The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
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SPRING CHALLENGE 2010
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Spring Challenge 2010 Completed Tasks
5.1 The Butterfly House by Marcia Preston5.2 Leota's Garden by Francine Rivers
5.4 The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
5.6 Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
10.1 The Giver by Lois Lowry
10.4 The Host by Stephenie Meyer
10.6 Evensong by M.L. St. Sure (I also watched Inglourious B's to complete the task - both WW2 related...both great stories!)
20.2 Wench: A Novel by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
20.10 The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
25.2 a. Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace... One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson
b.
30.4 a. A Salty Piece of Land by Jimmy Buffett
b.
Total Points: 90/980
Books Read: 11
Tasks Completed: 9/57
Three more completed:5.4 Goodreads Newsletter Jan 2010: Catching Fire 5*
Tremendous followon to Hunger Games - the first of the trilogy. Usually the 2nd novel pales a little in comparison to a blockbuster first - but in this case the author kept the story and writing style at the same high caliber. Can't wait for the third to come out late summer.
10.6 Oscar: Push 4*
Good book, pretty intense. Left you with a lot to think about - there is definitely another world in which some children are forced to endure as they grow up.
10.7 True Crime: Lucky 4*
An amazing accounting by Alice Sebold of her rape as a freshman in college. The story takes us through the rape, the legal process, the adjusting, and all of the aftermath. Well written and even more stunning because it was true.
POINTS 490
TASKS 31
BOOKS 41
PAGES 12,545
25.2 The Chrysalis: A Noveland
The Map Thief: A Novel
I really can't choose. I enjoyed both books equally. What is interesting is that I listened to the audiobook of one and read the e-book of the other. I thought that might have made a difference in my preference, but it didn't. These are Terrell's first two books about an attorney named Mara Coyne who almost accidentally is involved in repatriating stolen artifacts to the rightful owners. If she continues to write these books, I will continue to read them.
10.4c-Recycle. I read "The Weight of Silence" by Heather Gudendauf* (GoodReads Author) and have listed it on Paperbackswap.com. It already has been selected to be sent to a new home!The story itself was good, just a little long in parts.
5.10 - "The important thing is not what they think of me, but what I think of them."Read a book written by an author who lived during her lifetime (May 24, 1819 – January 22, 1901).
A Little Princess
I haven't read this book in a really long time, and though I remembered the basic story idea and as a child watched and re-watched the Shirley Temple film (which I eerily suddenly remembered the ending of as I read this again, and remembered that the endings are very very different!) I teared up in a few places, and this book means so much more to me now than it did then. I must have loved this story, though I didn't understand some of the things that I do now. Can't wait to share this one with my daughter when she's the right age!
ETA: Frances Hodgson Burnett was born in 1849 and died in 1924.
Total: 475 points
Mod
A. stone: Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise and
B. meaning: Innocent in Death
20.6, Bridgit's favorite series with
Nowhere to Run by C.J. Box
Nowhere to Run is the 10th in the Joe Pickett series. Joe is a Wyoming game warden responsible for more than 5,000 square miles of wilderness. He has run up against environmental activists, ruthless land developers, corrupt bureaucrats, and desperate people either hiding from or looking for something in the mountains. Joe has no superhero skills; he is just an honest man who wants to do his job. He loves his wife and his daughters, his dogs and his horse. The books are violent, grisly, and bloody, but they are also just and principled, thoughtful and honest. Always fast-paced page-turners, I think these books are best read in order to see the rich character development.
+35
total 765
I finished task 20.9. I read American Wife: A Novel. (American cheese!)and task 30.1 Spring Awakening: A Play by Frank Wedekind and The Girl Who Threw Butterflies by Mich Cochrane
Total Points: 445
Tasks Completed: 23
Tasks In Progress: 3
Books Read: 32
Pages Read: 9710
American Wife is over 500 pages! :)
Time to post some more tasks!30.6 Character references.
For this task I read Twilight by Stephanie Meyer and Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. In Twilight Bella reads Wuthering Heights.
25.5 Spring Cleaning
For this task I read City of Glass by Cassandra Clare and the Constant Princess by Phillipa Gregory. These two books totaled 1027 pages.
30.5 6 degrees of separation
For this task I read New Moon by Stephanie Meyer. Stephanie Meyer posted a blurb on the cover of City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare. This is one degree of separation (or three if Stephanie communicated the blurb to her agent, who talked to Cassandra's publicist, who spoke to Cassandra about it.)
This brings my points to:
85 new points
130 total points
Kathryn
20.3 - Best Review Contest - Amy MO - Mental HealthA) Along Came a Spider by James Patterson- the killer/kidnapper has multiple personality disorder
Tasks Completed: 9
Points Earned: 205
Books Read: 12
I've been reading, but I haven't had time to figure out what goes where. Hopefully this post will take care of that!FINISHED TASKS:
20.8:
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret StohlNOTE: KG & MS are Goodreads authors
25.7:
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan25.1:
The Forgotten Garden by Kate MortonI'd love a beautiful garden with a place to read. I'm horrible at gardening and don't prioritize my yard over anything (seriously, the dandelions own it right now), but it's one of those things I fantasize about doing once the kids are a little older.
NOTE: If I haven't got my first entry in the Big Books section, this one qualifies me with 645 pages.
20.4:
A: family saga
True Colors by Kristin HannahB: local area
A Single Thread by Marie Bostwick(I live in a small New England town, too.)
NOTE: Marie Bostwick is a Goodreads author.
That should, I think, bring me up to 180 points.
OOH BOY. What a group read! 20.10 - The Historian. That was a lot of reading and has really put me off schedule for finishing this. I have a feeling I am not going to make it anymore...Total Points: 525
Tasks Complete: 32
Books Read: 45
Pages Read: 16033
Tasks In Progress: 5
GOODREADS AUTHOR x
BIG BOOK (500) x
BIG BOOK (750)
BIG BOOK (1000) x
Percent Complete: 60.8%
Time Elapsed: 55.4%
25.10 Read an original work of fiction and read a book based on the original book.I read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and James Potter and the Hall of Elders' Crossing (by G. Norman Lippert, who is a Goodreads author).
I really enjoyed the beginning of James Potter's story and found it to be just as exciting and whimsical as J. K. Rowling's works. I'll be reading the next two (so far) books in Lippert's spin-off.
Total points = 475
Mod
fiction: Luncheon of the Boating Party
I have a very specific sense memory of Renoir's Danse a la Campagne
It brings back a perfect day in Paris.
15.10, philosophy, with
Introduction to Metaphysics by Martin Heidegger This book of lectures from 1929 is a tough read (footnotes in Greek- not helpful if you don't know Greek) but I remember it from college philosophy classes as what introduced me to asking "why the why?" and the larger questions of being. My personal philosophy these days has evolved into- "live and let live", with a good dose of "it is what it is" and the practical "play it as it lies"
+30
total 795
Completed 15.6The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer (friend of friends - Jamie B)
These were both great books.
10.10 I just finished The Green Hat and for 25.2 I read Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë. Agnes Grey was her first book. I enjoyed it but thought that The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was much better. I thought it told more of a story and developed its characters better.
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was 576 pages for a big book ticket.
10.4 - Reduce, Reuse, RecycleA. Reduce - Covet by J.R. Ward
Points this post = 10
Total points = 405
Mod
I read An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro. It takes place in Japan, all the characters are Japanese, and Ishiguro was born in Japan.
25.10 Melissa GA's Task - Deja Vu
For this task I read Please Pass the Guilt: A Nero Wolfe Novel by Rex Stout and Death on Deadline: A Nero Wolfe Mystery by Robert Goldsborough
I expected to be disappointed by the Goldsborough book, but was pleasantly surprised. I actually liked it better than this particular Rex Stout Nero Wolfe. As I got into the Goldsborough book, I really didn't see much difference and I thought the characters were very true to the Stout books.
Points: 695
Books: 51
Books by Goodreads authors: 11
Big Books - 1
Pages: 14238
Tasks: 38
25.7 - Ashley FL's Task - The Gods Must Be Crazy -- Read Gods Behaving Badly by Marie PhillipsBooks Read: 20
Pages Read: 6401
Tasks Completed: 17
Tasks in Progress: 5
Task 25.5 - Leora's Task - Spring Cleaning COMPLETE!I read a total of 885 pages the following:
Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall by Bill Willingham 144 pages http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21...
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead 332 pages
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34...
Frosbite by Richelle Mead 327 pages http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22...
On the Shortness of Life 112 pages http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/97...
Points earned (this task): 25 points
My challenge total points:65 points
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I finished BJRose's task 25.6 This date in history. My birthday is April 30. On this date in 1900 Hawaii became a territory of the US with Sanford B Dole as govenor. I read The Floating City which takes place in turn of the last century Hawaii. I gave this book 2*. I did not find the story all that engaging. I also read Death in the Orchid Garden which takes place in the current century. I gave this book 3*. A little better story but not a story that grabbed me.This will bring my total to 160 points.
5.2 - "A book is like a garden carried in the pocket." When I think of spring I think of flowers and when I think of flowers I think of gardens...For this task read a novel featuring gardens (Ex. The Secret Garden) OR a gardener (Ex. Gardener to the King) OR a non-fiction book about gardening (Ex. The Vegetable Gardener's Bible)
Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah-4/20
A garden plays a significant role in this book. I was not sure by reading the synopsis but after reading it, it does.
New Total: 170
Finished task 15.10: Through a Glass, Darkly by Jostein Gaarder - it agrees with one of my philosophies that Life is a Mystery, and we all look at Life, the Universe and Everything Else through a dark glass (and perhaps it's just as well). 5* and highly recommendedTOTAL POINTS = 160
I have just finished The Novice by Trudi Canavan which is the second book of the Black Magician Trilogy. I'm claiming 20 points for this read as the Magical Birthday task.Previous Reads
5.2 A Book is Like a Garden in the Pocket - The Girl's Guide to Growing your Own by Alex Mitchell
5.8 Dr Watson Calling - The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith
5.9 I can Still do Something Lying in Bed - Magicians Guild by Judi Canavan
10.2 Three/Four/Five - The Rapture by Liz Jensen
10.4 Reduce, Reuse and Recycle - We are all Made of Glue by Marina Lewycka
10.5 Freedom of the Press - The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larrson
15.6 Friends and Friends of Friends - Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell and American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
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 and Red Dust by Gillian Slovo
30.3 Birth and Renewal - Blacklands by Belinder Bauer and Restoration by Rose Tremain
30.6 Character References - American Wife by Curtis Sittenfield and Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H.Lawrence
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For task 15.3Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis
It is on page 4 of the list, #360. This should be on this list because it's one of those stories that's timeless. It really ought to be on another list also one called "Books Everyone should read aloud to their kids"
30.4- Sea Swept- Nora Roberts andDeath Valley- Gwen Hunter
20.1 - The Most Improved Player - Cindy AL - April FoolApril Fool...read three 1000+ page books and write reviews of each without using your computer...April Fool! Read a humorous book of any type and write a short review.
Eleven on Top by Janet Evanovich
This is one of my all-time favorite series. Every book I've read so far as made me laugh out loud at some point. This book wasn't the best in the series, but it still had a lot of funny moments. The ending felt really rushed to me and I wanted to know more of what happened. I'm guessing I'll find out more as I continue the series because the character in question makes an appearance in every installment.
TOTAL = 100
Finished two more yesterday: 15.8 Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland. The book is about a Vermeer painting and tells the story of each of the owners of the painting and how it chagned hands, from present day back to Vermeer and his daughter who modeled for it.
My favorite of his is The Love Letter. I really like Vermeer because he paints real life and makes individual moments seem so special and important.
Also finished 15.10 All's Well That Ends Well by Shakespeare. I definitely believe that sometimes you have to go through some pain and struggle in order for you to get what you want. The hard work is worth it and pays off in the end.
Total Points: 555
Tasks Complete: 34
Books Read: 47
Pages Read: 16613
Tasks In Progress: 5
GOODREADS AUTHOR x
BIG BOOK (500) x
BIG BOOK (750)
BIG BOOK (1000) x
Percent Complete: 63.5%
Time Elapsed: 56.5%
I finished another one!
25.3 - Coralie's Task - Coming Out Of Hibernation
Attend a live sporting event or musical or drama event and read a book that is somehow connected to the event.
On Sunday, April 11, 2010, a local dinner theatre named “The Shakespeare Tavern” performed Shakespeare’s “ Taming of the Shrew ”. I was there! :0) The “book that is somehow connected to the event” I read was: A Midsummer Tempest (1974) by Poul Anderson (Mass Market Paperback, 229 pages). The premise of this fantasy novel: every word written by Shakespeare was literally true! Characters from A Midsummers Night's Dream and The Tempest are featured. The connection (obviously): Shakespeare’s plays!
A Midsummer Tempest won the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award (1975); it was also a nominee for Nebula Award (1976) and a nominee for the World Fantasy Award (1975). Poul Anderson is one of my favorite science fiction novelists of all time. This book shows that he could write fantasy (and rhyming couplets!) as well. In this novel, Anderson takes real-life events and combines and changes them using characters from fiction and a dollop of magic. Many authors have tried this, and it is a hard thing to do well. I think Anderson succeeds. It helps if, before reading this novel, a reader has some knowledge of the English Civil War (King Charles I vs. Oliver Cromwell).
330 + 25 = 355
Tasks Completed: 18
Points for this task: 25
Points thus far: 355/980
Books read: 26
Pages Read: 7281
Books by Goodreads authors: 2
Read but not claimed: 9 books
(Including one each of the following 2-book tasks: 15.2B, 15.6B, 20.5, 20.8, 25.2, 25.4C, 25.8A, 25.10A, and 30.1B)
I have finished the following tasks:30.1A The Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah
30.6B Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
for the 50 point task I rolled a 5 then a 2 which meant I could read anything so I read
50.1A The Case for God by Karen Armstrong
50.1B Seven Masters, One Path by John Selby
I hhope that finishes it for me--if not let me know what I am missing Thanks
10.5 A Death in Bekmont - Sebastian Junger
5.9 Hot Six - Janet Evanovich
120 +10 + 5= 135 -15=120
5.9 Hot Six - Janet Evanovich
120 +10 + 5= 135 -15=120
20.8-- A Magical Birthday (Happy Birthday, Rachel Lee!)I read 2 books to get my 500 pages. Those books were:
Revealers
Stardust
My edition of "Stardust" was 333 pages, and "Revealers" was 268 pages.
Total: 495 points
For 10.1 - Books Really Do Grow On Trees, I read
. The author is a park ranger at Yosemite and was featured in the fantastic National Parks documentary by Ken Burns which aired on PBS last year. The cover is a picture of Yosemite with plenty of trees in the foreground. I was pleasantly surprised by this novel and gave it 4 stars. My full review is posted on my goodreads shelves. New points: 10
Total points: 155
I apologize if this is a repeat. I thought I had already submitted this, but I didn't see it and I think I just forgot to hit the post button.
Hello!I have completed the following:
1) Task 10.5 (journalism): The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
2) Task 30.4 (one if by land; two if by sea): That Old Cape Magic and River Thieves
Both books were very, very good. Each writer created realistic and amazing characters in settings I could see in my mind. I rated each 4 stars.
Total # of Pages Read: 5912
Total # of Books Read: 19
Total # of Tasks Completed: 15
Total # of Points Accrued: 225
Here is one I finished last week, but forgot to post:Al Capone Does My Shirtsfor task 10.10. That give me 100 points.
Song of the Sparrow- Lisa Ann Sandell 5.1
Peeled- Joan Baurer
5.2
10 points!
10.5 - Freedom Of The Press - Al-Jazeera: The Story of the Network That Is Rattling Governments and Redefining Modern Journalism by Mohammed El-Nawawy.Total Points: 390/980
Tasks Completed: 23/57
Tasks in Progress: 8
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Oops - my total was only 95. Here are my two books for 25.5 - 850 pages from to be read list:Last Night in Twisted River with 576 pages and The Dark Tide with 448 pages.
I also read Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant for task 5.7.
Now my total should be 125
Just finished : 20.2 Clean Sweep (Instead of cleaning my house)Maid For Murder by Barbara Colley. I must admit I found the main character, Charlotte, highly annoying and couldn't believe that a) she wasn't arrested for obstructing justice and b) her neice was allowed to remain on the police force.
Also finished 15.6 Friends and Friends of Friends.
A.Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert
B. The Irrational Season by Madeleine L'Engle
I finally completed task 25.5. Have been having a hard time concentrating these last few days (hoped to have knocked this out by yesterday). I read Dead to the World, Dead as a Doornail, and Definitely Dead for a total of 910 pages.Tasks Completed: 30/57
Books Read: 44
Pages Read: 13,168
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I don't think I have posted 15.2 ANZAC Day:A. Flying Too High by Australian author Kerry Greenwood
and
B. The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman about the beginnings of World War I.
Also 15.9 What's In a Name
Amaryllis by Jayne Castle, real name Jane Ann Krentz.
If I were to write under a pen name, I'd combine the names of a couple long dead great aunts and become Iowa Independence Earp. (Writing Westerns, of course.)
25.7 Gods Must Be Crazy
The Books of the Gods, Part One by
Fred Saberhagen. This book was 1013 pages.
5.8 Dr. Watson Calling - The Secret Speech.I loved Child 44 and this was a disappointing followup. Not a horrible book - just not great.
Total points 95
Two more tasks completed. 325
5.6 - I chose to read Spinning Tropics by Aska Mochizuki. This novel is about a Japanese woman in her thirties who is living in Vietnam and working as a Japanese teacher.
30.5 - 6 degrees challenge -
I read Going Bovine by Libba Bray and
Hourglass by Claudia Gray.
There is one degree of separation. Gray and Bray (whose names rhyme) are both contributors in the book Vacations from Hell.
Previous score: 325
Current score: 360
Tomorrow is my day off and hopefully I will have time to finish some more challenges.
5.6 - I chose to read Spinning Tropics by Aska Mochizuki. This novel is about a Japanese woman in her thirties who is living in Vietnam and working as a Japanese teacher.
30.5 - 6 degrees challenge -
I read Going Bovine by Libba Bray and
Hourglass by Claudia Gray.
There is one degree of separation. Gray and Bray (whose names rhyme) are both contributors in the book Vacations from Hell.
Previous score: 325
Current score: 360
Tomorrow is my day off and hopefully I will have time to finish some more challenges.
20.7 - I Like Big Books And I Cannot Lie - Potjy - Time To Declutter - Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein. I have decluttered my yard! I have gotten rid of most of the ornamental grass that had bordered the sidewalk and the edge of my lawn. Through the years it has been steadily taking over my flower beds and hanging scraggily over the sidewalk, but this year I finally decided to do away with it. Total Points: 410/980
Tasks Completed: 24/57
Tasks in Progress: 8
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10.2Addition by Toni Jordan average rating 3.45 at start
5.6
A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute Norway
Completed Tasks
5.5 Midnighters #1: The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld
5.6 A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute Norway
5.8 Stem Cell Research: Medical Applications by Joseph & Ph.D. Panno
5.9 Midnighters #2: Touching Darkness by Scott Westerfeld
10.1 Three Willows by Ann Brashares
10.2 Addition by Toni Jordan
10.4 Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zinc
10.6 Push by Sapphire
10.9 Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
10.10 Dancing in the Red Shoes Will Kill You by Dorian Cirrone
15.3 Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
15.5 Arts and Sciences by Albert Goldbarth
15.9 Evernight 2: Stargazer by Claudia Gray
20.1 The Funny Thing is… By Ellen DeGeneres
20.3 An Atlas of Depression by David S. Baldwin et al.
20.5 Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
20.6 Evernight #3: Hourglass by Claudia Gray
20.7 Feed by M.T. Anderson
20.8 Blue is for Nightmares by Laurie Faria Stolarz
White is for Magic by Laurie Faria Stolarz
20.9 Midnighters #3: Blue Noon by Scott Westerfeld
25.3 Gene Therapy by Evelyn B. Kelly
25.4 Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynn Truss
Claire by Lisi Harrison
25.5 This Year's Model by Carol Alt
The Sensory Processing Disorder Answer Book by Tara Delaney
The Girls by Lori Lansens
25.7 Nobody's Princess by Esther M. Friesner
25.9 The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
30.3 Not My Daughter by Barbara Delinsky
Remember Me? By Sophie Kinsella
30.4 Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept by Paulo Coelho
30.5 Evernight by Claudia Gray
Going Bovine by Libba Bray
30.6 Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
50.1 Inkspell by Cornelia Funke
Fearless Interviewing by Marky Stein
5X4=20
6X10=60
3X15=45
7X20=140
5X25=125
4X30=120
50
20+60+45+140+125+120+50=560
Total Points: 560
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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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Bloodstream by Tess Gerritson, who is Asian/Pacific American. April 19
Tess Gerritson is also a Goodreads author
#10.2 Read a book whose average rating is made up of the numbers 3,4,5
Devil's Embrace by Catherine Coulter had a rating of 3.54 when I began reading it on 4.13 April 17
#20.8 Rachel Lee: A Magical Birthday
Read a book or two (must be at least 500 pages) where magic, a magician, or an escape is a prominent feature:
Queste by Angie Sage is book 4 of the books featuring Septimus Heap, who is a magician in a world featuring other magicians and magic, including dark magic. The book has 624 pages
Total Pages = 12,839
Tasks Completed = 33
Total Points = 555