The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
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SPRING CHALLENGE 2010
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Spring Challenge 2010 Completed Tasks
25.1 Future Aspirations: My future aspiration is travelling Europe. One of the things I really want to do is getting a Eurail pass and seeing different countries. The book I read was The Chase by Clive Cussler. It has a train on the cover
(never mind the fact that it is sinking down to the bottom of a lake).
Good afternoon, everyone! Just a post before I go clean my apartment (something I've been seriously neglecting the past few weeks >_> )5.5 "Whatever is popular deserves attention."
The Castle in the Attic was popular in 1985
10.2 Three/Four/Five
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator had a score of 3.54 when I started it.
25.2 Fabulous Firsts or Superior Seconds?
Continent (1986 Whitbread First Novel Winner) and The Gift of Stones (1988)
I'm not sure which I actually prefer. I really enjoyed them both, but I think I might like Continent slightly better--he seemed to do better with the short story format, and The Gift of Stones got slightly tedious by the end. Both were amazing, though, and I think I'm going to pick up some more of his books when I get a chance.
Total: 40 + 890 (from earlier) = 930pts~!
task completed 5.6 asian authorDelivery cupid by CJ Mihalski
yasks completed 3
30 points
30.5 Have a Little FaithMitch Albom
and
Miracle on 49th Street
Mike Lupica
Both Albom and Lupica appear on ESPN's the "Sports Reporters"
15.8 Favorite artist -In the Footsteps of Van Gogh
I love Vincent Van Gogh's gift of color plus light and my zen response to his paintings.
Works I enjoy the most:
Starry Night
Starry Night over the Rhone at Arles
Cafe Terrace at Night
Pink Peach Trees - Souvenir de Mauve
White Peach Trees
The Bedroom, Arles
The Sower
Fishing Boat on the Beach
Two Cut Sunflowers, One Upside Down
The Potato Eaters
Self-portraits, portraits, ... so many!
450 points
I have resurfaced after two tough weeks.5.6 Asian/Pacific: American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, 233pp, read 3/14/2010.
10.4 reduce, REUSE, recycle: [book;The Tailor's Daughter:] by Janice Graham, 392pp read 3/11/2010.
Imeant to read this for the Winter Challenge, for the task on persons who have lost one of the senses (hearing).
20.6 Favorite series: The Betrayal of the Blood Lily by Lauren Willig, read 3/8/2010.
I have several favorite series, so this was a hard task to choose. I picked this one because I don't hear too much about Lauren Willig on this forum, and I think many of you would enjoy her books. They involve spies and Regency England and romance - enjoy.
Lauren Willig is a Goodreads author.
25.4 Book by author with same name AND book with character's name in title: Pawsitively Guilty and Haunting Jordan by Cindy Keen Reynders and PJ Alderman, 757pp read 3/22/2010.
My first name is Cindy...obviously.
30.2 Texas Bluebonnet AND Texas Lone Star lists: Savvy and Graceling by Ingrid Law and Kristin Cashore, 813pp read 3/20/2010.
Books read 19
Tasks completed 12/57
Points 210/980
Pages read 6847
[image error]
So far I've finished http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26..., http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13....
Oops, sorry, I'm trying to link to my book titles. Guess I'll try again...
Sorry! Still trying to figure this out!
Louvaine wrote: "Sorry! Still trying to figure this out!"Louvaine, above the "comment" box, there's a link called "add book/author". Click on that, type in your book title and click on the "add" beside the book you want to post.
HTH.
Cindy wrote: "I have resurfaced after two tough weeks.5.6 Asian/Pacific: American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, 233pp, read 3/14/2010.
10.4 reduce, REUSE, recycle: [book;The Tailor's D..."
OOH Cindy - Willig's series sounds really interesting! That was why I wanted everyone to give a description for this task - I love finding new series to read! I am going to give this one a shot. Do they need to be read in order?
Finished:15.5 - Poetry
Good Poems - Garrison Keillor
Here's my attempt at a Haiku:
Sunrise in the east
The day is almost over
Sunset in the west
Total Points = 70
Cindy wrote: "I have resurfaced after two tough weeks."I hope the next two weeks go more smoothly for you!
Erin wrote: "Here's my attempt at a Haiku:
Sunrise in the east
The day is almost over
Sunset in the west"
Weekends always feel like this to me.
Another couple to report:25.4 Diane's Task: The Name Game
A. Author Shares my Name: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby 3*
My middle name is Jean. The book is very fascinating since it is written by a paralyzed man who can only communicate through a complex series of alphabet lists by blinking his left eyelid. Short but compelling - amazing what links we will go through to communicate.
C. Name in Title of Book: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloots 4*
What an interesting book about growing cells for medical research. A good mix of technical information and the story behind the story. Highly recommend it.
30.2 Cheryl TX Task: A Texas-Sized Task
A. The Hound of Rowan 4 *
Harry Potter clone. Lots of bright kids, magic school, awful monsters, good vs evil. But great for the targetted audience. Not quite as deep as HP.
B.Graceling 4*
Also an excellent book based on children and old magic. Learning to cope with one's talents and choices for using them for good or evil.
GOODREADS AUTHORS: Henry H. Neff and Rebecca Skloots
POINTS: 120
TASKS: 9
BOOKS: 13
PAGES: 3917
Goodreads Authors: 4
Big Books (500): 1
25.3 I went to a gefilte fish making demonstration, and read The Matzo Ball Heiress by Laurie Gwen Shapiro.15.1 I read A Tale of Love and Darkness by Amos Oz. At 538 pages, this is one of my big book (500) tickets. He is a writer who writes about and from Israel. I also read "Dancing to Almendra" by Mayra Montero. This takes place largely in Cuba. Thought it would be better than it was -- I give it 2 and a half stars.
I now stand at:
180/980
pages: 4009
books: 14
tasks: 10
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Slowly making my way through some tasks...Finished 5.3 S.P.R.I.N.G.: I read
by Peter Robinson.
Mod
A. I read Snow Falling in Spring: Coming of Age in China During the Cultural Revolution and
B. No Applause--Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous
Points: 270
Books: 17
Books by Goodreads authors: 1
Pages: 4825
Tasks: 14
Completed task 15.5 by reading A Poem Traveled Down My Arm: Poems and Drawings.Here's my Haiku!
I watched "Lost" tonight
I still have many questions
I am so confused
My new point total is 135
Heather in KS
Wow ... 930 points in 23 days! Congrats Ms Anderson! I'm sure your 50 point task will be great.
30.5 - Six Degrees of SeparationI just finished Catch-22 and found that Heller mentioned Nabokov as one of his literary influences so I am using Lolita for the second book (one degree of separation)
**Also, I previously claimed Lolita for task 5.10 but I would like to use it for this one instead.
Total points: 100
Tasks Complete: 4
pjreads wrote: "Wow ... 930 points in 23 days! Congrats Ms Anderson! I'm sure your 50 point task will be great."
Thank you! And let me tell you, I'm pretty sure I'm never going to do that pace again. It's brutal! And, uh, I'm pretty sure my apartment would be condemned if anyone from the health department came over to see it...I kept on top of the dishes, but that's about it lol
Finished 5.8 Alexander Graham Bell by reading The Call of the Wild which I gave 4*.This will give me 95 points.
Kim wrote: "Vicki wrote: "For Task 30.5Under the Dome by Stephen King
and
For One More Day by Mitch Albom
Stephen King and Mitch Albom are (..."
It wasn't my favorite Stephen King but since it WAS Stephen King I liked it (I'm a sucker for anything he writes!!!)
Just completed...30.5 - PJ Reads' Task - As Suggested By Tanja - Six Degrees of Separation
A. The Renegades by T. Jefferson Parker
B. Blue Heaven by C.J. Box
T. Jefferson Parker wrote the intro for CJ Box's short story "The Master Falconer." They also both won an Edgar Award for best novel
Previously Completed Tasks
5.9 - “I think even lying on my bed I can still do something.”
Impossible by Nancy Werlin
10.5 - Freedom Of The Press
The Informers by Juan Gabriel Vasquez
Total Points: 45
Tasks Completed: 3
Books Read: 4
I finished 10.9 - "A lovely horse is always an experience...Saddled with Trouble by Michele Scott.
Total points: 145
Total pages: 2085
10.1 "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn" by Betty Smith. A five star read for me!
5.1 I read The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham. I loved it.and
10.2 I read City of Glass by Cassandra Clare. This was rated 4.45 when I started the book on 3/12/2010
I have completed the following tasks.5.7 Mental Retardation by reading Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
5.8 Alexander Graham Bell
Let Me Call You Sweetheart by Mary Higgins Clark
25.7 Gods Must Be Crazy
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
25.8 Relationship to animals by reading
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White and
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Total Points so far: 225/980
Books Read so far: 25
Tasks Completed so far: 22
Pages Read so far: 6,758
5.7 - March is Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month To celebrate this month read a book featuring a character with mental retardation or a developmental disorder (i.e. Autism, Down Syndrome etc.), or a non-fiction book that relates to one of the disorders.
House Rules by Jodi Picoult-3/23
Big Book: over 500 pages
New Total: 80
This is my first post of this challenge. Geez, I am behind the times!I have completed:
5-1 Cockatiels at Seven by Donna Andrews
5-2 Garden, Ashes by Danilo Kis
5-3 The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
5-4 Snuff by Chuck Pahalniuk
5-5 Stiff by Mary Roach 2003
5-6 With the Old Breed E.B. Sledge
5-7 Helping the Child Who Doesn't Fit In by Stephen Nowicki Jr and Marshall Duke
5-8 Where the Souls of Men Are Calling by Credo Harris
5-9 The Diary of a Nobody by George and Weedon Grossmith
5-10 The adventures of Sgerlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
50 points.
25.9 - Wendy's Task - Spring BreakRead a book written by an author who was popular when you were in high school or college.
The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
TOTAL POINTS = 60
5.7 March is Mental Retardation & Developmental Disabilities Awareness MonthDoes She Know She's There? by Nicola Schaefer
(the book is about the author's daughter who has cerebral palsy)
Total points: 280
5.9 - “I think even lying on my bed I can still do something.” In honor of Dorothea Dix (April 4, 1802 – July 17, 1887), an American activist on behalf of the indigent insane whose quote inspired this task...Spend a day in bed reading the book of your choice.
I read: Howling at the Moon by Karen MacInerney (Goodreads Author) (Mass Market Paperback, 368 pages) First of a new paranormal series. Despite the title and front cover, I'd say this novel is 80-90% an urban romance novel, with a bit of mystery (who killed the Councilman?) and paranormal (werewolf) thrown in. It's a good one to read in bed :0) though it took me more than a day to read the whole thing.
145 + 5 = 150
Karen MacInerney is a Goodreads Author.
Tasks Completed: 10
Points for this task: 5
Points thus far: 150/980
Books read: 11
Pages Read: 3030
Read but not claimed: 7 books
15.9: Animal Farm by George Orwell - to think of what I would use as a pen name is tough as Pollyanna is a pretty unusual name anyway so I think I would go for Jane Doe, it is a well known name for someone without a name so I think it would be an interesting pen name. A writer without a name :)Total Points: 100/980
Total Pages Read: 2163
Books Read:7
Tasks Completed: 5/57
Mod
Cheesemonger: A Life on the Wedge
I really enjoyed this work memoir by Gordon Edgar. He entertains as he discusses politics and class, social responsibility, retail challenges and the production and love of cheese.
+20
total 360
5 POINT TASKS:1.
2.
(Like a little garden in my pocket!)3.
SPRI--Neal Gaiman4.
5.
6.
7.
(The main character, Juli, has an Uncle who is developmentally disabled.)8.
9.
(Stayed under the covers to read this one.)10.
10 POINT TASKS:
1.
(In honor of Arbor Day- this book has a tree on the cover.)2.
3.
4.
(REDUCEd my reading pile with the newest one in the series.)5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
(For my style quotient)15 POINT TASKS:
1.
2.(1/2 done with this one)
(Keri Arthur is an Australian author, born in Melbourne, and the book is set in Australia.)(Still need a novel or non-fictional account of WWI.)
3.
4.
5.
236 pages of poems, Haiku:Emotions complete,
Love is lost and found, new babe
to love and hold now.
6.
7.
SINS IN THE BOOK:
A) SLOTH: Riley is a slob. Everytime she comes in the apartment, she throws her clothes all over and never cleans up.
B) LUST: Sex is almost on every page in this book. Group sex, shifter sex, voyeuristic sex, intimate sex- it's all there and the word lust is featured prominently.
8.
9.
(Her pseudonym is J.D. Robb (for Nora Roberts), but mine would be The Queen...it is one of my nicknames and I always wanted to write books under that so that I would not be famous and have to do book tours.)10.
20 POINT TASKS:
1.
This book made me laugh and cry. The voice of A.J. is funny, sweet and wise with the wisdom of a child. She sees through fools, but can't see through the inane threats of her own siblings. With her dog at her side, and her hamster hidden in the shed, A.J. sails through the days at Indian Lake with a joie de vivre that I remember fondly from my own childhood.
2.
You should see my clean, organized desk! People at work are astounded.3.
4.
written about Beaulac, Louisiana- a fictional town based on where I live- St.Tammany Parish (1/2 done)5.
6.
Anita is a necromancer who hunts down rogue vamps and shifters as part of her other job as a Federal Marshall (aka Bounty Hunter). As she hunts the monsters, she is increasingly drawn into their world and is constantly afraid of becoming a monster herself. I love this series because the characters all have depth and serious character motivations. The sex always furthers the storyline and is interesting because of that. 7.
8.
Magic is in the air!9.
For my super cheesy task!10.
25 POINT TASKS:
1.
I am about to get married this year to my boyfriend of 14 years. Now, my biological clock is screaming for a baby. 2.
3.
4. (1/2 done with this one)
(Read a book with a character's name in a title.) (Still need a book with an author that shares my first, middle or last name OR one who shares a name created with the random name generator.)5.
(355 pgs)+
(371 pgs)+
(400 pgs)=1126 pages from my TBR pile6.
7.
8.
(1/2 finished- this is the book for the B task)9.
10.
30 POINT TASKS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
+
+
=Paul Revere's Task (I read 2 by land due to their being shorter books.)5.
6.
references the story of
, so I read them both.50 POINT MIDWAY TASK:
DICE ROLLS:
3= Romance Novel:
5= Historical Fiction:
8= One of your books must have won a prize!! (North by Night won a Kentucky Book Award for 2000.)
I have completed the following tasks:10.3 The Front by Patricia Cornwell
15.6A Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
15.6B The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett Bea Anita's 5* Book
20.9 Christmas at Sea Pines Cottage by Sally Smith O'Rourke
That is 45 points and I have to correct my math from before.
30.1A Spring in title -The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone by Tennessee Williams
30.1B Fling/ throw/ toss in title -
The Bookwoman's Last Fling: A Cliff Janeway Novel
480 points
One more task to add: 25.4 - Random Name: John - Powers: A Novel - John B Olsen
Name in Title: Olive Kitteridge
Total Points: 230
Tasks Complete: 15
Books Read: 22
Pages Read: 7984
Tasks In Progress: 6
GOODREADS AUTHOR x
BIG BOOK (500)
BIG BOOK (750)
BIG BOOK (1000) x
Percent Complete: 30.1%
Time Elapsed: 26.1%
Cheryl wrote: "I have completed the following tasks:20.9 Christmas at Sea Pines Cottage"
Oh, I'm so mad! I had picked this up at the library book room today and couldn't think of a place to fit it -- and I still need one for this challenge! It is bound to be gone by the time I get back there. Darn it!
5.4 Goodreads NewsletterCatching Fire by Suzanne Collins
20.7 - I Like Big Books And I Cannot Lie - Potjy - Time To Declutter
#1 on my spring cleaning list is the fridge. It needs to be cleaned out and cleaned up, so I chose The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
25.1 - Michelleo's Task - Future Aspirations
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
I moved into this house less than 1 year ago and now that it is spring, I am excited to plant a garden. Unfortunately, I do not have a green thumb, so I can only hope that my flowers will stay alive better than any of my houseplants, which have all died.
25.5 - Leora's Task - Spring Cleaning
Twilght-498, Eclipse-629 by Stephanie Meyer
Total Points = 155
Finished Task 5.6 by reading God's Fool.Maybe it's the cold I'm nursing but the book seemed really detached. I found that Chang's inner thoughts got in the way of the story. Eng becomes a shadow, someone we never get to know, although he's always there. His wife isn't even named. Somehow, the characters didn't seem real.
Completed: 15.5 Crank by Ellen Hopkins. This book was Horrifying, not the writing, the subject. So scary to think that kids can get wrapped up in such a mess so easily. It made me sad, angry, worried & want to never let my daughter out of my sight! At one point I wanted to close it & never read another word, now that I'm finished... I will be reading the next book, Glass. **Ellen Hopkins is a Goodreads Author** This book is also over 500 pages!
Here's my Haiku:
Summer is coming
In the desert, not so fun
Grateful for my pool!
I didn't think I'd like this task, but it was great!
My total - 90 points
Eleen Hopkins is coming to your school April 13th.
25.4 Before FreedomBelinda Hurmence
and
Dearest Dorothy, Are We There Yet?
Charlene Anne Baumbich
Another two tasks down....10.7 - Beware the Ides of March
On March 15th in 44 BC, Julius Caesar, leader of Rome was stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, Gaius Cassius Longinus, Decimus Junius Brutus and several other Roman senators...Read a book of True Crime.
For this task I read The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston
25.7 - Ashley FL's Task - The Gods Must Be Crazy
Read a book involving Greek and/or Roman gods. May be non-fiction or fiction. Half-blood Gods are fine.
For this task I read Aphrodite's Kiss by Julie Kenner
Total Points: 225/980
Books Read: 22
Tasks Completed: 15/57
30.3 Ms. Anderson's Task I: Published in 2010
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake (3 Stars)Do not let the dust jacket or book title fool you about the focus of this novel. In truth, it is more about the radio gal's journey on the trains as well as a doctor's wife waiting to hear about her husband while the postmistress keeps watch. I am disappointed that the book didn't live up to my expectations.
Ms. Anderson's Task II: RE in title
Beauty Sleep: A Retelling of "Sleeping Beauty" by Cameron Dokey (3 Stars)I should have expected a lack of action in this novel since I've read Dokey's first novel. This one was a tad disappointing and predictable. However, I did admire Aurore being a stronger character and giving her a more active role in the story.
Points: 90
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?ke...
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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)
More...
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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a. Narrator: The Unscratchables and
b. Relationship:
Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence--and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process
The Unscratchables is a hard-boiled detective novel set in a world populated by animals- very clever and fun with a decent mystery
Alex and Me tells of the author's relationships with birds from the age of 4- this PhD chemist changed fields to study animal behavior to be with birds. Most of the book describes her special 30-year relationship with Alex and their exploration of animal cognition and linguistics.
And 15.5 National Poetry Month with
A Night Without Armor : Poems (136 pages)
This was a very uneven collection- some were good, some were quite poor, others had great lines caught inside- but she had the courage to put words on paper- something I seldom have, nevertheless:
The sun warms the soil
And green shoots reach to the sky
Bringing renewal
+40
total 340