The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
Required: On page 4 of list.
GO/BB requested?: GO requested. Book first published in 1915.
Points this task: 30
Total points: 505
Total Golden Oldies: 6
Total Big Books: 1
Books read: 34
Tasks completed: 23

Task # 25.10 - Kristina Simon's task: Rewards of Awards
Option 1. Read a book found on the list of Popular Book Club Books.
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles 335 p. page 2 #99
Option 3. Read a book found on the Alex Award Winners list
The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir 336 p. page 1 # 9 on list
Page total 335 + 336 =671 p.> 500 page requirement
Points this post: 25
Total points: 660

5.1. Name Calling!
Read a book with a person's first name in its title/subtitle/series title.
I read Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert.
Points This Task: 5
Total Points to Date: 230

15.6 - Third Time's The Charm
Read a book that has won or been nominated for at least three literary awards. The awards must be listed in the GR metadata.
Freshwater - Akwaeke Emezi 1/30
Literary Awards:
Lambda Literary Award Nominee for Transgender Fiction (2019)
Wellcome Book Prize Nominee for Longlist (2019)
Women's Prize for Fiction Nominee for Longlist (2019)
Nommo Award Nominee for Best Novel (The Ilube Award) (2019)
Aspen Words Literary Prize Nominee for Longlist (2019)
Points this task: 15
Total points: 565

25.15 - Sarah E's Task: Do You Want to Build a Snowman?
Option 2: Coal for the eyes and buttons
To find the coal, read a book with black text anywhere on the cover.
The Doll Factory - Elizabeth Macneal 12/27

Option 3: Carrot for the nose
Hunt out a carrot by reading a book with all the letters of CARROT found in the title
The Romanov Cross - Robert Masello 2/2
C in Cross
AR in RomAnov
RO in CRO
T in The
Points this task: 25
Total points: 540

10.5 - Countdown to New Year's
Read a book in which the digits in the page count decrease sequentially (ex: 210, 321, 432, 543, 1098, etc.).
Burning Desire - Donna Grant (320 pages) 1/29
Points this task: 10
Total points: 550

Book 1, a book with at least one word in the title that has a set of consecutive double letters: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom by August Wilson
Book 2, a book writer by a Pulitzer Prize winning author #5 Commentary 1992: Object Lessons by Anna Quindlen
Points this post: 25
Total points: 660

Book 1, a book that does not contain an M or an N in the title or subtitle: Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones
mass market paperback edition Silver Sparrow 368 pages
Book 2—Option 2-1, a book in which the author's name contains both an M and an N: The Curve of Time by M. Wylie Blanchet
paperback edition The Curve of Time: The Classic Memoir of a Woman and Her Children Who Explored the Coastal Waters of the Pacific Northwest 192 pages
Points this post: 25
Total points: 685

Task #10.1 - Read a book with HOME, HOLIDAY, FAMILY, or FRIEND found intact in title, subtitle, or series title. I read Hangman's Holiday: A Collection of Short Mysteries by Dorothy L. Sayers.
Total points so far: 625

Option 1: Read a book by a single author whose initials can be found in CORETTA SCOTT KING. All initials count.
corettA Sott
The Last Wish (The Witcher 0.5) (1993) by Andrzej Sapkowski; translated from Polish by Danusia Stok (Mass Market Paperback, 359 pages)
Tähtifantasia Award (2011) * WINNER
Option 3: Read a book with a title of at least three words where the first letter of each word in the title can be found in GANDHI PEACE PRIZE.
gAnDhI peAce prize
In an Absent Dream (Wayward Children #4) (2019) by Seanan McGuire (Goodreads Author) (Hardcover, 204 pages)
The combined total of both books must be at least 500 pages.
359 + 204 = 563 > 500 pages
255 + 30 = 285
Tasks Completed: 14
Points for this post: 30
Points thus far: 255 + 30 = 285
Books read: 22
Pages read: 5,535
Read but not claimed: 04
Goodreads Authors: 13
Golden Oldies: 00
Big Books:
(0) 500+
(0) 750+
(0) 1,000+

All authors are new to me.
Book 1, a fiction book whose main character is in one of the diversity categories (#2 Immigrant): We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo
paperback edition We Need New Names 290 pages
Book 2, a fiction book whose author is in one of the diversity categories (#1 Person of Color): The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
paperback edition The Poet X 361 pages
Book 3, a non-fiction book that is about one of the diversity categories (#3 LBGTQIA): She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders by Jennifer Finney Boylan
paperback edition She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders 320 pages
Points this post: 50
Total points: 735

25.9 - Diana K's Task: 2020 Number Fun.
Option 3: Read a book by an author whose first and last name initials appear in the word VIGESIMAL
The Unleashing - Shelly Laurenston (S&L in vigeSimaL) 1/18
Option 4: Read a book that has a pair of glasses on the cover. Sunglasses, monocles, lorgnettes, etc. work.
Dangerously Fierce - Deborah Blake 2/8

Points this task: 25
Total points: 575

Task 10.4 Read a book with the letters GG in the title, subtitle, or author's name
Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World -Double G's in Biggest
Points this Task 10
Total Points 305
Total BB's 7

Task 20.9 - Moderator's Pet - Sarah Ruth's Task: Can You Keep A Secret?
Option 3: What's in a name?
For this option: Read a book written by a single author whose first and last name initials can be found in either SPECTRE or MELTDOWN
Chose mEltDown
Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident by Donnie Eichar
Points this task 20
Total Points 325
Total BB's 7

Task 5.8. Speaking My Language?
Book: All This I Will Give to You, finished 2/9
How it fits: Written originally in Spanish (my primary language is English)
Points this task: 5
Total points: 570

15.10 - Get 'Em While They're Hot
Read a book FIRST published in 2019 or 2020.
The Grammarians
Points this post: 15
Total points: 415
Golden Oldies: 3
Big Books: 7
Total Tasks: 23

10.6 - Fresh Start
Read a book that's #1 in a series.
Wicked Saints (Something Dark and Holy #1)
Points this post: 10
Total points: 425
Golden Oldies: 3
Big Books: 7
Total Tasks: 24

read a book from the list
In the Vanishers’ Palace
p9, #809 on the list
=======
960 points
10 BB tix
3 GO tix

Task #20.7 - Be Better
Option 3: Read a book written by a single author whose name contains both an E and a D. I read The Prey of Gods by Nicky Drayden.
Total points so far: 645

25.15 - Sarah E's Task: Do You Want to Build a Snowman?
This is a two book task. Pick two different options and read one book for each option. Required: State which options you chose.
Option 2: Coal for the eyes and buttons
To find the coal, read a book with black text anywhere on the cover. The text may be part of the title, subtitle, author name, or any other text.
On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan (title is in black)
Required: Post the cover
On Chesil Beach

Option 4: Sticks for the arms
Find some arms by reading a book by a single author whose first and last name initials are found in STICKS or TWIGS.
Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky
Imaginary Friend

This Task: 25 points
To Date: 345 points

30.5 - Sandy's Task: As Easy as 1 and 2 (not even 3!)
Option 2. Read a book that has a series number consisting only of 1 and/or 2 - i.e. 1, 2, 11, 12, and so on. If a book belongs to more than one series, you may use any series that is noted in the book's main page metadata. To qualify, a series must have at least 3 already published books.
Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
This book is #2 in the World of the Five Gods series.
I read the Kindle edition. The MMPB here has 545 pages.
**Paladin of Souls is a Big Book (545 pages). Claiming 1 BB ticket.**
Option 3. Go to the individual page for the last book you gave a 5 star rating to (i.e. if the last book you rated 5 stars was Oryx and Crake you would go to the book's main page. Scroll down to the section for community reviews and click on "filter" for 5 stars...then click on "sort" to organize the list by most recent first. Once you do that you will need to click on page 1 or 2 of the list and select a person. Visit that person's profile and select another book (one that you haven't read before) that they gave 5 stars to and that will be the book you need to read for this option.
At the start of the Winter challenge, my most recent 5 star book was The UnAmericans. Goodreads user Taylor on the first page of the 5 star list also gave this book 5 stars:
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Points this post: 30
Total points: 775

White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism
Post Total: 5
Grand Total: 325

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
I'd like a Golden Oldie for this. It was published in 1939.
Post Total: 20
Grand Total: 345

25.7 - Nick KY’s Task: Double Duty – Pulitzer Prizes.
This is a two book task. Read one Book 1 and one Book 2.
Book 1. Read a book with at least one word in the TITLE which has a set of consecutive double letters. Subtitles are excluded.
The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal
The Lager Queen of Minnesota
Book2. Read a book written by a Pulitzer winning author or finalist from one of these lists:
1. Fiction, 1948 to the present.
Required: State the category and year of the win/finalist.
The Overstory by Richard Powers (Fiction, 2019)
The Overstory
This task: 25 points
To Date: 320

30.7 - Tien's task: Sesame Street 50th
This is a 2 book task.
Option 1: 50 years
Read a book first published in 1969 to 2019 inclusive.
The Wives by Tarryn Fisher (2019)
The Wives
Option 2: The Sesame Street Muppets
Read a book that has been shelved as Anthropomorphism
Required: Include the page number where your book can be found in your post
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien (page 4 of the list)
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
Points this Task: 30
Total points to date: 295

Option 1: Readers Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
336 pages
This is on page 1 of the list.
Option 4: The Media - I used the Oprah List
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
529 pages
I'd like a BB ticket for Middlesex
Post Total: 25
Grand Total: 370

25.14 - Cat's Task: Celebrating Trafalgar Square
Choosing Option 1: Choose two options and read a book for each.
Required: Indicate the options.
A - Christian holiday
Read a book by an author whose first and last name initials are found in CHARITY CAROLS
Exhalation by Ted Chiang (352 pages)
Exhalation: Stories
B - Jewish holiday
Read a book from the list Jewish Fiction and Literature
Required: State which page you found the book on.
What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank by Nathan Englander (207 pgs) - page 1- #98
What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank
Points this Task: 25 points
Total Points to Date: 265 points

25.6 - Cordelia's Task: 2019
This is a 2 book task. Choose 2 different options from the following and read one book from each.
Required: State in your post which options you chose.
Option 3: Read a book where the author's initials can be found in TWO THOUSAND AND NINETEEN.
The Parking Lot Attendant by Nafkote Tamirat - 240 pages
The Parking Lot Attendant
Option 4: Read a book with a word of 4 or more letters in the title/subtitle which can be found in TWO THOUSAND AND NINETEEN.
All the letters in the word must appear in the phrase. Letters may only be used as often as they appear. Required: State the word you used when you post.
Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett (Dead) - 354 pages
Mostly Dead Things
Points for this task: 25
Point total to date: 240

30.4 - Dlmrose's Task: Old MacDonald Had a Farm
Read one book 1 and select an option for Book 2.
Required: Indicate the option.
Book 1: Here and There
Read a book with ALL these letters E, I, E, I, O (2 Es, 2Is) in the title, subtitle, and/or author's name.
Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout (289 pages)
Olive, Again
Book 2 On That Farm
Option 1
Read a book with a word in the title or subtitle that matches an animal from this list of Animal Sounds.
Crow Winter by Karen McBride (352 pages)
Crow Winter
This task: 30 points
To Date: 215 points

Option 1: Author’s initials in SPREADSHEET TRACKER
Frog Music by Emma Donoghue416 pages
Option 2: Witch or Witchcraft featured
Dark Magick 186 pages
432+186=602
New Points: 25
Total Points: 360
BB:1
GO:1

20.7- Shorter is Sweeter - Queen Bee Darlene's Task: Be Better
Option 3) As an homage to Ellen DeGeneres, read a book written by a single author whose name contains both an E and a D.
How We Fight For Our Lives by Saeed Jones
Points this post: 20
Total points: 80/1165
Tasks completed: 6/64
Books read: 6

15.7 - Stand Alone
A standalone work.
A Train Called Love by Garth Ennis.
Total Points: 310/1165
Total Books Read: 27
Tasks Completed: 23/64
Big Books Total: 0
Golden Oldies Total: 5

25.8 - Bookwrm526's Task: Celebrate Every Day!
Option 2: Read a book where the author's first and last name initials can be found in BARTENDERS.
Walking to Aldebaran by Adrian Tchaikovsky
AT appears in bArTenders
Option 4: Read a book with the MPG Romance.
Blackberry Wine by Joanne Harris
MPG Romance
Points Earned This Post: 25
Total Points Earned: 545
Golden Oldie Tickets: 1
Big Book Tickets Total: 0
Big Books Read By Page Count: 0 (500) / 0 (750) / 0 (1000)

15.4 - Go Red
Option 2
Read one book that fulfills book 1 AND book 2.

Author intitals WO in natiOnal Wear red for women day
AND lady on cover wearing red sweater
I read the kindle edition, PB link for reference: Jack Be Nimble, Jack Be Dead (A Penny Preston Mystery)
Points this task: 15
Total points so far: 15

30.1 - Ava Catherine’s Task: Celebrating Louise Erdrich
Option 1: Read a book with mpg historical fiction, mpg sociology, or mpg race (or racism)
Face Down in the Marrow-Bone Pie mpg Historical fiction
I read the kindle edition, PB link for reference (no MMPB): Face Down In The Marrow-Bone Pie
Option 3: Read a book by a single author whose first and last name initials can be found in BIRCHBARK
Murder in the Mews by Agatha Christie author initials AC in birChbArk
Points this task: 30
Total points so far: 45

Option 3: John: The Gospel of Light and Life

The word John is in John W. Campbell Memorial Award which is on page 4
Totals
Points: 200
BB: 0
GO: 0
Total Tasks completed: 10
Total Books read: 12
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Books mentioned in this topic
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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BOOK 1: Read a book with ALL these letters E, I, E, I, O (2 Es, 2Is) in the title, subtitle, and/or author's name.
Some Country Houses and Their Owners by James Lees-Milne
somE cOuntry housEs and theIr owners James lees-mIlne
BOOK 2 OPTION 1: Read a book with a word in the title or subtitle that matches an animal from this list of Animal Sounds.
Snow, Dog, Foot by Claudio Morandini
Dog
Points this post: 30
TOTAL POINTS: 215
Golden Oldies: 2
Big Book Tickets: - (500+); - (750+)
Total tasks completed: 10
Total books read: 13