50 POINT MIDWAY TASK - MS ANDERSON - LUCK BE A LADY

[Jayme(theghostreader)]

For part B, are Newberry award books considered literature?

[Megan]

Jayme wrote: "For part B, are Newberry award books considered literature?"

Well, yeah, actually. The Newbery is an award for children's lit, so I'll accept that for the task.

[Sarah (Mood Reader)]

This was how exactly mine worked out. I have a habit of writing everything down on paper right now. So I rolled my blue cool looking water dice and got a 4 which is Poetry so I wrote that down. Then I rolled a 3 and wrote down non-fiction. I was fine with these choices... then I added them up and got 7. Now I can read whatever I want which works out perfectly because I am currently working my through a series. Thank you Ms. Anderson.

[Bridgit]

will you count Revolutionary Road as historical fiction? Not sure how far back it has to be, or how much earlier than the publishing date...

[Megan]

Bridgit wrote: "will you count Revolutionary Road as historical fiction? Not sure how far back it has to be, or how much earlier than the publishing date..."

Man, this question made me think! But here's the definition I've come up with:

If the book takes place within ten years of when it was written, it is NOT historical fiction. For example, The Great Gatsby takes place in the 20s and was written during the 20s, so it would not be historical fiction (under this definition). However, Tipping the Velvet takes place in Victorian England, but was written a few years ago, so it would be historical fiction.

Revolutionary Road...it takes place in the 50s, right? I think it's a little bit too close to the 10yr mark for it to count as "historical fiction" under the "contemporary to when it was written" rule. You might be able to fit it for the other roll, though, depending on what you got. I'm sorry!

[Ashley FL]

Ok, for literature, how about The Ask: A Novel by Sam Lipsyte? It's on my TBR and I'm on the list at the library (and he's a Goodreads author and that's my add-on!). It would definitely be in the Fiction section at the bookstore (vs romance or sci-fi or whatnot), but it's hard for me to judge whether time will hold a 2010 release up as "literature", kwim?

Thanks!

[Jayme(theghostreader)]

The new contemporary rule took away my favorite historical fiction book.

[Julie]

How FUN!!! I LOVE this!! I rolled a 6 and a 5. So I will be reading a mystery/thriller and a historical fiction book! My favorite part is that it added up to 11 which means that one has to be written for children or young adults!!! I am a teacher and I have a not so secret love of young adult novels!!! :)

[Megan]

Jayme wrote: "The new contemporary rule took away my favorite historical fiction book."

I'm sorry! If it makes it any easier, it cuts out several of my favorites, too, including one of my own all-time favorite books (and easily my favorite "classic"), The Count of Monte Cristo. I don't want to be strict about a lot of things, but some books are completely documented that they were contemporary critiques, like a lot of Twain's novels and Austen, like I mentioned before, and Dickens...to us, they're all historical fiction, but they were realistic to their original audience! It gets really frustrating when you look beyond about 1900 to tell what is and isn't historical fiction.

My rationalization is that there is enough brilliant fiction that wasn't contemporary to the authors that it makes up for the stuff that was. Three Musketeers might not be nearly as good as Count, but it's still really good. If you need help finding something, I'll do my best to help!

Julie wrote: "How FUN!!! I LOVE this!! I rolled a 6 and a 5. So I will be reading a mystery/thriller and a historical fiction book! My favorite part is that it added up to 11 which means that one has to be wri..."

Yay! I'm not the only one who reads the same things as her students! Win! My major bookshelf on here is to help me keep track of the books I've read and can recommend to middle schoolers when they complain about not knowing any good books lol

[Jayme(theghostreader)]

Ms. Anderson,
My favorite historical series is the Anne of Green Gables series and I can't use it because it isn't "historical fiction". I was going to use it for the historical fiction group's challenge and rereading your favorite historical fiction book but I can't :( I love "The Three Musketeers". :)

[Sandy, Moderator Emeritus]

I'm also wondering about whether something counts as "literature" - I'd like to read Special Topics in Calamity Physics. It's not genre fiction, so does it work for the 20th/21st century literature category?
thanks!

[Jayme(theghostreader)]

Yay! I'm not the only one who reads the same things as her students! Win! My major bookshelf on here is to help me keep track of the books I've read and can recommend to middle schoolers when they complain about not knowing any good books lol

I bet that doesn't stop the complaining though :)

[Megan]

Jayme wrote: "Ms. Anderson,
My favorite historical series is the Anne of Green Gables series and I can't use it because it isn't "historical fiction". I was going to use it for the historical fiction group's cha..."

Oh! Don't take my word for the definition, then! That's the definition I came up with for this task. If it's for another group, ask the people in the group, because they might have a completely different definition than I do. And "Anne of Green Gables" is a great series :3

Sandy wrote: "I'm also wondering about whether something counts as "literature" - I'd like to read Special Topics in Calamity Physics. It's not genre fiction, so does it work for the 20th/21st cent..."

I haven't read it, but my library has it classified under general fiction and I don't see anything about it that would make it fit under any single genre, so unless someone else knows something I don't, it looks like it will work.

[Jayme(theghostreader)]

I did ask in the other group and it doesn't count as a "historical fiction" either.

[Ashley FL]

Ashley wrote: "Nophoto-f-25x33 Ok, for literature, how about The Ask: A Novel by Sam Lipsyte? It's on my TBR and I'm on the list at the library (and he's a Goodreads author and that's my add-on!). It would definitely be in the Fiction section at the bookstore (vs romance or sci-fi or whatnot), but it's hard for me to judge whether time will hold a 2010 release up as "literature", kwim?

Thanks! "I'm reposting this because I think it got lost :)

[Megan]

Ashley wrote: "Ashley wrote: "Nophoto-f-25x33 Ok, for literature, how about The Ask: A Novel by Sam Lipsyte? It's on my TBR and I'm on the list at the library (and he's a Goodreads author and that's my add-on!)...."

Oops! Sorry, I didn't even see that post ^_^; If it's in the general fiction/literature section, it can count as literature, even if it's written this year.

[Coralie]

I rolled a 1 = Fantasy or Science Fiction, then a 5 = Historical Fiction (my private definition is a book set before author's birth), total 6 = Both books have some sort of connection.

I think I will read a time travel or alternate history book for the Fantasy/Science Fiction, then a book set in the same (real) time for the Historical Fiction.

[Sara ♥]

I just finished The Help, and it was AMAZING... if anyone needs a good historical fiction book to read...

[Katie]

I need recommendations.

I got 2 and 6: a graphic novel and a short story collection, one of which has to have won an award. Super cool. I've got a bunch of short story collections on my shelves (and some of them must have won awards). I'm not well-versed in graphic novels, though.

I've read Persepolis 1 & 2 and liked both (1 better than 2). The only other graphic novels on my radar screen are Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History and Watchmen, but I've heard mixed reviews. Does anyone have suggestions for favorite graphic novels, specifically ones that I might like? I'm not usually interested fantasy/scifi (though I'm happy to be surprised), or mystery, or romance. Heh.

Thanks.

[Hannah]

Ms Anderson, I wanted to ask a question about the 5 star supplement. Does the book count as long as someone somewhere gave it 5 stars? Or does it need to be limited to someone in the group?

[Megan]

Katie wrote: "I need recommendations.

I got 2 and 6: a graphic novel and a short story collection, one of which has to have won an award. Super cool. I've got a bunch of short story collections on my shelves (a..."

I really enjoyed Maus, and I've heard Watchmen is really hardcore but good. A graphic novel version of a regular novel will work for this, too (Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation, Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Volume 1, Coraline Graphic Novel, to name a few). V for Vendetta {New Edition} is supposedly excellent, but I haven't read it, so I can't guarantee anything.

I know there are several manga (Japanese graphic novel) versions of Shakespeare plays, if that's more your thing (ex. Hamlet, Manga Shakespeare: Macbeth, Manga Shakespeare: Julius Caesar). Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei: The Power of Negative Thinking, Volume 1 is incredibly funny, but DARK, and there's a few "panty-shots," though no real nudity (that I can remember; I'm used to the Japanese cultural perspective on nudity, so I don't even really notice it anymore). Likewise, Ranma 1/2, Volume 1 is hilarious, but there is some minor toplessness going on in parts, and I don't know how comfortable you are with that.

[Ashley]

Jayme wrote: "I polled a 4 and a 4. The first 4= read a play. I decoded to read "Death of a Salesman" I rolled another 4= 20th or 21 literature and adding them I got an 8 so one of my books has to have won and a..."

Those three Newbery Winners are fantastic. Dicey's Song is one of my favorite books from childhood. It is the second book in a series though, the first is called Homecoming. If I remember right, you can read Dicey's Song alone, but things make a lot more sense if you read Homecoming first.
All three are so great though!!

[Lisa]

Katie wrote: "I need recommendations.

I got 2 and 6: a graphic novel and a short story collection, one of which has to have won an award. Super cool. I've got a bunch of short story collections on my shelves (a..."

An excellent graphic novel, which I recently read is Stitches: A Memoir by David Small. It is also an award winner.

[Megan]

Hannah wrote: "Ms Anderson, I wanted to ask a question about the 5 star supplement. Does the book count as long as someone somewhere gave it 5 stars? Or does it need to be limited to someone in the group?"

I was thinking about this earlier, since that's my supplement, too. It's a little too easy to let it be any book that someone rated 5 stars, since most books you can find one person who rated it 5. What I'm going to say (and what I'm doing for myself) is that it must be rated 5 by someone from a group you both are in. You don't need to have befriended that person or both be in SCR--just being in the same group is enough.

[Rebecca NJ]

First roll was a 4 - had a few ideas in mind. Second roll, a 3 and now the choices are endless. I have already decided that the first book should be Best Bet by Laura Pedersen which is the third book in a series about a girl who becomes a card shark which seems to fit in with Luck Be a Lady. This is a great task Ms Anderson.

[Hannah]

Thanks Ms Anderson! I thought it being 5 stars by anyone was too easy. Every book has been rated 5 by someone at some point, right?

[Megan]

Hannah wrote: "Thanks Ms Anderson! I thought it being 5 stars by anyone was too easy. Every book has been rated 5 by someone at some point, right?"

Exactly! And it's a little too narrow just depending on people from this group, especially since some people are a little stricter than others about their ratings and it's a pain digging for certain genres and finding a five-star book that you both want to read and can get from the library is hard. At least, it was for me. I like to think that I'd be this lenient if it wasn't my supplement, too ^_^;;;

[Liz M]

Sweet! I rolled a 4 and a 1. I have already read some plays for Reading with Style that I couldn't fit into the regular challenge. Now I can :D

And since I am trying to mainly read books on the 1001 list, pre-2oth Century is easy.

And with this group of readers, I am sure I can find a 5-star pre-20th century novel pretty easily!

Thank you Mrs. Anderson for such a brilliant, fun task!

[Jayme(theghostreader)]

Ms Anderson wrote: "Katie wrote: "I need recommendations.

I got 2 and 6: a graphic novel and a short story collection, one of which has to have won an award. Super cool. I've got a bunch of short story collections on..."

There is an anime out called Romeo vs Juliet and I am sure it is a manga. You can look into that.

[Petra]

Lisa wrote: "An excellent graphic novel, which I recently read is Stitches: A Memoir by David Small. It is also an award winner...."

I really enjoyed The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale and also second Lisa's suggestion for Stitches. Both of these were really good.

[Megan]

Oh! And American Born Chinese! I loved this, and it won the Printz award, too.

[Cassandra]

I rolled a 5 and a 6, so I need to read poetry and short short stories. One of them needs to be YA or children's.

Does anyone know some good YA or children's short story books that are public domain (written before 1920)? I don't feel like fairy tales right now, and they're the only thing I can think of.

[Megan]

I just read E. Nesbit's The Book of Dragons. The stories are really cute and not too overly (read: obnoxiously) moralistic.

http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/23661

[Cassandra]

Ms Anderson wrote: "I just read E. Nesbit's The Book of Dragons. The stories are really cute and not too overly (read: obnoxiously) moralistic.

http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/23661"

Perfect! I used to love her books, thank you so much.

[Megan]

You're welcome! There's more of her books on that site, too, along with tons of other out-of-print and out-of-copyright books. It's a really neat site for old books.

[Lisa]

Laura wrote: "I rolled a 5 and a 6, so I need to read poetry and short short stories. One of them needs to be YA or children's.

Does anyone know some good YA or children's short story books that are public dom..."

Here's a link to a list of YA short stories and poetry:
http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/li...

[Tammy AZ]

Lisa wrote: "I rolled a 3, then a 5. So, it will be a romance and a historical fiction, with one of them being an award winner. Sounds like a great combo to me!"

I got the same combo - I'm not normally a romance reader but

Possession won the Man Booker Prize and works for both categories!

[Lisa]

Tammy wrote: "I'm not normally a romance reader but
Possession won the Man Booker Prize and works for both categories!..."

I own Possession and was considering it for the romance part of the task. So many decisions.....

[Usako]

Pride and Prejudice turned into a graphic novel, too!

[Megan]

Tanja wrote: "Pride and Prejudice turned into a graphic novel, too!"

I wonder if they'll do a Wuthering Heights graphic novel? Then they can say it's the favorite book of the graphic novel versions of Bella and Edward!

/snark

[Jayme(theghostreader)]

hahahahaha

[Megan]

Actually, I probably shouldn't talk...I had Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Volume 1 pre-ordered ^_^;;; But my point remains! lol

[Usako]

Well this graphic novel is by Marvel Comics. Didn't look so bad.

There is a P&P&Zombies graphic novel, too.

Seems most everyone has a graphic novel these days. Laurel K Hamilton's Anita Blake series has a graphic novel.

I suggest walking in a book store and flipping through the graphic novels on hand.

[Alicia]

I love this task! I got a 5 and a 2 ... thank goodness! I am not a huge fan of poetry.

[Katie]

Thanks for the recommendations!

I think I'll go with either Stitches or Maus. We'll see what my library has available.

[Cindie]

it seems to be the thing to do to post what we rolled, so...

I got a 3 and a 1. I am not usually a romance reader, but then I read you said somewhere it just has to be about love. Anybody have any recommendations?

Also, either the romance (3) or the pre-20th century lit has to be by a foreign author yes?

I have to read Malinche for my real life book club. Laura Esquivel is of course, foreign born. Can this book count for either pre-20th century lit (I guess not since it was written recently, even though it is about 16th century) or romance?

How fun! Thanks, MS Anderson!!

[Liz M]

Katie wrote: "I need recommendations.

I got 2 and 6: a graphic novel and a short story collection, one of which has to have won an award. Super cool. I've got a bunch of short story collections on my shelves (a..."

For the Winter challenge, one of the tasks was to read a graphic novel. This thread has several graphic novel suggestions.

[Ashley FL]

I have to admit that my "cheat" on tasks that I'm not that interested in, is to find something YA (they are generally short, easy reads). So for the graphic novel challenge in the winter, I read one of the Babysitter's Club graphic novels. My 9 year old highly recommended them ;) Anyway, the one I read was cute and an easy read.

[Megan]

Cindie wrote: "it seems to be the thing to do to post what we rolled, so...

I got a 3 and a 1. I am not usually a romance reader, but then I read you said somewhere it just has to be about love. Anybody have a..."

Yes, one of the two books must be by a foreign-born author. The pre-20th century lit must have been written before 1900 (so you were right in your assumption), and as for Malinche, I can't decide from reading the reviews and everything whether it's mainly focused on the romantic aspect or that the romantic aspect is background to the discussion of her culture and the history. If anyone else knows more about it, weigh in!

[Cindie]

Ms Anderson wrote: "Cindie wrote: "it seems to be the thing to do to post what we rolled, so...

I got a 3 and a 1. I am not usually a romance reader, but then I read you said somewhere it just has to be about love. ..."



ah, well, I have to read Malinche anyway, so let me know what you decide! Thanks!