The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
SPRING CHALLENGE 2021
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Spring Challenge 2021: Task Ideas
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The 70's was huge for sit-coms http://tvhistorian.blogspot.com/2012/...
Pick a show-then read a book where EVERY letter from the show is in the title of the book.
Given our focus on this past U.S. Presidential election (even people who don't live here were following it closely), perhaps tasks having something to do with presidents in the 70s (Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter) or their Vice-Presidents (Spiro Agnew, Gerald Ford, Nelson Rockefeller, Walter Mondale).Perhaps Presidents or world leaders from other countries during the 70s. For the UK - Harold Wilson, Edward Heath, James Callaghan, Margaret Hatcher. For Canada - Pierre Trudeau, Joe Clark. For Australia - John Gorton, William McMahon, Gough Whitlam, Malcolm Fraser. I've focused only on English-dominant countries, but I'm sure there are loads of other possibilities.
1970 the first earth day was celebrated and the EPA was established - read a book wiht MPG nature or environment/environmentalJapan became the world's fourth space power behind russia, US and France - read a book set in japan or by a japanese author
1970 saw the premiere of the mary tyler moore show - read a book with a characters full name in the title (i.e. The Love Story of Missy Carmichael)
1971 - charles manson was sentenced to death - read a book shelved as true crime
1971 - walt disney world officially opened - read a book where the authors initials can be found in mickey mouse
1972 - MASH premiered - 2 book task - book 1 read a book featuring doctor/nurse; book 2 read a book shelved as war - 1 book option - read a book that fits both
1974 - leonardo dicaprio was born - read a book where the author shares the name as one of the movie characters he has played
1975 - Thrilla In Manilla - read a book shelved as thriller
1975 - saturday night live debuts - read a book with a day of the week in the title
1977 - disco emerges - read a book with the title starts with one of the letters in DISCO
1977 - the first star wars movie is released - In A Galaxy Far, Far Away - read a book set off earth
1978 - grease premiers - 2 book task - read a book that has a word in the title that matches one of the songs from the grease soundtrack; book 2 - read a book where the author shares the name of one of the grease actors
Disco was big in the 70s, Read a book with all the letters DISCO in the title.John Travolta had two major movies in the 70s - Saturday Night Fever and Grease. Read a book by an author who shares a name with a cast member from either of those movies.
The CIA was active in Central and South America in the 1970s. At Nixon's direction in 1970 they looked at how to prevent Salvador Allende from taking power. In 1973, the Allende presidency was taken over in a coup. Author Isabel Allende is a relative of Salvador Allende. Read a book by Isabel Allende.
The 1970s were a time when people began recognizing the environmental disasters that were happening in industrial areas. Read a fiction or nf book about an environmental or industrial disaster.
A book by an author born in the 1970sA book by an author who is now in their 70s (born 1941-1951)
The United Kingdom joined the European Communities in 1973. The UK's departure from the, now, European Union in 2020 has commonly been called Brexit - a combination of Britain and exit. Option 1: Read a book by an author whose first and last initials can be found in BREXIT.
Option 2: Read a book set at least 50% in a country that is currently a member of the EU.
In 1974, ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest and became one of the best-selling bands of all time. Read a book with the letters ABBA in the title, excluding subtitle. Must have 2 As and 2Bs.
17 March is Saint Patrick's Day. Option 1: Read a book by an author whose first or last name is Patrick.
Option 2: Read a book which has a green item of clothing on the cover.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show ran for most of the decade. Read a book whose author's first and last names begin with the same letter., ie - Colleen Collins.
Microwave ovens became available commercially.
Read a book of "shorts" - short stories, articles, etc.
The best selling record in the US was Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd.
Read a book with something pink on the cover.
The 1970's were called the "ME" decade.
Read a book with the word "ME" contained in the title.
Subcompact cars like the Gremlin became popular.
Read a book with MPG folk or fairy tale.
The Godfather and Godfather II movies both won Best Picture Oscars.
Read a family saga.
Mark Spitz won 7 Gold Medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics-Read a book whose page number include three of these numbers-1,9,7,2
Hank Aaron, who recently passed, broke Babe Ruth's all time record of 714 homeruns in 1974. Read A book whose title letters can be found in HOMERUN
Read a book with an MPG of Sports
Read a book with a word in the title from one of these lists:70 types of bed: https://www.sleepadvisor.org/types-of...
70 types of flower: https://www.sleepadvisor.org/types-of...
70 types of psychologist: https://www.psychologyschoolguide.net...
generation x was born or lived through the 70sRead 1 book from this list: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/th...
Read a book with an x in the title or authors name
High waisted trousers were a staple of the 70s. Read a book with a “high-waisted” cover, where the title is in the middle or higher of the page.
Style runs in cycles. The folk style of the 70s became the boho look of the 00s, and is now enjoying a resurgence in the cottagecore aesthetic.Read either
A) Folk- a book with an mpg of folk or folk stories
B) Boho- a book where a word in the title has two syllables that rhyme with each other (eg. Topshop, cancan, cocoa, soho)
C) Cottagecore- read a book with either a cottage on the cover, or set in a rural location
One of the most popular toys of the 1970s was stretch Armstrong. Read a book where a single item on the cover stretches from one side of the cover to the other.
The top male name in the 1970s was Michael, and the top female name was Jennifer. Read a book by an author who has either Michael or Jennifer intact in their name.
NOTABLE EVENTS FROM THE 1970SThe Apollo 13 spacecraft and astronauts landed in the South Pacific on April 17, 1970.
Walt Disney World's Main Street opened in October 1971.
September 1972, hostage crisis at the Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany.
"The Godfather," directed by Francis Ford Coppola, took home several Academy Awards in March 1973, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.
In June 1973, Secretariat became the first horse to win the Triple Crown since 1948. The Triple Crown was won two other times in the '70s, by Seattle Slew in 1977 and Affirmed in 1978.
Martial-arts actor Bruce Lee died in July 1973. He was 32.
The World Trade Center's twin towers in New York City were completed in 1973. The Sears Tower in Chicago was completed in 1974.
On September 20, 1973, Bobby Riggs, a former No. 1 tennis player, took on Billie Jean King, one of the top female tennis players at the time. Earlier in the year, Riggs put out a challenge to all female tennis players, saying no woman could beat him. King beat Riggs 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 and claimed a $100,000 prize.
In October 1973, an oil embargo imposed by members of OPEC led to skyrocketing gas prices and widespread fuel shortages.
Russian dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov defected to Canada in June 1974.
Reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's reporting on the Watergate scandal led to President Nixon's resignation in 1974 and won them a Pulitzer Prize.
Beverly Johnson made history in August 1974 when she became the first African-American model to appear on the cover of Vogue magazine in the United States.
Muhammad Ali watches heavyweight champion George Foreman fall to the canvas during their title bout in Kinshasa, Zaire, in October 1974.
From 1975-1979, Pol Pot led the Khmer Rouge communist movement in Cambodia. During his reign, at least 1.7 million people -- nearly a quarter of Cambodia's population -- died from execution, disease, starvation and overwork.
In April 1975, the fall of Saigon to the North Vietnamese effectively marked the end of the Vietnam War. The country became the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on July 2, 1976.
In the summer of 1975, Steven Spielberg released “Jaws.”
American tennis player Arthur Ashe became the first black man to win Wimbledon when he defeated Jimmy Connors in July 1975.
"Saturday Night Live" made its debut. on October 11, 1975.
Breaking = the sound barrier and cutting flight times in half, on January 21, 1976, the first commercial Concorde flight took place from London to Paris, cruising at speeds of 1,350 mph.
On July 4, 1976, the U.S.A. celebrates the bicentennial anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Cicely Tyson, left, and Maya Angelou star in the television miniseries “Roots,” which premiered in January 1977.
George Lucas' "Star Wars" opened in theaters on May 25, 1977, introducing the world to characters such as Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca, R2D2 and, of course, Darth Vader.
Serial Killer David Berkowitz, known as the Son of Sam, was arrested on August 10, 1977, after a series of shootings and murders that police believe began in the summer of 1976.
In 1977, Apple Computers introduced the Apple II, which became one the first successful home computers. Co-founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak formed the Apple Computer Company in 1976. Along with Bill Gates' Microsoft, which was founded in 1975, Apple helped ignite the digital age we live in today.
Elvis Presley, the King of Rock 'n' Roll, died August 16, 1977, at the age of 42.
The Atari 2600 was released in September 1977, bringing the world of video games into households everywhere.
Disco music sweeps the nation with the 1977 film "Saturday Night Fever" starring John Travolta.
Louise Brown became the world's first test-tube baby on July 25, 1978. Dr. Robert Edwards and Patrick Steptoe pioneered the process of in vitro fertilization.
His name was Karol Jozef Wojtyla, but the world knew him as Pope John Paul II. Born in Poland, John Paul II was the first non-Italian Pope in more than in 400 years when he became Pope in 1978.
On November 18, 1978, more than 900 members of a cult led by the Rev. Jim Jones at the People's Temple in Jonestown, Guyana, died from cyanide poisoning; it was the largest mass-suicide in modern history.
On March 28, 1979, the worst nuclear accident in U.S. history took place in Pennsylvania when large amounts of reactor coolant and radioactive gases from the Three Mile Island power plant were released into the environment.
Ted Bundy, one of the most notorious serial killers of all-time, confessed to 30 homicides that he committed in seven states between 1974 and 1978.
In November 1979, 66 Americans were taken hostage after supporters of Iran's Islamic Revolution took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran.
On the 13th June 1970, Laurence Olivier was the first actor to be made a Lord. Read one of the plays he was in, or the book one of his stage or screen roles was originally in, from this list of his work:https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laure...
On the 22nd of June 1970 the Methodist church allowed women to become full ministers for the first time. Read a book written by a female author, with the mpg religion or spirituality.
The first Glastonbury festival was held in 1970, headlines by Tyrannosaurus rex, who later changed their name to T. Rex.Read a book by an author who later went on to publish work under a different name.
On the 15th February 1971 British currency was decimalised. Read a book with 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, or 50 in the title.
On the 1st July 1971 “Sunday Bloody Sunday” was released, one of the first mainstream films with a bisexual theme. Read a book by a bisexual author and/or with a bisexual protagonist.
Read a bestseller from the 1970s on this list:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publish...
Or, read two books from the list, from different years.
NYC Blackout: In 1977 almost all of New York City experienced a blackout which lasted two days. A financial crises, heat wave and the Son of Sam murders meant tensions were already high, and violence soon broke out across the city. Read a book with a black cover OR read book about a power outage or apocalyptic event.
Serial Killers: The 1970s were considered a difficult time in the U.S. Many of the countries most infamous serial killers began their crime sprees during this decade. Read a book involving the hunt for a murderer.
Technology: Computer companies Microsoft and Apple were both founded in the 1970s, revolutionizing technology as we knew it. Read a book with the MPG Technology.
Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin: In 1970 musicians Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin both died from drug overdoses. Read a book with the letter J in the title.
Stephen King: In 1974 Stephen King published his first book Carrie. To date he has written 61 novels, 5 nonfiction books and over 200 short stories. Read a book written by an author named Stephen, Steven or Steve.
Live from New York: In 1975 the comedy sketch show Saturday Night Live premiered. Read a book set in New York City.
A non-1970s one: we had a very British character in Captain Tom (Thomas Moore), who has died of COVID. He managed to raise £32m for the NHS by walking around his garden 100 times before his 100th birthday, and went on the score a No.1 hit with Michael Ball with "You'll Never Walk Alone", and be knighted. All in the last year of his life. How about a book with author initials or title initials in "you'll never walk alone", or one with a main character called Tom/Thomas (and equivalents on Behind the Name).
April Showers: Read a book with a rainy scene on the cover.May Flowers: Read a book with a flower on the cover.
In Like a Lion: Read a book with a cat on the cover.Out Like a Lamb: Read a book with a farm animal on the cover.
Spring Vocabulary: Read a book with a word in the title or subtitle that matches a word on this vocabulary list. Words must match exactly.
Spring Songs: Read a book with a word in the title or subtitle that matches a word of at least 4 letters in the title of song found on this songs about spring list.
Spring Break: Read a book where the main character goes on vacation.
Spring is a word with a lot of different meanings. How about a task to read a book with a spring synonym in the title/subtitle? There's a good list in this thesaurus.Spring is also both a noun and a verb. There are loads of other words like that. Example list.
Fresh Start: I see spring as an opportunity for a fresh start. Read the first book in a series.Spring Cleaning: Clean out your TBR by reading a book that you've owned for at least 1 year, or that has been on your To Be Read list for at least 1 year.
Backlist: I will often read one book by an author, and even if I loved it, I don't check out any of their previous work. Read a book from an author that you've read exactly one book from before.
TIK TOK: The social media platform Tik Tok has become extremely popular and is here to stay. Read a book with a two word title, where each word starts with the same letter
Spring is welcomed in by the festival of imbolc. The original word Imbolg means 'in the belly'. All is pregnant and expectant. Read a book where the main character is or becomes pregnant.It is a time to let go of the past and welcome in the new. Read a book with none of the letters PAST in the title, and where the title begins with either an N, E or W.
first test tube baby Louise brown 1978
Imbolc is the holiday marking the Goddess Bridged, goddess of healing, poetry and smith craft. Read a book with an mpg of either medicine, poetry, or crafts.
April 1 is April Fools Day.Read a book with the letters FOOL in the title
Read a book from this list: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3...
First Friday is April is Nat'l Walk to Work Day.Read a book with a pair of legs on the cover.
April 7 is World Health Day.
MPG Health
April 13 Nat'l Scrabble Day.
Top scoring Scrabble letters are Q and Z.
Read a book with author's name containing Q or Z.
First week in April is Laugh at Work Week.
MPG humor.
May is Nat'l Blood Pressure Month.
Read MPG Thriller or Suspense.
May is Older Americans Month.
MPG Senior Citizen or from this list: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
Cinco de Mayo is May 5.
Five letters in title, or fifth in a series.
I found this pictoral 70s world events list interesting:https://www.cnn.com/2015/05/21/world/gallery/70-historic-moments-from-the-1970s/index.html
I seem to remember doing my homework in candle light in the 70's due to miners strikes read a book with all the letters of STRIKE in title / Coal in title / read a book with a candle on the cover
Marie (UK) wrote: "I seem to remember doing my homework in candle light in the 70's due to miners strikes Yes Marie, the 70's were the times of long Auto Workers strikes here-
In America we called the automakers The Big Three
Chrysler, General Motors and Ford. Read a book whose author's initials can be found in those auto-makers.
Read a book, of three words or more whose title letters can all be found in STRIKE.
UAW stands for United Auto Workers(the name of the union). Read a book who MPG is Auto, Automobiles or Cars.
The first Star Wars movie came out. Two important charaters were R2D2 and C3PO.Read a book whose title has a numeral in it.
Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkle was Billboard's top song in the 70s.
Read a book with two authors.
OR:
Read a book where all first letters of the title can be found in Bridge Over Troubled Water.
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy began on radio in 1978, and the first book was published in 1979.
Read a book from this list: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
OR:
The number 42 is important in the book. Read a book whose pages contain the numbers 4 and 2, in any order.
The bonus theme is Decades: The 70s.
As in past challenges some tasks may revolve around the seasonal theme of spring. Others may reflect the bonus theme. Other tasks may have nothing to do with either of those themes, they’re just fun or unique ideas to stimulate your reading.
Feel free to post as many ideas as you can come up with. Don’t worry about repeating what someone else has might have already suggested. The more ideas, the better!
The moderators will draw from these ideas as well as their own to create the 5, 10 and 15 point tasks. This thread will be open for ideas until February 11. Spring tasks will begin to be posted on February 13. We look forward to seeing what you come up with!