The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
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SPRING CHALLENGE 2010
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Spring Challenge 2010 Completed Tasks
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The Hearts of Horses
A beautiful book- a young woman gentles horses in 1917 Oregon. A wonderful follow-up to the winter challenge's Lewis and Clark task- this shows the lives of the children of the "first-comers" as they work their ranches. I need to read more Molly Gloss.
+10
total 25
I've finally finished two tasks so time to get my name on the board.Recently completed tasks:
5.1: Firefly Lane – Kristin Hannah 03/02
15.9: Heaven Comes Home – Nikki Holiday 03/03 Pen name for Hailey North. If I were to pick a pen name for myself I think I would probably choose Mitzie Carlisle. It was a name I used when playing as a child - not sure where it came from but it was always the name I wanted to be.
New Points: 20
Previous Points: 0
Total Points: 20
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TOTAL POINTS: 55 + 5 = 605.2 Wicked Plants by Amy Stewart
I got this book from my mom for christmas and it fit this task, so viola!
Completed Tasks
5.9 Walking Dead by C. E. Murphy
10.9 Moving Target by Mercedes Lackey et al
15.9 Pseudonym: Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews
25.1 Recipes from a American Herb Garden by Maggie Oster
I Read "Each Little Bird that Sings" By: Deborah Wilesfor 5.1
I read "Twice upon a Marigold" Written by: Jean Ferris. I forget which task it was and now i cant find it. but it was in a seris where i read the first and it was a second.
I'm finally on the board!Read Great Apes by Will Self for task 10.2. On March 1 the rating was 3.55 but it took me FOREVER to get through, I gave it 2 stars, and yet the rating went up to 3.56. Go figure.
A bad enough book that I don't even feel like reviewing it right now. A waste of almost 4 full days of reading. NOT a great start to this challenge- hopefully things'll pick up...
Points: 10
Books Read: 1
Pages Read: 404
I completed Task 10.5 by reading Heartsick by Chelsea Cain, featuring Susan Ward, Reporter. I really enjoyed this psychological thriller mystery involving Susan, a serial killer and a detective who has a past with the Killer. Gretchen Lowell is one of the most sadistic, manipulative serial killers that I've read. Her methods make one's skin crawl.
I gave this book a solid 4*, taking a star away for over-descriptiveness of details....looks, items, moves, etc.
I'm looking forward to reading the other 2 books in this series and have worked them into this Challenge so here's hoping I'll get to those tasks.
Oops I made the ticker and completely forgot to write what task the book was for.
Finished 5.9 Lying in bed and read a book challenge. Magyk by Angie Sage.
Task 15.5Sylvia Plath's Ariel
I have finished with
That's as good as I can do, poetry really isn't my thing. I hope it has the right number of syllables at least.
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25.7 - Ashley FL's Task - The Gods Must Be CrazyI read Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips
Total Points: 25
Tasks Complted: 1
Books Read: 1
10.10 - "Fashions fade - style is eternal." Many of the world's most famous fashion designer's have spring birthdays including...Jean-Paul Gaultier, Christian Lacroix, Valentino, Guccio Gucci, Donatella Versace, Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, Oleg Cassini, Liz Claiborne, Perry Ellis, Tommy Hilfiger, Marc Jacobs, and Bob Mackie...In honor of them read a book (fiction or non-fiction) that has a type of clothing or accessory in the title (shirt, pants, shoes etc.)
Startled by His Furry Shorts by Louise Rennison-3/4
New Total: 45
Tasks Completed: 3
Books Read: 4
loving the haikus! :) they're ALL great!
20.3 is about a girl who has an eating disorder.
5.7 March is Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Awareness MonthI read Eye Contact which is about an autistic boy who witnesses a crime. It was very engaging, 5 stars.
5.9 “I think even lying on my bed I can still do something.”
I was sick for a couple of days so spent the time reading and sleeping. I read The Surgeon which was a good crime book but a little too gruesome in some ways for my tastes, 4 stars.
10.5 Freedom Of The Press
I read We'll Meet Again which had a journalist as one of the main characters, 4 stars.
15.9 What's in a name?
I read Divided in Death by J. D. Robb which is the pen name of Nora Roberts.
I already have a pen name of sorts, which is my user name here (Kandie Lei), which I use when I play in my band and for any writing I do. I chose it because it has a connection to a friend of mine who died.
20.8 Happy Birthday To You Rachel Lee (March 24th)! - A Magical Birthday
I read The Outlaw Demon Wails which is the 6th book in The Hallows series. The main character is a witch and uses magic. It was 501 pages. I love this series but this book dragged a little in the middle for me, 4 stars.
Total Points: 55
For 15.5 A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdomI read Endpoint and Other Poemsby John Updike. I enjoy reading poetry, but don't do it often enough - great task!
Reading poetry,
my mind soars in the sky of
imagination.
20.10 The Golden CompassPhillip Pullman
I also posted in the discussion thread.
25.1 Future Aspirations
It's a little small to see, but on the cover are two kids dancing--I'd love to learn how to dance. I'd also like a romance...or at least a passionate fling lol
Total: 25 + 110 (from earlier) = 135pts
And Donna Jo: I hope you didn't catch my cold, too! I'd hate for someone else to feel as miserable as I have the past several days x_x I've gone through practically an entire gallon of orange juice since yesterday!
Three more to report because I just lumped a bunch of embarrassingly easy-peasy ones together.5.7 - Rules by Cynthia Lord - this is a young adult novel about a girl named Catherine and her younger brother, David, who has autism. I started it on my bus ride to work this morning and finished it during my lunch break this afternoon. I have had very little exposure to autism but I have a brother with schizophrenia so I could somewhat sympathize with Catherine's struggles in this book. Being an adolescent is hard enough and it's especially hard to love someone who unintentionally embarrasses you every step of the way. This would be an excellent book for young readers to learn about acceptance of others and self. Four stars.
5.9 Kitty Goes to Washington by Carrie Vaughn (Goodreads author) - this is an urban fantasy novel I've been reading in bed for the past several days and just finished this evening while my daughter was snoozing. Genre fiction is my guilty pleasure! It's the second book in a series about a radio DJ named Kitty who also happens to be a werewolf (ba-dum-dum). In the first book, Kitty was unwillingly forced out of the shifter closet and during this one; she'd been subpoenaed by the U.S. Senate to provide expert testimony during Senate hearings addressing lycanthrophy and vampirism. Female characters in books like this are usually tough as nails, bad a$$ broads. But Kitty is a wimp and I like that about her. Fluff factor: four stars.
15.5 - 95 Poems by e.e. cummings - I haven't read e.e. cummings since I was a teenager and it was all the rage amongst my friends to read poetry and be inspired to write our own bad poetry about guys and being misunderstood. I can't recall if I'd ever read any of the poems in this book or not. Some were better than others although I still prefer fiction to poetry. Three stars.
And here's my cheese:
Little bee greeting
the morning with a smile.
Each day a new day!
It's about my 4-month-old daughter, Brigid, whose nickname is Little B.
Total Points: 65
Books Read: 6
Tasks Completed: 6
Pages Read: 2089
20.10 group read. I read The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood because it is the only one of the three I hadn't read yet. 45 points
686 pages
2 books
5.6 - May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month To celebrate this month read a novel that takes place in a Asian/Pacific county - A Candle in the Dark by Hugh Steven (takes place in the island country of Vanuatu).
Total Points: 55/980
Books Read: 6
Tasks Completed: 5/57
Tasks in Progress: 2
From Owned TBR: 6
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25.3 - Coralie's Task - Coming Out Of Hibernation Attended "My Life in the Chinese Cultural Revolution" Lecture) by Thumin, Ling and read Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie about the "reeducation" experience of two young men during the Cultural RevolutionBooks Read: 3
Pages Read: 1060
Tasks Completed: 3
Tasks in Progress: 1
15.6 Friends - Never Let Me Go
Hated it!!!
Drivel about whether clones have souls, but no explanation why they passively accept being carved up for their vital organs. My mental voice is hoarse from screaming, "Question! ... Protest! ... Escape! ... Rebel! ... Revolt!" Author knows nothing about teenagers or souls.
Friends of Friends (Suzanne) -
The Notebook
70 points
Sorry Cynthia! Forgot to post my pen name for 15.9. I read Twenties Girl: A Novel by Sophie Kinsella (real name Madeleine Wickham).
My pen name would be Minna Ambrick. I would choose this name because when I was telling my husband about this task, he told me about a pen name he created for himself using 2 letters from his first name, 2 letters from the middle, 1 letter of our last name for the first name and then the last name is our last name minus one letter and re-arranged. So I did the same thing with my name and came up with Minna Ambrick.
Do I get my points now? :)
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COMPLETED TASKS:
10.4 Reduce/Reuse/Recycle
*Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris - READ 3.2.10
RATING: 5 stars
Reuse - I had planned to read this for the Allure of Alliteration Task in the Winter Challenge, but ran out of time.
finished task 5.1 by reading Raven Black. not a mystery fan (this was leftover from last challenge, bought it for the cozy mystery task, happy it fit this challenge!) but it was interesting enough. was actually a bit disappointed in the ending, but oh well!
Total Points: 5 /260
Books Read: 1 /15+
Tasks in Progress: 1
Sorry Cynthia, I didn't post a proper link/author to the book I read for 5.2 ..I read The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Total points: 15
Thanks for the reminder!! :)
Completed 20.3 by reading A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby. This was actually quite funny in parts, but sad and touching too. 3*The 4 main characters all suffer from depression, and I learnt that support can come from the unlikeliest of places. They all seemed so self-absorbed at the beginning but without even really meaning to, they all helped each other through it.
Total points: 35
15.9 What's in a name?Shopaholic and Sister by Sophie Kinsella (born Madeleine Wickham)
My pen name would be Elizabeth Hunter. To me, it sounds strong and mysterious.
(It's actually the first name that popped in my head when thinking about this task. When I was younger, I always wished my parents had named me Elizabeth!)
Total points: 90
Task 15.3 From page 3 I read both Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson and Horton Hears a Who! by Dr. Seuss. I agree: everyone should read each of these books! I have to admit that "Who Moved My Cheese?" hit uncomfortably close to home. My family is not good at change and we are being faced with it (and have been being faced with it, but resisting, for over two years now!). ugh. It has definitely given me a lot to think about. For "Horton", while I don't know that I would place it on a short list of books to read, I'll definitely be reading it to my kids more often: it's a great little parable about the importance of each person effecting change.I've thought and through about which book I'd place on top of this list and I just have no idea. I have different books for different things, I guess. Maybe The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, A Toltec Wisdom Book by Miguel Ruiz. It's a little book but it was revolutionary to me: the idea that I really just shouldn't take things personally has given me a lot of freedom. It's something I need to keep reminding myself of, because I am very insecure, but always worth the reminder!
For Task 15.6 I read Blue Dahlia by Nora Roberts off of my friends list. I could swear I had read this before, but it never did get "familiar" as I was reading it. It was ok. I like Nora Roberts, in general, but in this one the central relationship seemed contrary to the characters she had created.
For friends of friends, I read Private by Kate Brian off of Kathryn's list. While I didn't give it 5*, it was a strong 4* for me personally. I loved it and am now trying hard to fit the other 10 (gulp) books into the challenge! Thanks, Kathryn :)
This brings me to 80 points and I'm going to attempt a ticker.
80 points
5/57 tasks
7 books
Ms Anderson wrote: "And Donna Jo: I hope you didn't catch my cold, too!..."Well, you know how it is with computer viruses! Actually, I think today will be better. I woke up able to breathe through my nose without the aid of medication. HOpe you are feeling better soon. *Toasting your health with my own orange juice.*
5.9 Southern Fried9 by Cathy Pickens247716] 10.6 Push by Sapphire
25/980
For 5.6 May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage MonthI read Keeping Score. Linda Sue Park is the daughter of Korean immigrants. Her mom packed her sushi picnics when she went to the Cubs games as a child.
Points Earned: 5
Yay, I'm on the board!Finished task:
30.5 - 6 degrees of separation
My TBR book was American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson by Joseph J. Ellis. I haven't reviewed it yet, but I am leaning toward 5 stars.
The second books was Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America by Thomas Freidman. I enjoyed this book also, giving it 4 stars.
The connection between the two books is that each author is a Pulitzer Prize Winner. Freidman won it 3 different times (1983, 1988 and 2002) and Ellis won it in 2001.
Total Points: 30
30.4 One if by Land, Two if by SeaIsland of the Blue Dolphins and Crooked River
I definitely liked Crooked River better, though the injustice of the plot made it difficult to read (much like To Kill A Mockingbird). The pacing of Island of the Blue Dolphins seemed all off, and it reminded me of Ernest Hemingway's novels, the way it was very dry and unemotional.
Total: 30 + 135 (from earlier) = 165pts
25.1 Aspiration -The Piano Lesson
Piano (small, hard to see on cover) to learn to understand circle of fifths and key changes in Beethoven's symphonies.
95 points
20.7 Find something in your house that should be thrown away and read a book that relates to that thing.I read Picture Perfect because, while I was doing a bit of preemptive spring cleaning, I found a box of old photographs...you know the kind. Of an ex-boyfriend. =) I've been happily married for almost four years now and dated my now-husband for three years before that. Of course, I'll keep a picture or two of the ex for posterity's sake, but I think it's high time I threw out that box!
Total points = 40
20.5 Done. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS TASK!!!1. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
2. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
3. Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
4. I Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch
5. Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner
6. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willlems
7. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
8. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.
9. Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin
10. The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
11. A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
12. The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
13. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
14. The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
15. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
16. Cat In the Hat
17. Green Eggs and Ham
18. Are You My Mother
This elementary music teacher and parent thanks you SO much for a task that was completed by sharing reading with kids!!!
Heather in KS
point total: 20
Heather wrote: "20.5 Done. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS TASK!!!1. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
2. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
3. Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
4. I Love Y..."
Holy cow -- you must have been reading all day!
"Click Clack Moo" is my favorite kids book EVER.
Mod
5.9, day in bed, with
Dark Tiger: A Stoney Calhoun Novel
5.1, birds and bees, with
Lark and Termite
Lark and Termite is skillfully crafted, but starts slow. The multiple narrators take a while to establish themselves. I think this a book that I will appreciate more as time passes.
+10
total 35
I've just completed my first task. I read The Silver Linings Play book by Matthew Quick. The main character is called Pat. This is for task 10.3I have part completed another couple of tasks. I will update those as soon as I have read the other books for the tasks.
Task #5.9 - Dorthea Dix, Reading in bed - Brava, Valentine: A Novel by Adriana TrigianiI really enjoyed the first book in this series, Very Valentine, but this one was just 'meh' for me - I gave it 3 stars.
I completed task 15.10. I read Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy: Curiouser And Curiouser Edited by William Irwin.My basic philosophy is to indulge my curiousity. I never want to stop learning or stop inquiring. The book I read went into some of that, as well as feminist reading on Alice In Wonderland, perceptions of reality and time, and linguistics.
This brings me to 30 points.
I've completed 3/56 tasks.
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First Task Completed!!!20.10 - Group Reads
Historical - The Historian and posted a review in the discussion thread.
Total Points: 20/980
Books Read: 1
Pages Read: A LOT!!! :)
Yea! First task completed! :)10.8 "I Could Have Gone On Flying Through Space Forever"
I read Life, the Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams
This gives me a grand total of 10 points! :)
On the board at last-Task 20.3 (mental health): I read Risk Pool by Richard Russo. The main character's mother had a "nervous breakdown" and seemed to have depression/anxiety though it was never diagnosed. I learned how this type of disorder can really immobilize a person and keep them from enjoying life.
Point total: 20
COMPLETED TASKS:
15.9 What's in a Name (Pseudonym or Pen Name)
Monkeewrench by P.J. Tracy - READ 3.3.10
RATING: 4 stars
This was a fast-paced mystery. I'll definitely read more from Tracy.
P.J. Tracy is the pseudonym for the mother/daughter writing team of P.J. and Traci Lambrecht. If I had a pen name it would be a combination/variation of my boy's names: Alexa Michaels
TASKS COMPLETED: 2/57
POINTS COMPLETED: 25/980
BOOKS READ: 2/72
*BOOKS READ FROM MY PERSONAL LIBRARY: 2
One more task down: 15.7 - The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove - did not particularly like. I think I may be the only person who isnt a fan of Moore. I have read five of his books and never really found any of them that funny. oh well.
Total Points: 35
Total Books Read: 5
Tasks Completed: 3
Pages Read: 2251
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The Seasonal Reading Challenge
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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I read The Wednesday Letters, which has gone up to a current rating of 3.53, but not w..."
Yep, I was afraid my eyes would get stuck in the back of my head from rolling them so often. Luckily, it was a quick read. I believe I read it for the Fall Challenge, so within the last year. I gave the book to my mom. She loves those kinds of messages, and I didn't want it sharing a shelf with my other books!