The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
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SPRING CHALLENGE 2010
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Spring Challenge 2010 Completed Tasks
20. 3 finished by reading Shutter Island. I learned that the brain will go to great lengths to repress memories and that treatment for manic depression since the 50s has greatly improved.Total points: 120
Heather in KS
25.9- Spring BreakRead The Reef by Nora Roberts
The book itself was published in 1998 (when I was in high school) and was on the goodreads "popular" list for that year.
I've just finished Mother's Ruin: The Extraordinary True Story of How Alcohol Destroys a Familyby Nicola Barry. It is for 20.3. It tells the story of Nicola who has an alcoholic mother. She has a horrible childhood- but she turns to alcohol herself and it takes some pretty drastic health issues for her to decide that she has to try to stay sober.
5.9 - “I think even lying on my bed I can still do something.”Lips Touch: Three Times****
10.5 - The Girl Who Played with Fire****
15.9 - What's in a name?
I read Monkeewrench by P.J. Tracy.****
For a Pen name I might want to blend my two major nationalities to something like...
Miki Flannery
25.7 - Ashley FL's Task - The Gods Must Be Crazy
The Titan's Curse****
Total points:55
I completed 5.9 by reading Birthday Girl: a Novel in bed. I got this book as a free download after not winning it in the First Reads giveaway. I gave it 3 stars. It was an interesting story but for me it was really hard to get into.My score is 40.
I finished another one! 10.5 In Honor of World Press Freedom Day (May 3rd)...
Read Either A. Read a novel with a main character who is a journalist. Or B. Read a non-fictional book written by or about a famous journalist. I read:
Baby ER by Edward Humes (Hardcover, 295 pages) Edward Humes received a journalistic Pulitzer Prize for specialized reporting on several investigative stories he wrote about the United States military. Baby ER is a departure for his usual writing. What happened was that his daughter Gabrielle spent 7 days in neonatal intensive care. Humes was so impressed by the medical care that occurs in neonatal intensive care that he wrote a book about it, covering all aspects and points-of-view (parents, doctors, nurses). Heartfelt and fascinating.
135 + 10 = 145
Tasks Completed: 9
Points for this task: 10
Points thus far: 145/980
Books read: 10
Pages Read: 2662
Read but not claimed: 7 books
Two more to report:5.8 A.G. Bell: Cell 4*
Typical King - apocalyptic, scary, intense - stays with you.
20.5 Melanie - Read Across America: 575 pages
Because of Winn-Dixie 4*
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane 5*
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler 4*
Great YA books from the NEA lists. All were excellent. Especially moving was Edward Tulane. Highly recommend all three.
POINTS 65
TASKS 7
BOOKS 9
PAGES 2607
15.5 - "A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom."April is National Poetry Month. For this task read a collection of poetry (Must be at least 75 pages). When posting this write and share with the group an original Haiku.
Bum Rush the Page by Louis Reyes Rivera-3/20
"love is all around
so why can't I find the one
who makes me complete"
New Total 75 points
Task 5.9 - “I think even lying on my bed I can still do something.” Read The Giver by Lois Lowry http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36...
Points: 5
Challenge Points: 15
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I finished 5.5 with The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory. It's on the 2003 list.Spring break's over, so no more books for me until the middle of May. I have to actually pass my classes.
Points: 240
Pages: 5086
Books: 17
For 10 points...5.5 The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls (3 stars) Popular 2005
5.6 Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko (4 stars) Author from Kazakhstan
New total: 30 points
15.5 Sailing Alone Around the Room by Billy CollinsBilly Collins cheers me up
past poet laureate
(and I don't like poems)
135/980
pages: 3434
tasks: 8
books: 12
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20.9select a book that has either the word cheese or a type of cheese in the title
The Midnighters #3: Blue Noon by Scott Westerfed
Blue is a type of cheese.
20.1
Read a humorous book of any type and write a short review.
The Funny Thing Is... by Ellen DeGeneres
I gave this book three stars. I thought it was funny in parts, but other parts seemed to just drag on. I think this type of comedy is just better when you hear it live. Reading about it like this made it seem like a stream of consciousness sort of thing from the author and none of it really fit together or told a story. It was like reading a bunch of random individual jokes. There were good jokes, but it got to be a little dull after awhile.
Total Points: 250
I formatted it to make it easier to read, since there's a couple tasks in here...5.10 "The important thing is not what they think of me, but what I think of them."
The Book of Dragons
This isn't the edition I read (mine doesn't have a publication date in the front, either, so I couldn't find it that way), but it'll do. E. Nesbit lived from 1858-1924 and first published this book in 1900.
10.4 Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Fushigi Yugi, The Mysterious Play: Summoner, Volume 6
When I took some manga in to school the other day, one of the kids asked me what I was reading. Sheepishly, I showed it to her. She promptly ran out to the library and checked out the first few volumes. However, this volume and a bunch of the others were already checked out, so she asked me if she could borrow my copies (if I had it). I'm going to loan them to her on Monday if she swears on a stack of holy documents not to smudge, spill, tear, fold, burn, color on, or otherwise mangle my copy on pain of buying me replacements at $16 apiece (although, I'd accept the "Big Book" versions instead).
I'm, uh, kinda anal about my books >_>
*ahem* Moving on!
10.10 "Fashions fade - style is eternal."
Al Capone Shines My Shoes
It takes some getting into, but it's almost as good as the first book. A worthy sequel, regardless.
15.3 At Least Once In A Lifetime
Dracula
A good, classic read. It's a little tedious (no sexy vampires here, folks, move along) and the "women are delicate flowers" thing got old really fast, but since it's the original vampire novel, I'll let that slide. I'm not sure if I'd classify it as a book you'd NEED to read before you die, but I won't deny that it's one of the better gothic novels I've read.
Books that should go at the top of the list: any Eoin Colfer or Ellen Hopkins; E. L. Doctorow's Ragtime; Kate DiCamillo (I'd fight for Edward Tulane or Despereaux); Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo; Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why, which I actually bought after borrowing it from the library because it was so awesome; and Matheson's What Dreams May Come, which I may end up buying soon.
15.4 "These gems have life in them: their colors speak, Say what words fail of."
Barnaby Grimes: Return of the Emerald Skull and Love, Aubrey
Barnaby Grimes was a really well-written adventure story (I loved his character), and Love, Aubrey just worms its way into you and doesn't let go. I don't know what it is with death and depressing books this challenge, though. Whatever. I liked them both.
Total: 55 + 785 (from earlier) = 840pts
10 points10.4 Reuse: To Desire A Devil - Elizabeth Hoyt*
15 points
15.3 The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
This book was a very pleasant surprise. I set out in search of book that was not completely negative on humanity and somehow ended up here. But despite my current lack of faith in humanity, this book took me away from my present troubles and completely engrossed me. It brings up a lot of interesting problems with the general human condition, including what problems could occur in this society not completely removed from our own. Honestly the way I am so in love with this book at the moment, this is the book I would move to the top of the list.
20 points
20.2 To Beguile A Beast - Elizabeth Hoyt*
20.10 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
25 points
25.4 Brighter Than the Sun - Julia Quinn
Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt
25.8 The Art of Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein*
To Seduce A Sinner - Elizabeth Hoyt*
Totals
Points: 115
Books: 8
Challenges: 6
Julie McVey30.3 - A. Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage ~ Elizabeth Gilbert (2010)
B. Remember Me ~ Sophie Kinsella
I really enjoyed Gilbert's book! I have not read Eat, Pray, Live, but now I really want to!
Total Points = 190 points
Total Books = 11 books
Total Pages = 3229 pages
10.5 It's Only a Movie: Reel Adventures of a Film Obsessive by Mark Kermode who is a journalist and film critic.
20.6 (favorite series) U is for Undertow I don't know if this is really my favorite current series, but I started it on my honeymoon and I have some feelings of nostalgia about it. It is interesting because it is set in the 1980s and there are many times when I want to tell the main character to get out her cell phone--and then I realize, most people did not have them then (or did anybody?) It is a fun series, but nothing that is going to change your life.20.7 (something to be thrown away) The Wright 3 This was a nice sequel to Chasing Vermeer. I took a class several years ago on stained glass and got very excited and bought a bunch of glass. I have done nothing with it since then and have forgotten how to do the process. I need to get rid of the glass (but am not sure I can actually make myself do it--too much teacher in me!) The book is about Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie house where the windows and glass are an important part of the design of the house.
20.2 The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death The main character cleans up crime scenes. I really enjoyed this and will probably read more Huston books (but you have to be able to handle a lot of cussing) The main character's father teaches English and several books are mentioned in this one. It would be a good one for task 30.6
That puts me at
130 points
2528 pages read
Finished 5.4 In the News by reading Winter Garden which was in the February Newsletter. I gave this book 4*. I really liked the story within the story. I thought that Hannah was a bit wordy at times but I really liked the ending.This brings me to 90 points.
20.3 Shopgirl by Steve MartinThe female leading character suffers from depression. She takes anti-depressants on daily besis, Selecza and Serzone. They are usually given to those patients with a DSM-III-R diagnosis of non-melancholic Major Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia, Major Depression, and Bipolar Disorder.)
I don't really learn anything in particular about depression from this book. I knew before that the patients have to go back to the clinics now and then if the treatment they currently are using stop working. It just happens. Then the doctors will change the medicine. I hope that they can find other treatments that work for them beside medicines.
20.10 The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Total Points: 65
Books Read: 5
Tasks Completed: 5/57
For Task 25.4 (The Name Game) I read Legacy by Kate Brian for Part B (random generator on male obscurity 5 gave me "Brian") and Stuart Little by E.B. White for Part C (which was one of my favorite books as a child and not nearly as satisfying as an adult, though my 7 year old (to whom I read it) seemed to like it a lot).For Task 10.2 I read Revelation by Kate Brian (rated 4.45 when I started it -- I only gave it 3 stars -- the main character is getting really annoying!).
For Task 10.9 I read Even Money by Dick Francis (picture of a horse on the cover:
It was good, but I don't think his son is nearly as good a co/ghost writer as his wife had been. This one, like so many books I've read for this Challenge, would have fit about 5 different tasks!For Task 25.3 I read
by LuAnne McLane. Two of my kids are in a production of "Cinderella". The performance isn't for a while, but I've seen many rehearsals and Coralie has graciously ok'd that. The musical is cute; the book is pretty stupid. Like Nicole, I think I've been reading so much that I am much less tolerant of books these days. *shrug*This brings me to 435 points.
25/57 tasks
37 books
Completed 20.3 Mental Health Task by reading The Weight of Silenceby Heather Gudenkauf.** Gudenkauf is a goodreads author **
In this book, the husband/father suffers from alcoholism. The youngest daughter/sister is selectively mute due to trauma when she was 4 years old. I am a speech pathologist, so I am already knowledgeable about selective mutism. However, it was good to read in this story, that it is an anxiety/emotional disorder, not a speech disorder. In the book, I saw how the alcoholism and selective mutism impacts not just the person with the problem, but all members of the family.
New total: 100
tasks completed: 5
In progress challenges: 2
Completed 30.5 Six degrees of Separation ...Book 1 - Hunting and Gathering by Anna Gavalda. The film of which stars Audrey Tatou, who co-starred with Tom Hanks in The Da Vinci Code. Tom Hanks co-starred with Kevin Bacon (hurrah!) in Apollo 13, Kevin Bacon was in Mystic River which was written by Dennis Lehane ...
Book 2 - Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
Loved both of these books! Great task :)
Total points: 95
Elizabeth (NC) wrote: " I need to get rid of the glass (but am not sure I can actually make myself do it--too much teacher in me!)..."Instead of using it for stained glass, you can nip it into smaller pieces and use it for mosaics. My mom and I bought a bag of small leftover glass pieces from a stained glass artist to do this, so it would be an easier option to use it up if you like.
15.3 The Hobbit: Or There and Back Again This is a book I have reread several times myself, so it does belong on this list. Without a doubt, it is one of the classics of fantasy literature that everyone should enjoy at least once. Personally, because I'm such a fan of fantasy, I would put it at the very top of the list. It's the beginnings of an epic story. One that will always be cherished by fans and will always be an enduring work.
15.1 Read a book set in or about on of the listed countries and read a book written by an author from a different one of the listed countries.I read The Old Man and the Sea , which is set in Cuba, and There's No Place Like Here , which is by Cecelia Ahern, who is Irish.
30.5 Read two books whose authors are at most six degrees separated from each other.
I read Magic Hour and The Friday Night Knitting Club . Kate Jacobs has written several positive reviews that appear on the covers of some of Kristen Hannah's books.
Total points = 215
Mod
Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader and
A Moveable Feast
I loved Anne Fadiman's Ex Libris- wonderful essays about books
I had never read A Moveable Feast. I enjoyed last season's Lost Generation task and this was a satisfying follow-up. Great sketches about Paris in the 20's and hemingway's fellow authors- Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound and others
+30
total 280
Just finished the Group Reads task. I read The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, and duly vented my feelings in the discussion! :)
For 5.8 I have just finished reading The Secret Speech by Tom Rob SmithPrevious Reads
10.4 Reduce, Reuse and Recycle - We are all Made of Glue by Marina Lewycka
15.9 What's in a Name - A Town Like Alice by Neville Shute
20.3 Best Review Contest, Mental Health - The Silver Linings Play Book by Matthew Quick
25.6 This Day in History - The Judgement of Nuremberg 1947
30.3 Birth and Renewal - Blacklands by Belinder Bauer and Restoration by Rose Tremain
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Mod
I read Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron by Jasper Fforde, mentioned in the January 2010 newsletter.
20.6 - Read a book from your favorite series. Please summarize the overall series in 2-3 sentences so that everyone can decide if they want to start a new series.
For this task, I read Full Dark Houseby Christopher Fowler
This is the first book in a series about Bryant and May, the two senior detectives in the Peculiar Crimes Unit in London. The crimes are a bit peculiar, but the methods of solving them even more so. They’re definitely different – police procedurals with a definitely different flare. Somewhat dark, with odd characters, but I really enjoy them.
Points: 220
Books: 14
Pages: 4004
Tasks: 12
I completed task 20.6 Favorite series on March 16. I read "The Pretties" by Scott Westerfield. I likes the book I read the first one "The Uglies" and liked that. I think the author looks at teenagers in an interesting way and wanting to fit in and be popular and pretty/handsome. It takes place in a scifi/futuristic world.Completed Tasks: 4/57
I think this post was overlooked for points.
Books Read: 4
New Points : 40/980
Tasks In Progress: 2
20.7 Related to object that s/b thrown/ given/ swapped -Eat the Document: A Novel
I have boxes of documents (bank statements, credit card statements, etc.) that need to be shredded and tossed.
415 points
10.1 Can't Wait to Get to Heaven by Fannie Flagg
20.9 The Cat Who Said CheeseLillian Jackson Braun
5.3 - Secret Diary of a Demented Housewife by Niamh Greene x
10.6 - And The Oscar Goes To... - Push by Sapphire (movie: Precious)Total Points: 110/980
Books Read: 8
Tasks Completed: 6/57
Tasks in Progress: 1
10.3 The Luck of the IrishCassie Binegar
Author is Patricia MacLachlan
25.5 Spring Cleaning
Oedipus The King, The Wave, Angela and Diabola, Rules, Firework-Maker's Daughter, and Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley and Me, Elizabeth for a total of 892pgs (based on the totals in the backs of the books)
These were all from my "rescued" book collection, meaning I saved them from getting tossed out while student teaching. They're all beat-up (and sometimes scribbled-in), but they're still readable!
Total: 35 + 840 (from earlier) = 875pts
5.6. Bleach 1: Strawberry and the Soul Reaper by Tite Kubo (set in Japan & Japanese author)10.9 Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson (horses are the main form of transportation throughout the novel)
TOTAL = 80 POINTS
Finished 30.5 the six degrees of seperation task with Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage Written by Elizabeth Gilbert who also wrote Eat, Pray, Love, which is being made into a movie starring Julie Roberts, who was in Pelican Brief with Denzel Washington, who was in Man on Fire with Dakota Fanning who was in the movie version of my second book: Coraline. What fun!
Total points: 180
Finished the following5.3 S.P.R.I.N.G.
Going Rogue: An American Life by Sarah Palin
5.6 Asian-Pacific
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
10.3 The Luck of the Irish
Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman
10.4 Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Trace by Patricia Cornwell (Recycle)
10.7 Ides of March
Green River, Running Red: The Real Story of the Green River Killer--America's Deadliest Serial Murderer by Ann Rule
(Big Book) 668 pgs
10.9 About Horses
Judas Horse: An FBI Special Agent Ana Grey Mystery by April Smith
20.3 Mental Health
Brilliant Madness: Living with Manic Depressive Illness by Patty Duke
I have two friends that live with this disease. One of them maintains their disease very well with medicine, the other one has times when he decides that he is fine and goes off his meds because he decides he doesn't need them any more and of course suffers the consequences. In the 1980's and 1990's when Patty Duke was beginning to deal with this disease there was far more stigma than today. I am sure back then it was much harder to acquire the diagnosis and Patty Duke states that it was such a relief to have a name for it.
20.7 Declutter I finally got rid of my 60’s rock & roll collection since I don’t have a turntable anymore and have pretty much everything on cd. This included my Four Seasons records. I actually saw them in concert back in the early ‘60s. and read :
Jersey Boys: The Story of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons by David Cote
25.4 Diane's Task - The Name Game:
The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford AND
Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
30.6 Character References
Carved in Bone by Jefferson Bass Dr. Bass is the founder and director of the "Body Farm" at the University of Tennessee and in the first chapter of his first novel he references Patricia Cornwell because of her book named The Body Farm. For my second book I read The Last Precinct by Patricia Cornwell
I'm slowly gaining points. I really need to start finishing some of these multiple book tasks instead of all of the 10 point tasks! Oh well, at least I am reading...10.10 - Fashions fade - style is eternal." The Necklace: Thirteen Women and the Experiment That Transformed Their Lives
Total points: 70
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Finished 20.6 Favorite Series with Emperor Mage by Tamora Pierce (Goodreads Author).This is a favorite young adult series of mine, one actually belonging to a series within a series. All take place within fictional Tortall, A land of magic, gods, immortals and men. The main characters are always strong minded women who fight for a life that has meaning for themselves, using their gifts and the god's favor. The one I fished was part of Daine's story, who has wild magic, allowing her to speak to animals and see the world through their eyes.
Total: 35
20 POINT TASKS20.1 - The Most Improved Player - Cindy AL - April Fool
Read a humorous book of any type and write a short review.
The Fatal Eggs and Other Soviet Satire 1918-1963, ed. and trans. by Minna Ginsburg.
This is a collection of Soviet satire written between 1918-1963. The title story, The Fatal Eggs is a science fiction short story by Mikhail Bulgakov. It's probably the best out of the bunch, but others were amusing as well. I found it hard at times finding the humor, but anyone with more knowledge of Russian history and politics would probably grasp more than I did. Overall these are fun reads, though I had trouble getting into it at first. I found the second half (the later stories) a little more entertaining.
20.10 - Group Reads
Read One Of The Following Group Read Selections And Make At Least One Post In The Discussion Thread.
A. Historical - The Historian
B. Censored - The Golden Compass
C. Favorite Author - The Handmaid's Tale
The Historian, Elizabeth Kostova.
Made several posts in the discussion thread as well.
30 POINT TASK
30.2 - Cheryl TX's Task - A Texas-Sized Task
A. Read one book from 2009-2010 Texas Bluebonnet Award List OR the 2010-2011 Texas Bluebonnet Award List Part 2
AND
B. Read one book from this year's Texas Lone Star Reading List
A. Someone Named Eva, Joan M. Wolf.
B. The Maze Runner, James Dashner (GOODREADS AUTHOR).
TOTAL POINTS: 200/980.
25.7 - Ashley FL's Task - The Gods Must Be Crazy: The Golden Ass which includes the story of Psyche and Cupid and the protagonist is rescued by the a Goddess whom identifies herself by saying "... some know me as Juno, some as Bellona ... the Egyptians who excel in ancient learning and worship call me by my true name...Queen Isis."A witty, fairly smutty, surprisingly good read for a book written approximately 1850 years ago.
Pages read: 1182
Books read: 4
Tasks completed: 4
Total Points: 95
Liz (Bklyn)
First of all I forgot to post about the book I read for the Deadly Sins task (15.7). I read Pride and Prejudice. In this book the status of the people matters so much that people may be too proud to marry someone, for instance various characters think that Darcy would be too proud to marry Elizabeth. Elizabeth is also very proud, because she doesn't accept Darcy's proposal the first time, because she doesn't believe tat he loves her. I don't think pride is that deadly of a sin compared to others, because it is very easily overcome, like in this book.Also for task 10.8 I read 2001: A Space Odyssey, which I enjoyed quite a bit!
Total Points: 110
Tasks Completed: 9
Tasks In Progress: 1
Books Read: 10
Pages Read: 4237
First points of the challenge!10.4 - B. Reuse - The Preservationist by David Maine (Goodreads Author!)
10.6 - The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis
25.1 - My future aspiration is to get a really nice haircut (my first in a year at least), and so I read The Book of Samson by David Maine. (Goodreads Author!)
CURRENT TOTALS:
Points: 45
Tasks completed: 3
Tasks in progress: 2
Books read: 5
Pages read: 1,568
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The Seasonal Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Frankenstein (other topics)Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang (other topics)
Loving Frank (other topics)
Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began (other topics)
Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Nancy Horan (other topics)Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (other topics)
Elizabeth Gilbert (other topics)
Chelsea Handler (other topics)
Eric Puchner (other topics)
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Lime Tree Can't Bear Orange: A Novel
Debut novel set in Trinidad and Tobago- good sense of place
+10
total 250