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SPRING CHALLENGE 2021
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Spring Challenge 2021: Tasks
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10.1 - Spring Starts
Help Thread
Start spring cleaning, start a garden, start a new book series!
Read a book that is book number 1 in a series (series, #1) The series name and number must be indicated in the GR title listing in grayscale parentheses following the title.
10.2 - Earth Day Every Day
Help Thread
Earth Day 1970 was the inspiration for the modern environmental conservation movement. Read a book with a main page genre of Conservation, Ecology, or Environment. The genre may be standalone or embedded.
10.3 - ABBA
Help Thread
In 1974, ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest and became one of the best-selling bands of all time. Read a book with the ALL the letters ABBA in the title and/or subtitle, 2 As and 2 Bs
10.4 - Spring States
Help Thread
Read a book set at least 50% in a US state that was admitted to the Union during March, April, or May: Florida, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Wisconsin.
Required: If the setting is not evident on the GR main book page include a reference when you post.
10.5 - Spend the Day With a Knight
Help Thread
March 31 is Hug a Medievalist Day- a day to celebrate Medieval Studies. Read a book set during or about medieval times. For the purposes of this task, medieval times will be defined as the 5th through the 16th century (400 AD–1600 AD). Books with parallel timelines work as long as at least 50% of the book is set during the medieval period. Nonfiction works.
Some suggestions may be found here: Historical Novels - Medieval
Required: If the time setting is not evident on the book's main page include a reference.
10.6 - My Baby, She Wrote Me a Letter
Help Thread
April 1- May 9 is Card and Letter Writing Month. Read a book from one of these lists: Epistolary Fiction
Letters To and From
All SRC rules, including those regarding childrens books and art books, apply to books on a list.
Required: State the list and page.
10.7 - The Uncola
Help Thread
7Up the "Uncola" became one of the most successful advertising campaigns of the 1970s.
Read a book with a word in the title or subtitle that BEGINS with "UN".
10.8 - Bye, Bye Miss American Pie
Help Thread
American Pie was released by Don McLean in 1971. "In 2017, McLean's original recording was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or artistically significant"."
Read a book with a word in the TITLE that can be found in the American Pie song lyrics in the help thread post 2. The word must match exactly, including letter-dropping: singin', 'cause, etc.
These words may not be used: and, on, the, a, an, to, it, in. Subtitles are excluded.
Required: State the word.
10.9 - Just What the Doctor Ordered
Help Thread
March 30 is National Doctors Day (May 1 in Canada), a day to honor physicians. Read a book written by a single author with the letters M and D in the author's name.
ex. Tomi Adeyemi
10.10 - Twitter - It's What's Happening
Help Thread
Twitter, the microblogging and social media service, was founded on March 21, 2006. Tweets were originally restricted to 140 characters, but the length was doubled to 280 characters in November 2017.
Read a book with a number of pages between 140 and 280 inclusive.
Mod
15.1. Continuing on..................
Help Thread
Book 1: Read any book that meets SRC requirements and that has a title of at least 2 words;
AND
Book 2: Read any book that meets SRC requirements and that has a title of at least 2 words, where the first word of the title is the same as the last word in the title of Book 1.
Examples: Year One and One Plus One or One Plus One and One Good Deed.
Words must match exactly. All words, including articles, count. Ignore subtitles.
15.2. Free To Be... You And Me
Help Thread
In 1972, Marlo Thomas released the the album Free to be...You and Me that challenged gender bias and encouraged individuality.
Book 1 - Read a book with the word "You" in the title (no subtitles);
AND
Book 2 - Read a book with the word "Me" in the title (no subtitles)
Words must match exactly.
15.3. A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away
Help Thread
The movie Star Wars opened in 1977.
Option 1
Book 1 - read a book whose author name matches the first, last or middle name of one of the main actors from the movie - Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing, Alec Guinness, David Prowse, James Earl Jones, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew.
Names must match exactly, but can be found in any position - for example, Kim Harrison works for Harrison Ford.
AND
Book 2 - read a book with a main page genre of Space Opera. Genre can be standalone or embedded.
OR
Option 2 - Read one book that satisfies the requirements for both books of option 1.
15.4. In honor of Captain Tom
Help Thread
A very British character was Captain Tom (Thomas Moore), who recently 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 to score a No.1 hit with Michael Ball with "You'll Never Walk Alone", and to be knighted.
Option 1.
Book 1 - Read a book with a title of at least three words, where the initials of each title word can be found in "You'll Never Walk Alone." Letters can be used only as often as they appear in the phrase.
AND
Book 2 - Read a book with an author name of Tom or Thomas, or one of its variations found in Behind The Name - Thomas The name may be found in any position of the author's name (for instance, Sherry Thomas)
OR
Option 2
Read one book that satisfies the requirements for both books of Option 1.
15.5. It's outta here!
Help Thread
In 1974, Hank Aaron (who passed away this year) broke Babe Ruth's record, and set a new record of 755 home runs, a record that stood for 30 more years.
Read a book with at least 2 of the digits 75530 in its page count. Numbers can only be used as often as they appear above (so 5 is the only one that can be used twice).
15.6. It's Saturday!
Help Thread
Saturday Night Live premiered in 1975, and Saturday Night Fever was a huge hit in 1977.
Read a book with a day of the week in the title (not subtitle) - any day of the week will work, not just Saturday. Plurals and possessives will work, no other variations.
15.7. Disco, Disco Duck
Help Thread
For many, disco was hot in the 70s.
Read a book with all the letters of DISCO found in its title (not subtitle). Letters can be used only as many times as they appear in the title.
15.8. It's Black and White
Help Thread
April 25 is World Penguin Day.
Read a book set at least 50% in a country/territory from this list that is a home to penguins: Angola, Antarctica, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Falkland Islands, Mozambique, Namibia, New Zealand, Peru, South Africa, South Georgia Island, South Sandwich Islands, Tristan da Cunha, Uruguay.
If the location is not clear from the book's main page, provide a link to a reference for the setting.
15.9. National Library Week
Help Thread
National Library Week is April 4-10.
Read a book by a single author whose initials are found in NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK. All initials must be used.
15.10. Just the Facts, Please
Help Thread
During the past year, we've all been focused on medicine and science, to try to understand what's going on around us.
Read a NON-FICTION book with the main page genre Medicine, Medical, or Science. Genres may be standalone or embedded.
Mod
20.1. Most Improved Player - Coralie's Task: Knit and Purl
Help Thread
I have been busy with knitting patterns lately so I see K's and P's (for knit and purl) all around me.
Read a book with at least one letter K and at least one letter P in the title/subtitle.
20.2 - Rookie at the Top - Margo's Task: First Time Lucky!
Help Thread
I joined this group in the last week of December 2020, so started the challenge late. I read 37 books, with an average length of 290 pages.
Your book for this task must be at least 290 pages.
Choose one option and read one book. REQUIRED: State which option you used when you post.
Option 1.
As I have completed one challenge, read a book with a ONE word title. Ignore subtitles.
Option 2.
Read a book first published during the Winter seasonal challenge (1 December 2020 to 28 February 2021).
Option 3.
One new genre for me in Winter was cozy mysteries. They are just sweet and fun. Read a book with MPG cozy-mystery (stand-alone or embedded).
20.3 - Best Review - Joanne MI's Task: OLD TIME ROCK’N ROLL
Help Thread
For me, the 70’s were all about live concerts, clubs, and fun. I was 18 years old in 1974 and lived in Detroit. One of the advantages of living in a big city was being able to go to concerts in large venues. My daughter cringes when I talk about how cheap it was to attend a live concert back then. I saw a lot of big name rockers and those moments bring back memories that always make me smile. So, as you have probably guessed, this task is all about the music.
Choose one option and read a book that fits the requirements. Your book must be at least 250 pages. No books with MPG of Children/kids may be used.
Option 1. Elton John was my obsession. Back in the day you stood in a line, outside the venue, for tickets. With no guarantee of ever getting to the ticket window. For Elton, I nabbed a place in line, and followed the Yellow Brick Road for over 10 hours to get my tickets.
For this option, read a book, where the author’s initials can be found in "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". If the author uses a middle initial it must be in the phrase. If a book has more than one author, all initials of each author must be in the target phrase. Letters may only be used as often as they appear in the target phrase.
Option 2. Bob Seger was born in Detroit and raised just outside of the city. He started out as a lead singer of what we called a “garage band”. They practiced in the garage and performed at high school dances. He was always a favorite to see live. By 1975 his career had taken off and Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band recorded a live album at Cobo Hall (Detroit’s big venue back then, and yes I was there).
Choose a song from this list of tracks off the album Live Bullet Live Bullet
Read a book with a Title (ignore subtitles) of at least 3 words, where the initial letters of each word in the title appear in the song name. Letters may only be used as often as they appear in the song name. REQUIRED: You must include the song name in your post.
Option 3. In 1975 we got a new venue (actually an NFL Stadium) to see artists perform: The Pontiac Silverdome. The Who were the first band to perform there. Tickets were $8.50 General Admission (meaning get there early for a good spot on the floor). My friends and I arrived the day before in a large bus-like camper and truly partied like rock stars for 2 days and then nabbed a spot on the main floor.
For this option choose a band member from this list: List of the Who Band Members
Read a book by a single author whose author shares a name, first or last, with any band member listed. Any band member listed may be used, including former members, touring members, etc. REQUIRED: State the Band Member’s name in your post. Names must match exactly, but may be found in any position. For example, band member Kenney Jones may be used for Truth in Advertising by John Kenney.
Check out this advertisement announcing the concert and the ticket price https://theconcertdatabase.com/concer...
Option 4. Since I did say this was all about the music, read a book from this list: Music Books. REQUIRED: Include in your post the page of the list on which your book is found.
20.4 - Golden Oldies - Lys's Task: Wintering at Riley
Wintering at Riley
I read a lot this last challenge because I needed something to distract me during my kiddo’s heart surgery and the weeks that followed. Options for this task are inspired by our time at Riley.
This is a one-book task.
Required: State which option you chose when posting
Option 1: Due to Covid restrictions, my wife and I couldn’t both be at the hospital while our kiddo recovered from surgery.
Read a book from this list: Long Distance Relationships.
REQUIRED: State the page of the list on which your book is found.
Option 2: While at Riley, I even managed to complete the first book of The Wheel of Time, my wife’s favorite series, and one that I have tried to read, unsuccessfully, many times before.
Read a book that you’ve previously left unfinished.
REQUIRED: State that you’ve started this book in the past, but have not finished it before.
Option 3: Over the weeks, medical professionals assumed a lot of things about our family status, pronouns, and relationships. (Exhausting D:)
Read a book, fiction or nonfiction, with an LGBT MPG.
Option 4: I read aloud a lot too. I’ve found that reading poems is comforting for both me and kiddo, and how many kids can say they’ve “read” all of Shakespeare’s sonnets before they went to school? 😊
Read a book with a MPG of poetry.
20.5 - Bigger is Better - Ann A's Task: Big Books, Big Titles
Help Thread
In honor of Big Books and wordiness, read a book with a title/subtitle consisting of AT LEAST 8 WORDS. Remember, hypendated words count as ONE word.
Examples:
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration
Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared
Mod
Help Thread
Last October, I adopted two kittens abandoned in a neighbor's garden. They were several weeks old. I took them to the vet regularly, to fix their health and give them the best possible care.
On the 6th of January, they both received their first recommended vaccine. The tomcat, named Zen, died within a few days, on the 10th of January. The tragic outcome puzzled everyone, including the vet, who said he'd never met such a situation before. Zen's sister, our kitty, survived the experience.
Zen was in great health, he was jumping all around my house, he was affectionate both with his sister and with us, their humans. This task commemorates him, a tomcat larger than life, too soon vanished from our world (probably to teach us humans some lessons).
Read 1 book from the 3 options below. REQUIRED: In your post, indicate the option you used.
Option 1. Read a book with a cat on the cover. The cat may be stylized or natural, but it should be easy to identify as a cat. A domestic or wild cat will work, but it must be clear that it is a type of cat.
If you need more information about types of cat, this list may help: List of Felids.
REQUIRED: Include the book cover. If the cat is not obvious, point it out.
Option 2. Read a book containing, in the title and/or subtitle, the word "Zen". The word may stand alone, or may be found intact in any one word in the title/subtitle.
REQUIRED: In your post, indicate the word containing "Zen".
Examples: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values; Zenith (ZENith).
Option 3. Read a book written by an author whose first and last initials may be found in the phrase: "Strong, wise cats". Books written by multiple authors work, if at least one author satisfies the requirement.
REQUIRED: State in your post which author you're considering for this option, if you use a book written by multiple authors.
Happy reading!
20.7 - Shorter is Sweeter - Jen K's Task: Sugaring Season
Help Thread
Growing up in Vermont, spring was fleeting and more widely known as mud season but for a few weeks, it is also sugaring season when sugar maples are tapped to boil sap into delicious syrup. Many local groups take advantage of the season and sell Sugar on Snow as a fundraiser. Maple syrup is boiled to a higher temperature, 235 F, and then poured in lines on pans of snow to create a taffy-like treat that is warm and sweet.
For this task, choose one option and read a book that fits the requirements. Your book must be at least 235 pages, the temperature needed to make Sugar on Snow.
Option 1: Sugar on Snow
Read a book that has the word “sugar” OR “snow” intact in the title. Subtitles should be ignored. The word can be stand alone or part of a longer word but must remain intact.
Examples:
The Sugar Queen
Are We All Lemmings and Snowflakes?
Option 2: Maple
Read a book with a single author with the first and last initials of the author found in the word “maple”.
20.8. Nickels & Dimes - MegSCL's Task: 21 Years and 21 Centuries
Help Thread
Welcome to the 21st year of the 21st century CE.
Note: graphic novels are allowed for this task
First generate a random number between 1 and 21. This link should take you directly there. Random Integer Generator.. Generate one number. REQUIRED: Include the number generated in your post. Pick one of the following options.
Option a) Year
Read a book first published in that year of the 21st century. e.g. if your random number was 14, read a book first published in 2014.
Option b) Century
Read a book first published or set in that century of the CE. e.g. if your random number was 14, read a book first published in 1300-1399 or set in 1300-1399 (the 14th century). REQUIRED: If the setting is not obvious from the book description or metadata, please include a link to verify the information.
20.9. Moderators' Pet - Christine V's Task: Share Appreciation
Help Thread
March 1 is World Compliment Day! According to Holidays Calendar, giving compliments can spark creativity, inspire good will, and build trust between coworkers. Receiving an unexpected compliment can make anyone smile.
Thesaurus.com lists the following synonyms for the verb “compliment:” praise, flatter, applaud, cajole, commend, congratulate, endorse, extol, laud, acclaim, adulate, celebrate, charm, cheer, commemorate, eulogize, exalt, felicitate, glorify, hail, honor, magnify, please, recommend, salute, sanction, satisfy, soothe, toast, worship, butter up, fawn upon, give bouquet, hand it to, ingratiate oneself with, kudize, make much of, panegyrize, pat on the back, pay respects, pay tribute to, puff up, roose, sing praises of, speak highly of, take off hat to, trade last, wish joy to.
For this task, read a book where any single word of four letters or more from "compliment" and its listed synonyms can be found intact in the title (subtitles excluded).
REQUIRED: State the target word from the list that you are using.
Examples: Congratulate the Devil (target word: congratulate); In the Time of the Butterflies (target word: butter); Three Wishes (target word: wish), The Left Hand of Darkness (target word: hand)
Optional activity: Surprise someone with a sincere compliment and make their day!
20.10 - Group Reads
Read ONE of the books selected as the Group Reads choices for the season:
Parallel Timelines -The Lions of Fifth Avenue
Discussion
Cabin in the Woods - The Bear and the Nightingale
Discussion
Nonfiction > Biography/Memoir of Female Artist - Paper Bullets: Two Artists Who Risked Their Lives to Defy the Nazis
Discussion
Project Gutenberg - Frankenstein
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.
Mod
25.1 - Teri-K's Task: Don't Panic!
Help Thread
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy began in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy. The first book in what became the popular science fiction comedy series was published in 1979.
For this task you will read 2 books; you can use an option more than once.
Each book must be new-to-you.
The books must total more than 600 pages.
Required: State which option you are using for each book. State that the books are new-to-you.
Option 1. The Hitchhiker's series could be described as a wild trip into a "surreal, whimsical universe".
Read a book from this Trippy Books List
Book chosen must meet SRC requirements.
REQUIRED: State the page of the list your book is found on.
Option 2. Number 42 is central to the story, as it is discovered to be the answer to... everything!
Find your own answers to life's pressing questions by reading a NONFICTION book with at least one 4 and one 2 in the page number.
Option 3. Within the series, the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a travel guide for those who want to see the universe "on less than 30 Altairian dollars a day". The cover is emblazoned with the words "Don't Panic".
Keep your cool and read a fiction or non-fiction book with MPG Travel.
Some ideas could be found here: goodreads genres travel.
This page and the lists it links to are for suggestions. You still need to be sure the book you read fits this task and general SRC rules.
25.2 - Janet F’s Task: Burgess Shale
Help Thread
Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History by Stephen Jay Gould was my last book read for the Winter Challenge. I’ve read my share of natural history books but this one really was a challenge! I’d borrowed it from the library and as no other patrons were requesting it went to the bottom of my bookpile. While reading it my mind wandered a bit and I crafted this task in my head.
Choose TWO of the options and read a book for each. REQUIRED: State in your post the options you used.
Option 1: Burgess Shale is the name of the fossil-bearing deposit that is the main focus of the book. Wiwaxia, Opabinia and Hallucigenia are some of the many interesting creatures preserved in the shale. In honor of Burgess Shale:
Read a book with at least 3 of the letter S in the title. Subtitles excluded.
Option 2: I am inspired to read up on more recent paleontological/palaeontological discoveries.
Read a book with a main page genre of Palaeontology (genre spelling used on GR) or Natural History. Genre may be standalone or embedded.
Option 3: I’ve actually wanted to read Gould’s book since it was published in 1989. I added it to my GR to-read list in 2014.
Read a book that was first published between 1989 & 2014, inclusive.
Option 4: One concept that Stephen Jay Gould connects (semi-spoiler alert) with the Burgess Shale findings is that of ‘contingency’. He references some uses of the idea of contingency in literature - for example Tolstoy books. He also described how the concept is important in the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”.
Read a book by a single author whose first and last initials can be found in WONDERFUL LIFE.
Option 5: Stephen Jay Gould published many books including about 10 that include reprints of his 300+ essays. He passed away from cancer at age 60 in 2002.
Read a book by an author who didn’t live past the age of 60.
REQUIRED: if the author's birth and death years are not included on the GR author bio, provide a link to an outside source establishing these dates.
This list may help you in finding authors:
They Died Too Young
25.3 - Delicious Dee's Task: Series I’m Reading
Help Thread
I’m a sucker for a good book series – often the longer the better. Every SRC season I try to fit in at least a couple of books from series that I’ve been reading into tasks and this past season wasn’t any different.
This task requires 2 books. Pick one of the series below and read 2 books – one that fits Book A and one that fits Book B. Books A and B must come from the same option.
- Both books you chose MUST be from a series.
- No books shelved as children's or kids allowed.
Option 1: Series 1 – Sigma Force – James Rollins
The Sigma Force series is about a covert branch of the US government, made up of Special Forces soldiers who are trained in various science fields.
Book A - Read a book in the Sigma Force series – Books must be WHOLE numbers only –Sigma Force series.
Book B Read a series book that has BOTH Thriller and Science Fiction as main page genres
Option 2: Series 2 – In Death series – J.D. Robb
The In Death series is a futuristic police series set in 2060 New York City.
Book A - Read a book in the In Death series – Books must be WHOLE numbers only. In Death series.
Book B - Read a book from a series that has MORE than 15 books published at the beginning of this challenge. (and, yes, you can use another book from the In Death series). The series number must appear in grayscale in parentheses after the title on the book's main page.
This list may help you find a series: Series With More Than 20 Books
Option 3: Series 3 – Arcane Society – Amanda Quick/Jayne Ann Krentz/Jayne Castle
The Arcane Society series transverse the past, present and future throughout the series – each book focused on a different type of psychic/arcane power
Book A - Read a book in the Arcane series – Books must be WHOLE numbers only - Arcane Society series.
Book B - Read a series book by an author who writes under a pseudonym. REQUIRED: state the other name they write under in your post. If both names do not appear on the book's main page or in the GR author bio, include a link to a source establishing this.
Task # 25.4 Andy P.’s task: Check Your Eyesight
Help Thread
As I get older my eyesight is less the perfect 20/20 I started out with. Often unrelated words that are spelled close to the same and are the same length have me rereading sentences several times until I find what I thought was an “i” was really an “l”. This led me to think about words of the same length but differing by one “interior” (not the first or last) letter.
For instance, Chair and choir differ only by their third letter.
Thus my idea for this season’s challenge.
As this is an activity for adults, no book with a Main Page Genre of Children or Kids may be used for this task. In addition, the total number of pages of your two books must be greater than 500 (at least 501).
Read two books whose titles/subtitles each contain a word of at least 5 letters that has only one “interior” (not the first or last) letter that is different. The words must be identical, except for the one changed letter. The two words must have different meanings, and cannot be singular and plural forms or alternate spellings of the same word.
Example: The Killer in the Choir and The Mermaid Chair
Mod
Help Thread
Hurrah for Spring! Time of daffs, lambs and lighter evenings. After a frankly grim February I'm very happy to be heading into a new season, and went a little loopy with some free-associations here.
Two book task; no kids; one graphic OK; pick two different options
1. Springs in Science: rejoice in the virtues of the humble spring.
Read a book from this list: Science Writing
REQUIRED: state which page your book can be found on.
2. March Weather: famously March is "in like a lion, out like a lamb"
Read a book with all the letters LION and LAMB in the title / subtitle (i.e. 2 Ls)
3. April Holidays: England remembers its (Turkish) patron saint: Saint George on 23 April.
Read a book with a single author name George, or one of the related names listed on Behind the Name
Names must match exactly but can be in any name position.
4. May Day: students in Oxford historically jump into the Cherwell on May Morning (water level permitting).
Read a book with a bridge AND a body of water on the cover. For the purposes of this task the definition of a bridge is "a structure spanning and providing passage over a river or other body of water." NOTE: You must be able to jump from the bridge into the water, so map style bridge and water combinations will not work.
Required: post the cover.
25.6 - Amy FL's Task: Reminiscing
Help Thread
I grew up in Queens, New York and was a teenager in the late 1970’s. When I think back on that time, music seems to be the thing I associate with that decade. In the early part of the 70’s it was Led Zeppelin, then in the middle, The Who, and at the end, Stevie Wonder. Let’s pay tribute to these music legends with the following tasks.
This is a two-book task; please read a book from two different options. REQUIRED: Include in your post the options you used.
Option 1: Led Zeppelin was one of the most influential bands in the history of Rock ‘n Roll. They had so many hits that they created a boxed set of four CDs to contain them all. There was even a radio show dedicated to them, so for this task, read a book with a title of at least three words where the first letter of each title word (ignore subtitles) can be found in the name of that show: GET THE LED OUT.
Option 2: The Who didn’t just write songs, they wrote rock operas. Tommy and Quadrophenia were actually made into films. For this task, read a book by an author with the first or last name Tom, Thomas or Tommy OR an author whose initials can be found in QUADROPHENIA. Letters may be used only as often as they appear and all initials count.
Option 3: My college roommate played Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life album all the time and I quickly fell in love with it. For this task, read a book with a title (ignore subtitles) that contains a word of four or more letters from one of the tracks on the album. Words must match exactly.
Option 4: This is unrelated to music, but part of my teenage experience. I was 16 the summer the Son of Sam killings began. Many of the shootings took place in Queens where I lived, so it was a truly scary time. Months after the serial killer was caught I attended a benefit dinner for the victims and it was heartbreaking. For this task, read a book with a MPG of True Crime. The genre may be standalone or embedded.
25.7 - Brooke TX's Task: Deja Vu All Over Again
Help Thread
Last spring, the library I work at shut down for over a month due to COVID, starting on March 13 and lasting through the entirety of April. This year, in a strange bit of symmetry, we're closing during April again - this time for renovations.
This is a two book task. Choose one of the options below and read a Book 1 and Book 2 from that option. One of your books may have the genre Comics/Graphic Novel/Sequential Art/Manga.
Option A: Year After Year
Book 1: Read a book first published in 2020.
Book 2: Read a book first published in 2021.
Option B: Before & After
Book 1: Read a new to you book by an author you first read before March 13, 2020.
REQUIRED: Include the title of the previous book by the author that you've read, the date finished and that the book read for this task is not a re-read.
Book 2: Read a new to you book by an author you first read after May 4, 2020.
REQUIRED: Include the title of the previous book by the author that you've read, the date finished and that the book read for this task is not a re-read.
Option C: In Sequence
Book 1: Read a book that is a whole number in a series. Series info must be included in parenthesis in grayscale after title on the book's Goodreads page.
Book 2: Read a book that is the next number in a DIFFERENT series (e.g. if your Book 1 is #3, Book 2 will be #4). Series info must be included in parenthesis in grayscale after title on the book's Goodreads page.
25.8- QueenBeeDarlene's Task: 3 Genres I love, and 1 that I hate
Help Thread
Choose 2 different options and read one book for each of them. REQUIRED: Specify in your post which options you used.
1) Fredrik Backman – he is not exactly his own genre although he should be. There is something about the way he writes that speaks directly to my heart. Three of the most perfectly written books were written by him, in my opinion. A Man Called Ove is the book I give away most often. It makes me tear up every time I read it. After reading Beartown and getting my heart crushed in the best way, I was disappointed that there was a sequel because how could it live up to the original. Well, Us Against You may be better. It has one of those cry out loud moments that I so love in a book. I can’t even read the synopsis of these books without tearing up. To me, he is the GOAT.
A: Read a book by Fredrik Backman or
B: Read a book with all the letters GOAT in title only.
2) Iceland – also not exactly a genre; however, I went there for 3 days in December 2019 and I fell in love with all things Iceland. We managed to fit in waterfalls, the Blue Lagoon, a geyser, horseback riding, Black sand beach, ice skating, great food, & shopping at several book stores. I have since read a ton of books either set in Iceland or written by an Icelandic author.
A: Read a book by an author born in Iceland or
B: Read a book set at least 50% in Iceland
REQUIRED: If the author's place of birth or the setting of the book is not found in the GR author biography or on the book's GR main page, include a reference establishing place of birth or setting.
3) Sad and Lonely Men – Some of my favorite books have a sad, lonely, and sometimes grumpy, older man as the main protagonist. They just need someone to push past the walls they put up and reach out to them. I have a soft heart for them. Ove, Arthur Truluv,, Arthur Pepper, and Raymond and Harold McPheron are some of my favorites.
Read a book by a single author whose first and last initials can be found in SAD AND LONELY.
4) Memoirs – I don’t get them. I don’t like them. There are exactly 2 memoirs that I’ve read that I loved and that is all. I especially don’t like celebrity memoirs. I don’t know what it is about me that I would rather read a fictional character’s story than a real person’s story, but that is my truth and I am not ashamed!
Read a book with the author’s first and last initials in MEMOIR
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30.1 - Dlmrose’s Task: Same Name
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Read 2 books each written by a different author who shares the same first name. The books must be written by a single author. The name must match exactly. If the author uses first initials all initials must match exactly.
Examples:
Louise Erdrich
Louise Penny
J.R. Ward
J.R. Ellis
30.2 - Aprilleigh’s task: Agatha Christie, Queen of Mystery
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The COVID-19 pandemic, and everything that came with it, messed with my head and exacerbated my stress levels. One of the unfortunate side effects was a reading block that kept my participation in the challenges far below what I would have liked. I managed to finish the Spring 2020 challenge but started having trouble reading for any length of time near the end. I was burned out. About halfway through the Fall 2020 challenge, in an effort to get past this reading block, I set myself the goal of finishing the Agatha Christie corpus.
For my purposes the Agatha Christie corpus includes 66 novels, 14 collections, one uncollected novella, and three play adaptations for a total of 84 titles. Prior to the Winter challenge I read 31 of these (18 during the last half of the Fall challenge). For the Winter challenge I read another 41 titles, leaving only 12 titles to fit into the Spring 2021 challenge.
This is a two-book task, and the total page count must be at least 600 pages. Choose two different options, and read one book for each option.
No books with MPG Childrens or Kids.
Option 1: An Invitation to Die
One of the most popular stand-alone Agatha Christie novels is And Then There Were None. The trope, a group of people invited or lured to a location from which few or none would ever return, is a popular one.
Read a book found on the And Then There Were None: Deadly Parties list.
Note: Some titles on this list may not meet SRC requirements.
Option 2: The Locked Room
Another popular trope in Agatha Christie’s work is the locked room mystery, which shows up in almost a dozen of her novels and several of her shorter works. This trope is so popular it’s become an acknowledged sub-genre.
Read a book found on one of these lists:
Locked Room Mysteries
Popsugar 2021 #13 - A Locked Room Mystery
Note: Some titles on these lists may not meet SRC requirements.
REQUIRED: State the list you used and, in the case of the first list, the page where your book is found.
Option 3: Other Kings and Queens
Agatha Christie is one of the best selling authors of all time, but there are other excellent choices once you’ve run out of her titles. Check out the list of Authors similar to Agatha Christie.
Read a book by an author on the list similar to Agatha Christie.
Note: Authors on this list can change over time. You can ask for confirmation in the Help Thread.
30.3 - MAZZA1's Task: Pawn Sacrifice
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My first child was born in 1979. From a very early age he enjoyed board games. In time he became a board game geek but his first passion was chess. We played the game in many guises – the original format, 3D chess and a drinking chess game based on chess – OH I had a headache after that one.
For this task, based on chess, you can read either 2 books (option1) or 1 book (option2).
No books with the main page genre Childrens or Kids may be used for this task.
Option 1
Choose one of the following chess pieces and using that piece, read two books that fulfill TWO different tasks from the given options. You must use the same chess piece for both options.
REQUIRED: When you post identify both the playing piece and the options used.
There is NO page count requirement in this option
Chess pieces:
Rook
Knight
Bishop
King
Queen
a) The name of the piece is in the title (plurals or possessives may be used, but no other variations).
b) The name of the piece is found intact in the author’s name (any position)
c). The setting of the book begins with ANY letter in your chosen playing piece. The setting should be evident in the GR data (if not. provide a link to establish the setting when you post) - it can be a Town / City / Country / Planet –real or imagined. At least 50% of the book must take place in the setting stated
So using the ROOK
option 1 The Rook
option 2 The Intern, Volume 2 by Brooke Cumberland bROOKe
option 3 Last Bus to Woodstock - setting Oxford
Option 2
You can choose to play either BLACK or WHITE You must read 1 book of over 600 pages that will fulfil one of the following options:
a) Has a cover of BLACK or WHITE (over 70%, according to Tineye). Complete directions for using Tineye can be found here: How Do I use Tineye?
b) BLACK or WHITE is in the title (plural or possessive form may be used, but no other variation).
c) BLACK or WHITE is found intact in the author's name (any position)
Examples:
a)
Tineye shows
79 .1 %#030303 Black
b) The Woman in White
c) IBM and the Holocaust by Edwin Black
Mod
Help Thread
This is a 2 book task. Your books must have a combined total of at least 600 pages. No books with the main page genres childrens or kids may be used.
Book 1 - any book that fits general SRC rules
Book 2 - your second book must go up in pages (that is, more pages than book 1) and down in publication date (published in an earlier year than book 1). The month of the year is irrelevant - we're only looking at year of first publication.
30.5 - TessaVanessa's Task: Thank you, Dr. Seuss!
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Choose 2 options . REQUIRED: State in your post the options you used.
Option 1: In 1960 Bennett Cerf bet Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss's real name) $50 that he couldn't write an entire book using only fifty words. The result was Green Eggs and Ham. Cerf never paid the $50 from the bet.
The first book I remember reading myself was Green Eggs and Ham. The love of his books set me off on a reading journey for a lifetime.
Read a book by an author with first and last initials of DR. Initials must be in that order.
Option 2: Dr. Seuss also published books under the name of Theo LeSieg. My favorite book under this name was Wacky Wednesday. I knew exactly where it was on the shelves at the library. My mom would groan every time I found it because she knew she would be reading it over and over and over again with me.
Read a book with a title of at least 3 words where the first letter of each word can be found in WACKY WEDNESDAY. Ignore subtitles. Letters can only be used as often as they appear in the target phrase.
Option 3: Theodor Seuss Geisel was born March 2, 1904.
Read a book first published in March of any year.
Option 4: Thursday, April 22 is Earth Day. Long before saving the earth became a global concern, Dr. Seuss, speaking through his character the Lorax, warned against mindless progress and the danger it posed to the earth's natural beauty. I was introduced to The Lorax when my children were little. They were born in 1994 thru 2004.
Read a book first published between 1994 and 2004, inclusive.
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Help Thread
The 70s bring back so many memories for me! I was a teenager and there was so much to see, learn, and do. So we're going to take a trip down my memory lane and look at the fashion, music, and book trends of the decade.
For this task you will need to go to Random.org and roll three dice. Note the numbers from left to right. Each die will correspond to books 1-3. If the number is even, read a book that meets the requirement listed for even, and if the number is odd, read a book that meet those requirements. REQUIRED: List your numbers in your post.
Your books must total at least 750 pages, and no books with the genres children or kids on the main book page may be used.
Book 1: Fashion
Even: Hot Pants – Who wears short shorts? We wear short shorts! The fashion trend of the early 70s. Read a book of 250 pages or less.
Odd: Leisure suits – The 70s are known for a lot of bad fashion, but surely nothing was as bad as the leisure suit. In honor of all the fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and brothers who donned the popular pocketed suit of polyester, read a book with at least one man on the cover.
It must be clearly and unambiguously a human male figure - no silhouettes or abstract drawings. Anything from young adult to senior citizen is acceptable but no male children.
REQUIRED: You must include the cover of the book in your post.
Acceptable examples:
Won't work:
- too abstract
- no silhouettes
- too young
- gender ambiguousBook 2: Music
Even: Good-Bye Yellow Brick Road – I’m not sure I know anyone my age who did not own this album. All the songs were written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin.
Read a book by a single author whose initials (all initials) are found in Elton John OR Bernie Taupin.
Odd: Rumours – This is probably my favorite album of all-time. Read a book with one of these words in the title (subtitles not included): DON’T STOP GO YOUR OWN WAY GOLD DUST WOMAN. Words must match exactly.
Book 3: Books
Even: Blockbuster Historical Fiction: Bestsellers of the decade included Michener’s Centennial and Chesapeake, Wouk’s The Winds of War and War and Remembrance, McCullough’s The Thorn Birds.
Read a book with an MPG of historical fiction that was first published in the second half of the 20th century (1950-1999).
Odd: Death Comes as the End, or Does It? – Agatha Christie died in 1976, but Hercule Poirot lives on in the new series by Sophie Hannah. David Lagercrantz has picked up from Stieg Larsson. There are dozens of books about Sherlock Holmes or Elizabeth Bennet not written by their creators.
Read a book that features characters created by a now deceased author, but written by a different author as a continuation of the original work(s). It must be clear from the GR description that it features the original main character(s) as a leading character (i.e., not “Charlotte” Holmes and not Sherlock’s brother’s second niece).You will find numerous Holmes and Austen pastiche lists on GR. Here is another list that may help, but be sure to check that the book meets SRC rules and that the book actually fits the task (books may be added to a list that do not actually fit).
Novel Series Continued After Death of Original Author
REQUIRED: In your post, state the name of the original author and the date of their death.
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
The Seasonal Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Deacon King Kong (other topics)What the Devil Knows (other topics)
City of Glass (other topics)
Jeeves and the Leap of Faith (other topics)
Red, White & Royal Blue (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
John Kenney (other topics)Stephen Jay Gould (other topics)
Brooke Cumberland (other topics)
Edwin Black (other topics)
Louise Penny (other topics)
More...
5.1 - All in the Family
Help Thread
All in the Family was an American sitcom that aired on CBS from 1971 to 1979. The series revolves around the life of Archie Bunker, a working-class father and his family.
🌷Read a book with the name of a family member** in the title/subtitle. Plurals and possessives will work. No other variations.
**The name of the family member must appear on this list: Family Members Vocabulary List. The vocabulary list will also be posted in message 2 of the task Help Thread.
5.2 - Antiques Roadshow
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Antiques Roadshow is a British television programme that debuted in 1979 and has been running ever since, spawning versions in other countries with the same TV format, including Canada and the United States.
🌷Read a book that is considered an antique. For the purposes of this task, an antique is defined as a book that was first published at least 100 years ago (1921 and before).
5.3 - The Mary Tyler Moore Show
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The Mary Tyler Moore Show was an American sitcom starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. Moore starred as Mary Richards, an unmarried, independent woman focused on her career as associate producer at the fictional WJM news program in Minneapolis.
🌷Read a book written by a single author who uses 3 names/initials. All three names/initials must appear in the author's Goodreads record. Spaces determine names. Examples: Carlos Ruiz Zafón; Michael J. Fox; V.E. Schwab
5.4 - Fawlty Towers
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Fawlty Towers was a British television sitcom written by John Cleese and Connie Booth broadcast on BBC2 in 1975 and 1979. The series is set in Fawlty Towers, a fictional hotel in the seaside town of Torquay on the English Riviera.
🌷Read a book with 2 Ws in title/subtitle OR in the author's name. Books with multiple authors may be used but both Ws must be found in a single author's name (but they may be in different name parts).
Required: If using the author's name, you must include the author's name in your post.
5.5 - M*A*S*H
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M*A*S*H (an acronym for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) was an American war comedy-drama television series, based on a 1968 novel by Richard Hooker (the pen name for former military surgeon H. Richard Hornberger and writer W. C. Heinz), that aired on CBS from 1972 to 1983.
🌷Read a book found on the Medicine and Literature list.
Required: State the page the book you read can found on when you post.
5.6 - Are You Being Served?
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Are You Being Served? was a British sitcom broadcast on the BBC from 1972 to 1985. Set in London, this long-running farce follows the misadventures and mishaps of the staff of the retail ladies' and gentlemen's clothing departments in the flagship department store of a fictional chain called Grace Brothers.
🌷 Read a book with the MPG Humor or Comedy.
5.7 - Mork & Mindy
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Mork & Mindy was an American sitcom that starred the then-unknown Robin Williams as Mork, an extraterrestrial who comes to Earth from the planet Ork. The show aired on ABC from 1978 to 1982.
🌷Read a book with an ampersand (&) or the word "and" in its TITLE. Only titles work. Subtitles should be ignored.
5.8 - Monty Python's Flying Circus
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When Monty Python's Flying Circus first reached the TV screen in October 1969, filling a former religious slot, late on Sunday night, it was understandably met with some bemusement. But with 45 episodes airing over four series from 1969 to 1974, it quickly acquired a fervent global following and genuine cult status.
🌷Read a book found on the Cult Classics list.
Required: State the page the book you read can found on when you post.
5.9 - Three's Company
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Three's Company was an American sitcom that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The story revolves around three single roommates: Janet Wood (Joyce DeWitt), Chrissy Snow (Suzanne Somers), and Jack Tripper (John Ritter), who all platonically live together in a Santa Monica, California.
🌷Read a book that is #3 in a series (series, #3). The series name and number must be indicated in the GR title listing in grayscale parentheses following the title.
5.10 - Good Times
Help Thread
Good Times was an American sitcom that aired on CBS from 1974 to 1979. It was television's first African-American two-parent family sitcom and featured the catchphrase "Dy-no-mite!," which was frequently used by J.J., the character played by Jimmie Walker. Good Times!
🌷Read a book of your choice that meets the 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.