The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
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10.9 - “You Cannot Open A Book Without Learning Something.” - Confucius
I am going with The Wisdom of Yoga: A Seeker's Guide to Extraordinary Living. I am trying to learn more about the spiritual aspect of yoga!
Will Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art work for Art for part A?
Valorie wrote: "Will Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art work for Art for part A?"Yes
Jennifer N. wrote: "If I wanted to learn about serial killers could I read American Psycho?"I can suggest The Killer Inside Me as a fiction book for this category for you.
Anyone know of any books about bakers? I'd like to know how to bake bread and pastries... And while cookbooks are lovely.....
This is a book about someone who bakes: Bread Alone. I haven't read it yet, but it's been on my list for the last couple of challenges.
Sara ♥ wrote: "Anyone know of any books about bakers? I'd like to know how to bake bread and pastries... And while cookbooks are lovely....."Confections of a Closet Master Baker
If I am interested in different countries and cultures, could I read Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace... One School at a Time? Thanks!
Trisha wrote: "Jennifer N. wrote: "If I wanted to learn about serial killers could I read American Psycho?"I can suggest The Killer Inside Me as a fiction book for this category for ..."
Thanks for the suggestion. I'm going to give that one a try.
Liz wrote: "If I'm interested in religion, could I read The Miracle of Forgiveness?"Sure
Erin wrote: "If I am interested in different countries and cultures, could I read Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace... One School at a Time? Thanks!"
Sure
Does anyone know of any fiction books off the top of their head, related to anthropology for part B. (Linguistics, culture.)EDIT: Oh, I suppose that Three Cups of Tea book that has already been mentioned could count. Any others though?
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace... One School at a Time. I'm pretty sure this is non-fiction.
Alicia wrote: "Does anyone know of any fiction books off the top of their head, related to anthropology for part B. (Linguistics, culture.)EDIT: Oh, I suppose that Three Cups of Tea book that has already been m..."
Oh, right, it has to be fiction. I keep finding a lot of interesting biographies and memoirs related to what I want to learn about, but it's so difficult to find a fiction book at this point.
Alicia wrote: "Alicia wrote: "Does anyone know of any fiction books off the top of their head, related to anthropology for part B. (Linguistics, culture.)
EDIT: Oh, I suppose that Three Cups of Tea book that has..."
Pjreads mentioned Native Tongue when we were discussing The Handmaid's Tale. I put it on my TBR- it might fit
EDIT: Oh, I suppose that Three Cups of Tea book that has..."
Pjreads mentioned Native Tongue when we were discussing The Handmaid's Tale. I put it on my TBR- it might fit
Alicia wrote: "Does anyone know of any fiction books off the top of their head, related to anthropology for part B. (Linguistics, culture.)EDIT: Oh, I suppose that Three Cups of Tea book that has already been m..."
This might be a bit of a stretch (okay, it IS a bit of a stretch, but I can see it); for the culture--or two cultures colliding--or at least grazing each other, you might be able to use Nation by Terry Pratchett.
Dlmrose wrote: "Alicia wrote: "Alicia wrote: "Does anyone know of any fiction books off the top of their head, related to anthropology for part B. (Linguistics, culture.)... Pjreads mentioned Native Tongue when we were discussing The Handmaid's Tale. I put it on my TBR- it might fit "
Native Tongue definitely fits and it's a wonderful book! Extremely highly recommended.
Strangely, science fiction might be the way to go for fictional linguistics/culture:The Sparrow
Stranger in a Strange Land
Speaker for the Dead
Or maybe something set during colonial times, the clash of cultures, such as:
A Passage to India
Heart of Darkness
Jacqueline wrote: "I'm interested in acting. Can I read Eyes Like Stars for option B?"Seeing as is says she isn't an actress in the description - no.
Liz wrote: "Strangely, science fiction might be the way to go for fictional linguistics/culture:The Sparrow
Stranger in a Strange Land
Speaker for the Dead
Or maybe some..."
Liz - those were my thoughts exactly! I've read all three of those books and think they'd work perfectly for anthropology. In fact, I'm just finishing
Speaker for the Dead and the main characters in it are xenologers (basically, anthropologists of aliens). Great read!!
Would A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson work if I'm interested in learning more about science?Thanks.
Jennifer L. wrote: "Would A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson work if I'm interested in learning more about science?Thanks."
yes
Jennifer L. wrote: "Would A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson work if I'm interested in learning more about science?Thanks."
That book is amazing!
Felina wrote: "Jennifer L. wrote: "Would A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson work if I'm interested in learning more about science?Thanks."
That book is amazing!"
I'm borrowing it from my Dad - he's very picky about what he reads and he loved it. Yay! :)
I'm interested in psychology. For the second part, can the book be about a character with a mental illness or does the main character have to be a psychologist/therapist, etc.?
Iamthez wrote: "I'm interested in psychology. For the second part, can the book be about a character with a mental illness or does the main character have to be a psychologist/therapist, etc.?"It would need to be the later psychologist/therapist/counselor.
Could I read Shrinking Violet since I am interested in both radio and helping young people to take over the airwaves? It is unclear from the description of the book whether or not she is paid for her DJ gig.
Emily wrote: "Could I read Shrinking Violet since I am interested in both radio and helping young people to take over the airwaves? It is unclear from the description of the book whether or not sh..."That's fine.
Could I read The Devil Wears Prada if I'm interested in learning more about fashion/fashion magazines? x
Okay I need help with the second part mostly but both parts in general.Okay.. now my first question could freak some of you out but I don't mean to... it has been an interest of mine for a long time now but I don't know what to call it. I am interested I guess in the dissection of the human body. I would love to rip open my own arm and look at the bones and skin underneath.. the same with my knee. I always love looking at the wounds people get to the point where my mom said I should have been a nurse. I am sorry if I sick some of you out... it's not my intention.
Also for the second part some things I am interested in are comics/cartoons, advertising and creativity. However I'm not sure what I would do to read for the second part of the task.
Sarah wrote: "Okay I need help with the second part mostly but both parts in general.Okay.. now my first question could freak some of you out but I don't mean to... it has been an interest of mine for a long t..."
Sarah, you might like Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach for part A. I found it fascinating (although the first chapter was not a good match for reading while eating supper).
I think part B relates to the same passion as A.
Edit: I just reread: The Task says A AND B, but the heading above says A OR B. I'm pretty sure you need to do both.
Sarah wrote: "Okay I need help with the second part mostly but both parts in general.Okay.. now my first question could freak some of you out but I don't mean to... it has been an interest of mine for a long t..."
If you decide to do Part A, you could read
Body of Work: Meditations on Mortality from the Human Anatomy Lab. I liked it a lot. I did intensive cadaveric dissection for a semester and, although I wasn't in med school, I could relate to a lot of what she wrote.
Donna Jo wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Okay I need help with the second part mostly but both parts in general.Okay.. now my first question could freak some of you out but I don't mean to... it has been an interest of m..."
I'm pretty sure it's OR, too. So, Sarah, you could read a non-fiction book about cadavers (and the one Donna Jo suggested is awesome, by the way.) You might also check out Corpse: Nature, Forensics, and the Struggle to Pinpoint Time of Death or Dead Reckoning: The New Science of Catching Killers.
If you decide to go the fiction route, I would imagine anything with a ME or forensic anthropologist would work. The Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs or the Kay Scarpetta novels by Patricia Cornwell might work, for example.
so i'm interesting, having been deployed there both on the land and off the coast, in the middle eastern culture and how it differs from that of the US...so could something like Reading Lolita in Tehran be used, as a non-fiction memoir...otherwise, I might dig out one of the books we were recommended to read on terrorism before I deployed that I never got around to reading but is interesting...trying to understand what makes those guys tick...something like Insurgency and Terrorism: From Revolution to Apocalypse; 2nd Ed., Revised
Sarah wrote: "Okay I need help with the second part mostly but both parts in general.Okay.. now my first question could freak some of you out but I don't mean to... it has been an interest of mine for a long t..."
Sarah,
You might be interested in this one:
The Knife Man: Blood, Body Snatching, and the Birth of Modern Surgery by Wendy Moore. I own it and am working up the courage to read it, because it sounds so fascinating. From the reviews I've read, many biographers have, since, emulated the writing style she uses in this book.
Kathryn wrote: "Will The South Was Right! work for wanting to know more about the south during the civil war???"yes
Delicious Dee the book slut wrote: "so i'm interesting, having been deployed there both on the land and off the coast, in the middle eastern culture and how it differs from that of the US...so could something like Reading Lolit..."</i>
RLIT is fine
<i>Donna Jo wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Okay I need help with the second part mostly but both parts in general.
Okay.. now my first question could freak some of you out but I don't mean to... it has been an interest of m..."</i>
You only need to do option A or B not both
<i>Caz wrote: "Could I read [book:The Devil Wears Prada if I'm interested in learning more about fashion/fashion magazines? x"
yes
Lindsey wrote: "Does anyone know of a book where a character is a physicist or a scientist? Thank you!"Science Fiction Stories with Good Astronomy & Physics: A Topical Index
Janice, I'm reading The Knife Man: Blood, Body Snatching, and the Birth of Modern Surgery for another task. It sounds good!
Books mentioned in this topic
The Chocolate Lovers' Club (other topics)How to Make an American Quilt (other topics)
A Theory of All Things (other topics)
How to Make an American Quilt (other topics)
Fieldwork (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Peggy Leon (other topics)Mischa Berlinski (other topics)
Peggy Leon (other topics)
Dave Ramsey (other topics)
Wendy Moore (other topics)
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School may be out for summer but that doesn't mean you have to stop learning. For this task you will need to select a subject that you would like to learn more about (it can be any subject from history to cars to photography). Then you will need to read...
A.A non-fiction book related to your subject (EXAMPLE: For photography you could read...Creative Night: Digital Photography Tips & Techniques)
OR
B.A fiction book were the main character does something related to your subject for a living (EXAMPLE: For photography you could read Chasing Cezanne: A Novel)
If you need suggestions OR have suggestions for books to read for this task post them here.