The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
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SPRING CHALLENGE 2010
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Spring Challenge 2010 Completed Tasks
OK, so my life has been too crazy to do a Seasonal Challenge since summer, so we'll see how far I get with this one...I don't have all my books chosen, but I've completed a couple of tasks already:
5.10 in honor of Queen Victoria: I finally read The Awakening. It may not have been on my Goodreads TBR list, but it was on my nagging mental list, and I can finally cross that one off!
25.9 "spring break": I read On Writing, because I've been wanting to read it and because I discovered him in high school with The Shining and went on a bender, reading nearly everything of his for the next two or three years. This memoir/writing book was a fascinating look at King's life and working style. Even if you don't like his fiction, check this one out -- the first half had me laughing out loud, the second half had me taking notes, and the subtle tribute to his wife throughout was evidence of their genuine love and respect for each other. Just wonderful!
5.4 - The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells - Featured in October 09 Newsletter10.3 - Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind
10.7 - In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
15.3 - The Reader by Bernhard Schlink - This book was great! I do believe that it belongs on this list. I think that The Catcher in the Rye should be at the top of the list.
30.2 - Piper Reed: Navy Brat by Kimberly Willis Hold/The Maze Runner by James Dashner
I would like to join in on this! I have read just one so far. For 5.4: In the news, I just read Love the One You're With by Emily Giffen. It was in the June 2008 goodreads newsletter.
Task 30.6, Character Reference. I read Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches' Guide to Romance Novels by Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan, and Charlie All Night by Jennifer Crusie. Jennifer Crusie is one of the authors repeatedly mentioned in "Beyond Heaving Bosoms" and she is definitely one of my new favorites -- fun little books!This brings be to 200 points.
11/57 tasks
15 books.
15.9 - Twenties Girl: A Novel by Sophie Kinsella, whose real name is Madeleine Wickham.My pen name would be A.J. Watts - A.J. because that's what my neice and nephew call me instead of Aunt Jenn, and Watts because that's a branch on my family tree.
Total Points = 30
15.8 "A beautiful thing never gives so much pain as does failing to hear and see it'The Essential Claude Monet by Catherine Morris
I am a big fan of all of the Impressionist painters, but Claude Monet is my favorite. I find his paintings capture the moment at which the painting was created. Looking at them, I feel the warmth of the sun, hear the birds and the movement of the water. Of his many paintings, my favorites are his Water Lily Series.
Total points: 155
Sera wrote: "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..."
Cynthia, my new connection is that both these men were speakers at the 2008 Aspen Ideas Festival. Tanja has also approved this connection. Kindly update my points in your next go round - my total is 30.
Thanks, Cynthia and Tanja!
20.6 Book from favorite series. All the Weyrs of Pern. The Dragonriders of Pern series is highly entertaining for those interested in science fiction. The books range from stories about dragonriders to stories about Harpers and renegades. There's something for everyone!
Total Points: 20
Task 20.1 Read a humorous story and do a short review, I read The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz 4*.This way a really good book, the humor in it was very wry. Isabelle Spellman has always worked for her parents Private Investigation office and after years of being spied upon she wants to leave. Her parents agree if she can solve a 10 year old missing persons case. The most enjoyable people in this book and the ones who made me laugh the most were Isabelle and her sister Rae.
Tasks done: 5
Points: 60
Pages: 2878
Books read: 5
Complete5 Points
5.2 Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, Barbara Kingsolver
5.6 The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Haruki Murakami
5.8 Moon Called, Patricia Briggs
Totals
Points: 15
Talks: 3
Books: 3
Pages: 1285
Hi,I have completed my first task, group read i read The Historian
by Elizabeth Kostova and loved it!!
Kate.x.
Total points = 20
First post of the challenge:5.3 Immortal
5.9 The Seven Rays
10.10 Death by Bikini Goodreads Author
15.9 Wit'ch Fire A pen Name of Jim Czajkowski who also writes under the name James Rollins. I love the James Rollins books so decided to try out his other pen name. This one was ok, but not as good as James Rollins. My pen name would be Jennalyn Tracy.
15.10 eye of the god Goodreads Author. My personal philosophy is that God is in control and to trust in him
25.3 Swimming with the Sharks Went to a district basketball championship to watch my foster sister cheer
Total Points 75/980
Total Books 9/76
Total Tasks Completed 6/56
Total Pages 2922
10.1 - Books Really Do Grow On Trees - Read a book with a picture of a tree(s) on the cover or the word tree/trees (not a type of tree) in the title -
The Abandoned Baobab: The Autobiography of a Senegalese Woman by Ken Bugul. An interesting side note, this author uses a pseudonym, Ken Bugul, which means "the person no one wants" from her native language. Her real name is Marietou M'Baye.Total Points: 135/980
Books Read: 14
Tasks Completed: 9/57
Tasks in Progress: 7
From Owned TBR: 13
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Finally finished a book that puts me on the board. (Ack! Reader's block, ack!)For task 20.6, read Fables: The Good Prince, which was 10th in the trade paperback series.
Fables, by Bill Willingham, is a comic book series (collected into trade paperbacks) about all the fairy-tale and fable creatures we've ever made up. What happens to them when their world is taken over by an evil Adversary and they are forced to move to our "mundy" world, to New York City? How will they fight to take back their world?
Amanda R. in Louisville
20 points so far
10.5 Freedom of the Press: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg LarsonLoved it...now I have to figure out which tasks to fit the next two into!
I read Heat Wave by Rick Castle, for task 15.9. RC is the name of the character on the show Castle, and this is ostensibly, his book. If I had a pseudonym, it would be Chloe Herbert. Chloe was my beloved Pomeranian, who died about 4 years ago. Herbert sounds like a good last name and is the name of my childhood (mine and his) dog. Also, my pen name and I share initials, which I think would help me keep track of it better.total: 80/980
tasks completed: 4
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Hello!I have completed the following task:
Task 10.1 (trees). I read:
.It was not the best read ever - predictable, not particularly funny or original and could have used more editing. I gave it 1.5 stars.
Total # of points: 35
Total # of pages read: 1095
Total # of tasks completed: 2
I finished 5.7, I read House Rules, the main character has Aspenger's syndrome.Total Points: 55
Tasks Completed: 4
Tasks In Progress: 1
Books Read: 4 (not counting children's books)
Pages Read: 2520
5.07 MARCH IS MENTAL RETARDATION AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AWARENESS MONTH: “The Year My Son and I Were Born” Kathryn Lynard Soper (Down syndrome)5.10 THE IMPORTANT THING IS NOT WHAT THEY THINK OF ME, BUT WHAT I THINK OF THEM: “The Clocks” Agatha Christie
10.03 THE LUCK OF THE IRISH: “The Double-Jack Murders” Patrick F. McManus
10.09 A LOVELY HORSE IS ALWAYS AN EXPERIENCE (etc.): “The Horse and His Boy” C.S. Lewis
Total points: 30
Mod
I read Louis Comfort Tiffany by Alastair Duncan
I'm not sure that he's my favorite artist overall, but I love Tiffany windows - when I saw this one in the Metropolitan Museum, I was stopped in my tracks and just looked for a very long time. Fortunately, they sold a poster of it, which I framed and hung in my office - it's a good thing to look at when work is getting stressful!
http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/tiff...
Points: 55
Books: 5
Pages: 1171
Tasks: 4
5.9 DOROTHEA DIXThe Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson
**ALSO 500+ PAGE BOOK**
Points This Task: 5
Tasks Completed: 1
Total Points:5
For task 20.1, I read You Suck: A Love Story by Christopher Moore. Judging by how many times I snorted aloud and woke up hubby, I'd say this is a humorous book.
I just completed task 5.3 by reading The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. It started off really slowly for me and I was not really into it and then the second half of the book was awesome!Tasks Completed: 11/57
Books Read: 15
Pages Read: 4665
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Just completed...10.5 - Freedom Of The Press
The Informers by Juan Gabriel Vasquez
The main character is a journalist.
Completed task 10.2-- Three/Four/Five
This was a fun, light read. I normally won't touch James Patterson, but I was so curious and interested in the premise of this book. Overall, I liked it, but the writing is really simplistic. I think this would make a cute movie.
When I started reading this book last night, its rating was 3.43; a few hours after I started it, the rating changed to 3.42, so I'm glad I started it when I did! After I rated it 3*, it still remained at 3.42.
Total: 85
20.5 - Just Joined In - Melaine - Read Across America (and the rest of the world)In honor of Read Across America Day 2010, which falls on Dr. Seuss's birthday, read any book(s)from one of the NEA's booklists and/or by Dr. Seuss, for a total of at least 500 pages.
Booklists can be found here: NEA Booklists
Esperanza Rising by Ryan (260pages)
The Silver Chair by CS Lewis (249 pages)
20 points
125 total
30.2 A Texas-Sized TaskSomeone Named Eva (Bluebonnet) and When You Reach Me (Lone Star)
Someone Named Eva was really interesting--an aspect of WWII that I'd never even heard of. When You Reach Me...I thought it was another boring Newbery, bland in the same way most of the others in the past 20 years have been (notable exceptions: The Giver and The Tale of Despereaux).
Total: 30 + 305 (from earlier) = 335pts
TOTAL POINTS: 100 + 10 = 11010.1 Little Grrl Lost by Charles de Lint (there is a tree in the upper right corner)
Completed Tasks
5.2 Wicked Plants by Amy Stewart
5.9 Walking Dead by C. E. Murphy
10.8 Spin State by Chris Moriarty
10.9 Moving Target by Mercedes Lackey et al
10.10 Clothing/Accessory: Angus Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
15.9 Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews
20.5 NEA booklist: 208p The Giver by Lois Lowry, : Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
20.7 The Pleasure of Cooking for One by Judith Jones
25.1 Recipes from a American Herb Garden by Maggie Oster
Off like a herd of turtles! :) I finished 5.3 S.P.R.I.N.G. with Four Queens: The Provencal Sisters Who Ruled Europe by Nancy Goldstone. Which brings my total tooooo: (Sharp intake of breath) 5!!Haha, hopefully I'll be reading a bit faster from now on.
Four Queens was interesting, especially since it was about an era I knew nothing about. I always enjoy learning about intelligent women who hold power. The setting of medieval europe makes it an even more compelling feat, and the authors argument that these women could not have been as unusual as we've been led to assume, due to the numerous examples within of strong women deftly wielding influence, is a concept that, I think, is not difficult for most women to accept.
Julie McVey25.9 - My high school/college years were 1996 - 2005. I chose to read a book by Alice Sebold because The Lovely Bones was so popular then.
I read her memoir Lucky.
Total Points = 30
Books Read = 2
Pages Read = 377
Rachel Erin wrote: "10.5 Freedom of the Press: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg LarsonLoved it...now I have to figure out which tasks to fit the next two into!"
Since she may have Asperger's Syndrome that may count for one of the tasks - I can't remember which one right now.
Tasks Completed:5.9 Which Brings Me to You: A Novel in Confessions by Steve Almond and Julianna Baggott
30.4 A) The Long Valley by John Steinbeck and B) Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper
Points Total= 35
Had to quickly post this while it's fresh in my mind. I completed 20.3 Mental Health by reading The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary which was about the OED and how one of their most prolific contributors was a mentally ill criminal. He was found insane by a court after he killed a man and spent the rest of his life (apart from the last year of his life) in asylums. He would probably be diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia today. I thought this story was an interesting one but the actual storytelling was poor. The book came across as confused, sometimes jumping from point to point with not much connecting the two. He also constantly referred to things later in the story. I don't mind when author's do that but it just happened so much it became jarring. So I gave it 3 stars.
And the book reinforced for me that even though someone is mentally ill it doesn't mean they cannot make a contribution to society and do something meaningful with their life. Also, words can be therapy.
Total points: 180
10.2 Death by DarjeelingLaura Childs Rating: 3.53
TOTAL POINTS: 110 + 5 = 1155.6 Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto
The stories take place in Tokyo plus the author is Japanese to boot.
Completed Tasks
5.2 Wicked Plants by Amy Stewart
5.9 Walking Dead by C. E. Murphy
10.1 Little (Grrl) Lost by Charles de Lint
10.8 Spin State by Chris Moriarty
10.9 Moving Target by Mercedes Lackey et al
10.10 Clothing/Accessory: Angus Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
15.9 Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews
20.5 NEA booklist: 208p The Giver by Lois Lowry, : Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
20.7 The Pleasure of Cooking for One by Judith Jones
25.1 Recipes from a American Herb Garden by Maggie Oster
15.5 - "A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom."April is National Poetry Month. For this task read a collection of poetry - Falling Up by Shel Silverstein.
My Haiku:
Read another book
For the seasonal challenge
Time to read some more...
Total Points: 150/980
Books Read: 15
Tasks Completed: 10/57
Tasks in Progress: 7
From Owned TBR: 14
My ticker isn't updating, so I'm going to leave it off.
10.1 - Read a book with a picture of a tree(s) on the cover or the word tree/trees (not a type of tree) in the title. I read: Fall of Light by Nina Kiriki Hoffman (Hardcover, 336 pages)
Look at the cover:
Definitely trees!
This novel is a fantasy novel about a makeup-artist who has magical abilities, and her experiences while doing makeup for a monster movie. I've read and greatly liked Nina Kiriki Hoffman's short stories (see: Time Travelers, Ghosts, and Other Visitations ); Fall of Light reads like a well-padded short story rather than a novel. It's still a good read if you like paranormal stories.
100 + 10 = 110
Tasks Completed: 6
Points for this task: 10
Points thus far: 110/980
Books read: 7
Pages Read: 1847
Read but not claimed: 2 books
15.3 completed. I read V for Vendetta by Alan Moore which is on page 4 of the list. I do think this deserves a spot on the list as it's an interesting critique of when governments get too large and a fascinating look at anarchy. I won't pretend I agree with Moore's views, but it is nice to learn more about a political ideology, especially when pictures are involved. As for what I think should be at the top of the list, well, personally I go in for the unabridged Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas, it's such a swashbuckling tale which reminded me of why I love reading so much.
This task completion brings me to 100 points.
Tasks completed: 7
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okay for a second time I completed 10.4 Reuse, Reduce, Recycle and I read "The Princess Bride" by William Godlman. I also completed 5.7 Mental Retardation by reading "Look Me In The Eye: My Life With Asperger's Tasks Completed 2
Books Read: 2
Total Points: 15
15.5For this task read a collection of poetry
Arts and Sciences by Albert Goldbarth (107 pages)
Here's a haiku about my dog:
Long, silky, white hair
Catch a pink octopus by
the toe. Bark with glee.
Total Points: 100
Finished: 5.1 Wizard of the Crow.
10.1
The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring by Richard Preston. I enjoyed this book about the guys who tried climbing a giant redwood (without any gear) and turned it into a profession studying the ecology of these giants of the temperate rain forest. Even with it setting off my acrophobia I enjoyed the book. 4*
10.7 - Beware the Ides of MarchOn 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. Ex. The Darkest Night: The Murder of Innocence in a Small Town
Motive for Murder (read for the book club at the National Crime and Punishment Museum) By George Throckmorton, RC Christensen and Richar H Casper
I finished 20.10 by reading The Handmaid's Tale and posting in the discussion thread. I was glad to finally getting around to reading an Atwood book, but I didn't really like it.Total Points 25
I have completed:Task 20.2 Clean Sweep, with Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day***. Molly is borderline OCD with her organization.
Task 30.5 - Six Degrees of Separation, with
Wind, Sand and Stars*** by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and The Wish*** by Gail Carson Levine.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote The Little Prince which was made into a movie in 1974 starring (1)Gene Wilder who produced The Woman in Red, which had the same Costume Designer, (2) Ruth Myers, as Ella Enchanted, written by (3) Gail Carson Levine.
(I loved that task!)
25.1 Future Aspirations with Legendary Lover
. I love collecting antiques and this has a beautiful, ornate inkwell on the cover. Total Points: 75
Total Pages: 869
Books Read: 4
Tasks Done: 3
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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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Before I Fall (published 2010) and Reincarnation (re-)
Confession time~! I actually built the second part of this task around using ..."
Ms. Anderson- Reincarnation is the first book I thought of for your task, I'm so glad you liked it. I can't wait to read it!