Summer Challenge 2010 Completed Tasks (do NOT delete any posts in this thread) Showing 2,851-2,900 of 3,022

[Tracyj]

25.2 Q & A

C. I read Bright Lights, Big Ass: A Self-Indulgent, Surly, Ex-Sorority Girl's Guide to Why it Often Sucks in the City, or Who are These Idiots and Why Do They All Live Next Door to Me? (WHO) by Jen Lancaster
AND

Bill Warrington's Last Chance by James King
Tasks Completed - 14
Books Read - 17
Total Points - 215

[Deedee]

DeeDee

25.9 - Donna Jo's Task - It's Time For The Swim Suit Edition.
C. Tankini - Read 850 pages of book(s) published in last 5 years.
The Secret of Joy (2009) by Melissa Senate (Goodreads Author) (Paperback, 352 pages) 4*
Doctor Who: Autonomy (2009) by Daniel Blythe (Hardcover, 243 pages) 4*
Doctor Who: The Taking Of Chelsea 426 (2009) by David Llewellyn (Hardcover, 243 pages) 3*
I Sold My Soul on eBay: Viewing Faith through an Atheist's Eyes (2007) by Hemant Mehta, Rob Bell (Paperback, 224 pages) 2*

352 + 243 + 243 + 224 = 1062 pages

Melissa Senate is a Goodreads Author

430 + 25 = 455






Tasks Completed: 27
Points for this task: 25
Points thus far: 455/950
Books read: 39
Pages Read: 10,665 + 1062 = 11,727
Read but not claimed: 4


(Goodreads Author) 5
(Goodreads Author) Laurie Viera Rigler (10.10)
(Goodreads Author) Adrienne Mayor (15.6)
(Goodreads Author) Sheramy Bundrick (20.4)
(Goodreads Author) Jessica Day George (25.8)
(Goodreads Author) Melissa Senate (25.9)

Big Books:
500+
Year's Best SF 15 (2010) by David G. Hartwell (Editor), Kathryn Cramer (Editor) (Mass Market Paperback, 512 pages)

[Charlotte]

Book:

Task: 10.10 - Great Minds Think Alike


Points for this task: 10
Total points: 60
Tasks completed: 6

[Judith]

Judith NY

20.2 A Trip To The Past


This book takes place between 249 AD and 329 AD.

Total points for the challenge 100

[Paul]

30.2 - PJ Read's Task - As Suggested By Shannon South Africa - For The Children

A: (classic children's book)
A Wrinkle in Time

I am passing a copy of this book on to my daughter (a teacher), to share with her class.

B: (book with a child as the main character)
Our Gang Vol. 1
This actually has multiple child main characters.

Cumulative points: 75
Total tasks completed: 5

[Paul]

25.9 - Donna Jo's Task - It's Time For The Swim Suit Edition.

A. Tank Suit - Read 1 book of at least 850 pages.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

which is 870 pages.

Cumulative points: 100
Total tasks: 6

[Usako]

Tanja

20.10 Group Read
The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie (3 Stars)

I posted my comments to the ABC Group Read Thread - MSG 63. This being my first Christie book disappointed me but I'm not going to give up the author entirely. I'll try one of her more popular books soon.


Total Points: 245
https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?k...

[Karen Michele]

15.7 – “You Must Be The Change You Want To See In The World.”

A. Takes place in India and author born in India:

Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet by Kashmira Sheth

B. Tell us about something you would like to change about the country/state/city where you live and what you have done or would do to see it changed.

I live in Gig Harbor, WA and I am the librarian at the local high school. A few years ago, I was assigned a TA who was homeless and was trying to survive in a high income community. I found that the community, although willing to donate money to the homeless and the programs available to them across the Narrows Bridge in Tacoma, was not comfortable with the true face of homelessness. I brought attention to the laws that were to be followed by the school district and supported this young man as he tried to maneuver through the system helping with paperwork. Unfortunately, he still was not allowed to finish his diploma at our high school and do I became a volunteer surrogate mom to get him through. (He is doing well now, 4 years later.) I feel I did bring a greater awareness to our staff, students and community for the year he tried to live in the community, but in the end, the only solution was to find a community with services. Now, I look for seniors who would like to do their senior projects with the homeless and put my efforts there.

Points This Claim: 15
Total So Far: 855

[Kristina Simon]

15.8 -- Double, Double

Sweet Revenge by Jenna Ryan
Sweet Revenge by Nora Roberts




Total Points: 490
Tasks Completed: 27/56
Tasks in Progress: 15.4; 25.4
Books Read: 40
Books by Goodreads authors: 4 (Sarah Addison Allen x2 (10.2 and 30.5A), Kathryn Stockett (20.9A), Lisa See (50.1))
Big Books: 1 (500+), 0 (750+), 0 (1000+)

[Stephanie]

Stephanie Anne

My final submission:

5.9 Reading in Public: Baking Cakes in Kigali - read on my nook at Barnes & Noble

15.10 Family Word in Title: Shopaholic and Sister - I love my family b/c I know that no matter what, we are ALWAYS here for one another.

20.9 Indies: The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon and I watched "An Education"

25.3 Book Set in Another Country / Book Written in a Foreign Language: The Cellist of Sarajevo / The Girl Who Played with Fire




Total Number of Tasks Completed: 32
Total Number of Pages Read: 13,681

[Brenda]

Brenda WI

5.5 Dropping Names - The Hunger Games

5.4 -Little known awards - 1984 - Prometheus Hall of Fame Award

That's 10 more points + 385 previous = 395 total. Maybe I will make it over 400 points yet.

[Laura]

LDB

25.8 Once Upon a Time... (Fairy Tales)
I read The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales.

I can't say that all of the fairy tales in this volume were ones whose 'lessons' I would want to share with my children, but most of them were. There were lots of overlaps, with the same story being told in a variety of ways. Generally, it was very interesting to spend some time with these fairy tales.

This book was 864 pages long so I would like to claim a 750+ Big Books ticket.

I am working on one more task but not sure if I will be able to complete it, so this may be my last post for the season.

Total Points: 75
Pages Read: 2,089
Tasks completed: 4

[Linda]

Linda S IL

10.4 People Like Us Dominick Dunne
I rolled 464 and this book has 454 pages.

25.6 Swine Not?: A Novel Jimmy Buffett
One of my favorite songs that make me think of summer is "Margaritaville" by Jimmy Buffett because of all the beach images in it. Therefore, I read a novel by Jimmy Buffett.

25.8 The Fairy's Return and Other Princess Tales Gail Carson Levine

Points this post 60
Total points so far 790

Currently I have 2 tasks in progress, and since there's only 3 more evenings left, I'll just finish up those. That will leave me 7 books short of completion, but I guess reading 71 books in 3 months isn't too bad. Maybe next time I attempt this, I should take a leave of absence from my job. :)

[Paul]

30.2 - PJ Read's Task - As Suggested By Shannon South Africa - For The Children

A: (classic children's book)

A Wrinkle in Time

I am passing a copy of this book on to my daughter (a teacher), to share with her class.

B: (book with a child as the main character)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

This book starts with Harry Potter's 13th birthday.

[Jenny L]

Jenny L

10.2 - "The (Fill In The Blank) Who..."

I read The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

Points: 10
Total Points: 55
Tasks Completed: 6
Books Read: 6
Pages Read: 2359

[Kim]

Leaderboard Name: Indigo

5.1 - Heat Wave: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

5.2 - Blockbuster Books: A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire (subverted fairy tale/children's story for Shrek Forever After)

5.3 - S.U.M.M.E.R.: Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr (Goodreads Author)

5.5 - Dropping Names: The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory (requesting a big book ticket for this one, 661 pages)

5.9 - Get Caught Reading: The Wild Orchid: A Retelling of "The Ballad of Mulan" by Cameron Dokey (went on a cruise, every time there was the littlest bit of waiting on a bus or line or whatever I had it open, fit nicely in my purse :D)

5.10 - "If One Cannot Enjoy Reading A Book Over And Over Again, There Is No Use In Reading It At All." - Oscar Wilde: Girl Goddess #9: Nine Stories by Francesca Lia Block

10.1 - Stormy Weather: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (Goodreads author!)

10.3 - Same Place, Same Time...Same Books: Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (requesting big book ticket, 1024 pages)

10.6 - Stand Up For Your Rights: Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

15.3 - Books And Blogs: Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr (Goodreads author) (http://yathenaeum.blogspot.com/2010/0...)

20.10 - Group Reads: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

25.9 - Donna Jo's Task, It's Time For The Swim Suit Edition: Tankini, 2 books published in the last 5 years totalling 850 pages. The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor and The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffeneger (Goodreads Author, also requesting big book ticket for 650 pages)

Total Points: 115 (not bad for my first challenge!)

[Patricia]

I completed task 20.6 - Supporting Goodreads Authors - Nicole CA's Task - List Maker by reading:

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (390 pgs)

I would say that this series and ultimately this book, the last of the series, is a must-read. While violent and containing disturbing themes, the story is edge-of-your-seat entertaining and you grow a personal attachment to the characters. This particular book while not my favorite of the series answers a lot of questions and brings the trilogy to a conclusion.

Total points = 325

[Sue]

20.3 Victorian Novel

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Also, I noticed I haven't claimed my big book tickets. I would like to claim the 500 page ticket for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and the 750 page ticket for A Breath of Snow and Ashes

Points this task: 20
Total Points: 535
Tasks Completed: 32
Books Read: 44
GoodReads Authors: 6
Big Books: 500+ (1), 750+ (1), 1000+ (0)

I hope to finish two or three more tasks by Tues.

[Missy]

30.2 PJ Read's Task-As Suggested by Shannon South Africa for the Children
A. (classic children's book)
A Wrinkle in Time
I am giving this book to my 10 year old niece

B. Book with a child as the main character
The Magician's Nephew
The two main characters are children

[Missy]

25.5 Share the Summer Love
A: YA
Vampire Academy
I like to read YA a lot for an escapist type of read. This book is about a girl who defends and protects vampires. She isn't an ordinary girl though. The story follows the lives of a Moroi, Lissa and her best friend, dhampir and future guardian Rose. They have a special bond were Rose can actually feel what Lissa is feeling or thinking. I loved watching they way that these two interacted with each other as well as with the other characters throughout the novel

B: Paranormal
Insatiable
I like this genre because I love reading about all the craziness that "is" happening right along side us:)
Meg Cabot goes paranormal.....kind of. I liked the take on this book about vampires and the women who love them:) Meg Cabot, the author actually defines this book not as paranormal but as girl Gothic. I was a bit bugged by the main character Meena and her wish washy choices between the two guys.....maybe because I've read it so many times and so much better in all the vampire books out there. But she plans on making this a series so I think I'll stick around for part 2.

[Katy]

REPOST - (sorry!)

25.5 - Favorite Genres -
1) Teach Like a Champion: 49 Techniques that Put Students on the Path to College from the genre of books about teaching. As an (incredibly nerdy) teacher I read a LOT of books about teaching and education. What I like about this genre is getting new ideas for my classroom, and feeling part of a community of educators through books.

I liked this book - if I were a new teacher I would LOVE it. Even going into my 9th year teaching I found strategies I want to try, and clearer explanations or ways to tweak strategies I already use. I found it helpful and definitely applicable to my work.

and

2) Jazmin's Notebook by Nikki Grimes. I would consider this to be YA poetic fiction. What I like about this genre is the beauty of the language and the way a story can be told using poetry and prose together.

I enjoyed this book. I read it because I am potentially going to teach it to my class this year and I hadn't read it before, though I've read other books by Nikki Grimes. I found the character interesting and there was a lot in there to enjoy and teach. It felt very 1960s, too (when it was set) even though it was written in the 90s.

NEW TOTAL: 360

[Janice]

Janice CA

10.10 Great minds think alike.....

I rated The Art of Racing in the Rain 5 stars, so did Diane D.(page 8). I read another of her 5 star books.

Making the Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat by David Dosa (4 stars)

I knew I would love this book before I even started it. It's a work memoir, which I always enjoy. Also, it stars a cat named Oscar, which is also my cat's name.

Oscar lives in a Rhode Island nursing home. Most of the time he is independent. However, when a patient is 2-4 hours from death, Oscar goes and lays with him/her and keeps the family company. So far, he's been 100% accurate, even entering the room of a patient dying outside the premises. Dr. Dosa interviews family members regarding Oscar's vigils and learns a great deal about many of the caregivers' struggles and coping mechanisms, which he never learned about in medical school. Beautiful read.

+10
points: 185
books: 16
tasks: 14
GR Authors: 3

[Susan]

25.9-Pick a Swimsuit.

I picked a Tankini. I read:

The Abstinence Teacherby Tom Perrotta, published in 2007. 358 pages

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley published in 2009 370 pages

Life on the Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers published in 2007. 224 pages.

Brings me to 380 points.

[Sandy, Moderator Emeritus]

5.4 - Lesser Known Awards
I read Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins. This was a nominee for the Sunshine State Young Readers award, an award that I had never heard of.

15.7 - "You Must Be The Change You Want To See In The World."
A. I read The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing: From the Files of Vish Puri, Most Private Investigator by Tarquin Hall. The book was set in India.

B.One thing I'd like to change is to see more participation in the electoral process, since I think our voter participation numbers are horrendously low. One way I’ve tried to encourage this is by working at/monitoring a polling place during major elections with a group called Protect the Vote, to ensure that nobody is unnecessarily discouraged from voting.

New point total: 910

[Elizabeth (NC)]

Elizabeth NC

Probably my last post--I want to make sure I get it in before the deadline.

5.7 (transportation on cover) There's a big boat on the front.

25.9 (swimsuit--Binkini--two published since 1946 adding up to more than 850) Cutting for Stone, 667 pages and City of Night, 480 pages--1147 total

30.2 (classic book that I pass on)
Charlotte's Web. I read this aloud to my daughter which was an approved way to pass the book along.

and The Red Pyramid. One of the two main characters is 12.

That gives me
Points: 380
Books Read: 30
Challenges Completed: 21
Pages Read: 11525

Not the best showing, but considering how busy my life has been this summer, not too bad. Maybe I'll do better in the fall.

[Julia]

JULIA OH

15.4 - Learn Your Numbers
My number was 6. Murray Tillman is also a 6. I read Meet Me on the Paisley Roof.

A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James - The main male character exhibits the number 6 trait of Responsibility. He is a prince who feels like he has to marry an heiress to support his multitude of family members who live with him. This causes a load of problems because the girl he loves is not the girl with the money. Hijinks ensue.

Eloisa James is a Goodreads author.

Totals
Old Points:295
New Points: 310
Goodreads Authors: 11

[Coralie]

10.5 If you can't go to the beach.
You will have to trust me when I say that the cover of my copy of this book is a beach scene. I can describe it to you if you like.
Young Mrs. Savage

That brings my total to 800 points which is a nice round number to finish on. I have achieved my aim of not finishing.
Congratulations to all those who met their personal targets.

[Emily IN]

15.1 - Wedding Bells Are Ringing

Old and Blue - Island of the Blue Dolphins

New and Borrowed - I Am an Emotional Creature: The Secret Life of Girls Around the World

Points: 15
Total Points: 825
Tasks Completed: 47
Books Read: 68
Pages: 18,672

Goodreads Authors: 9
Big Books: 1 (500) 0 (750) 0 (1000)

[Emily IN]

5.4 - Lesser Known Awards

British Fantasy Award (2010)- Catching Fire

I was going to try to finish a few more tasks, but I have a busy work week so this will be my last post and I'll start a book for fall. This was my first challenge and I loved it! I'm really glad that the group will continue. I have read more this summer than I have for the past 12 years combined. I'm glad I found goodreads and this group - thanks for helping me rediscover the joy of books.

Points: 5
Total Points: 830
Tasks Completed: 48
Books Read: 69
Pages: 19,063

Goodreads Authors: 9
Big Books: 1 (500) 0 (750) 0 (1000)

[Karen Michele]

20.8 B&N Classics

The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy

Points This Claim: 20
Total So Far: 875

[Liz]

LIZ VEGAS

20.6 -- Nicole CA's Task - List Maker
Shogun- James Clavell

I think this is a great addition to a must-read list. It is an epic historical fiction book, with so much detail. I recommended it to anyone who is willing to make the time commitment to finish this tome of over 1100 pages.

*claiming a 1000+ page Big Book Ticket for 1152 pages*

Grand total: 425 points

[Lisa]

Lisa MD

COMPLETED TASKS:
15.5 Great Authors Were Great Readers
A. Author on "Top Ten Books" List
*The Queen of the Big Time by Adriana Trigiani - READ 8.29.10
My Rating: 5 stars
B. Top Ten Read by Same Author
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller - READ 8.28.10
My Rating: 4 stars

25.10 Name Game
A. Any Book
Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern - READ 8.27.10
My Rating: 4 stars
B. Matching First or Last Name of Book A
Get Well Soon by Julie Halpern - GOODREADS AUTHOR - READ 8.29.10
My Rating: 4 stars




Total Tasks: 51/56
Total Points: 900/950
Total Books Read: 73/78
*Books Read I Own: 49
Big Book Ticket Claim: (✓)500+pp ( )750+pp ( )1000+pp

[Morgan P]

10.2 - "The (Fill In The Blank) Who..."

I read The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

New Total: 100 points

[Deedee]

10.9 - “You Cannot Open A Book Without Learning Something.”
To Marry an English Lord: The Victorian and Edwardian Experience (1989) by Gail MacColl (Hardcover, 450 pages) 3 *

Task:
To Marry an English Lord: The Victorian and Edwardian Experience is a breezy overview of the phenomena of rich American heiresses marrying impoverished English aristocracy 1870-1910. There were quite a few matchups of this kind, including ancestors of the late Princess Diana and the parents of Winston Churchill. The book had alot of pictures, quotations, and special interest sidebars. A quick lighthearted read for anyone interested in the marriage habits of the rich and famous. 3 *.

455 + 10 = 465




Tasks Completed: 28
Points for this task: 10
Points thus far: 465/950
Books read: 40
Pages Read: 11,727 + 450 = 12,177
Read but not claimed: 3

(Goodreads Author) 5
(Goodreads Author) Laurie Viera Rigler (10.10)
(Goodreads Author) Adrienne Mayor (15.6)
(Goodreads Author) Sheramy Bundrick (20.4)
(Goodreads Author) Jessica Day George (25.8)
(Goodreads Author) Melissa Senate (25.9)

Big Books:
500+
Year's Best SF 15 (2010) by David G. Hartwell (Editor), Kathryn Cramer (Editor) (Mass Market Paperback, 512 pages)

[[deleted user]]

Sara E. -

I'm not going to finish, but I am enjoying the race to the end.
450
5.1 - I read Blue Flame by K. M. Grant. (Flame was listed as an acceptable word somewhere in the task help section.) This book was a historical/fantasy-ish book, and the first in a planned trilogy. For fans of Arthurian style books and love triangles. I liked it.

10.6 - I read
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman, about a young girl who moves down south with her great aunt after her mother's tragic death. It takes place in Savannah during the 1960s. One of the main charcaters, Oletta, the cook for CeeCee's aunt Tootie, face a lot of discrimination, but the worst for me was a scene where Oletta's two friends are robbed at the beach while CeeCee witnesses, by a racist man wielding a knife. The ladies escape when one of them knocks the man over the head, and they are afraid to call the police because they know that they would probably be arrested instead of the man because they are black. Also, there is a particularly racist neighbor in the book, Violene Hobbs, who continually refers to Oletta with the N-word. A good read. Reminded me of The Secret Life of Bees.

10.9 - My subject was filmmaking. I am obsessed with movies, and would love to write and make my own independent movie.

For my fictional read, I chose Secret Society by Tom Dolby. This book is about a Skull and Crossbones like group that starts recruiting amongst Manhattan teens. Patch, one of the characters who is not recruited, but friends with someone who is, is trying to break into filmmaking, filming his classmates, and also breaking in and filming the secret society in order to do an expose documentary style television show. It was a fun read, but not particularly good.

For the non-fiction part, I read Making Independent Films: Advice from the Filmmakers by Liz Stubbs. Did not enjoy this. I think it was way too dated to be useful at all. This book was following the story of 5 different directors and their movie making process, but I didn't even find their information useful or interesting at all. Meh. I think I need to try something more recent, or pick up Robert Rodriguez's book.

Previous Score: 450
Current Score: 475

[Rach]

5.4 - Lesser Known Awards
Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier (nominated for the 2011 Iowa High School Book Award)
** Juliet Marillier is a Goodreads author.


5.8 - Get Caught Reading
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli (read on a plane!)


TOTALS:
Points: 195
Tasks completed: 13

[Rachel]

Tasks completed in August SO FAR: 240 (through July) + 240 (August so far) = 480 points so far

5.01 HEAT WAVE “Sun and Shadow” Åke Edwardson
5.07 I CONFESS THAT IN 1901… “Riding the Bus With My Sister” Rachel Simon (bus on the cover)
10.01 STORMY WEATHER “The Riddle of the Third Mile” Colin Dexter
10.05 IF YOU CAN’T GO TO THE BEACH… “Evil Under the Sun” Agatha Christie (beach scene on cover)
15.01 WEDDING BELLS ARE RINGING “The Nine Tailors” Dorothy L. Sayers (published before my birth and borrowed from parents) AND “Banana” Dan Koeppel (author is new to me and book has blue cover)
20.07 I LIKE BIG BOOKS “Endless Night” Agatha Christie
20.09 LUCK OF THE DRAW “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" Mary Ann Shaffer AND watched "Crazy Heart" (winner, best first feature (among other wins, nominations)) AND "(500) Days of Summer" (winner, best screenplay (among other nominations)) AND "La Nana" (nominated for best foreign film)
25.01 VALORIE’S TASK "Strong Poison" Dorothy L. Sayers (Lord Peter Wimsey is retired from the military--he served in WWI) AND "A Short History of Nearly Everything" Bill Bryson (blue cover)
25.02 CORALIE’S TASK “The Spy Who Came in from the Cold” John LeCarré AND "Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women" Harriet Reisen
25.04 NICOLE OH’S TASK "Wind, Sand and Stars" Antoine Sainte-Exupery (born June 29th) AND "Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey" Jane Goodall (“hope” appears near the top of page 31 of “Wind Sand, and Stars”)
30.02 PJ READ’S TASK “Pippi Longstocking" Astrid Lindgren (recommended to child) AND "James and the Giant Peach" Roald Dahl (James, a child, is the main character)
50.01 BETH NC’S TASK “A Wizard of Earthsea” Ursula K. Le Guin on Laura’s list of “read”, “Espresso Tales” Alexander McCall Smith on Laura’s list of “currently reading”, and “Free-Range Kids: Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts with Worry” Lenore Skenazy on Joel’s list of “to-read”

[Pinky_rocks]

15.7 You must be the change you want to see in the world

The Mango Season

In the city I live, I would like to change the never-changing mayor. Since many years there's always the same and nobody seems to care that he doesn't make things better. Since I am old enough to vote I have been voting for his opponents, though there aren't many because most people are intimidated by the current mayor... The old people here think what they already know is best, and change is bad...So I can only hope for his last and final term to end and then maybe see some improvement...

50.1 Let the Tarot Decide

Past: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy from Michelle's shelf

Present: Star Wars. Die Macht des Todessterns from Annett's shelf this was on the currently-reading when I chose it

Future: The Great Gatsby from Emma's shelf

Task Points: 15 + 50
Total Points: 310
Books Read: 27
Pages Read: 10.742
Tasks completed: 19

[scherzo♫]

Rachel wrote: "Tasks completed in August SO FAR: 240 (through July) + 240 (August so far) = 480 points so far

5.01 HEAT WAVE “Sun and Shadow” Åke Edwardson
5.07 I CONFESS THAT IN 1901… “Riding ..."

RACHEL CA ???
Please put your Readerboard name at the top of your posts.

[Belinda]

20.4 - Always The Bridesmaid, Never The Bride - Shelley's Task - Anniversary Gift

This is my third challenge, so my gift choices were leather or crystal/glass.

The Crystal Stopper by Maurice Leblanc

[Bluemoon]

This will be my last post of this challenge. Congrats to all who finished and made their reading goals.

15.1 - OLD/NEW/BORROWED/BLUE - which is old and blue (3*). And Siddhartha which was new and borrowed (2*).


15.8 - DOPPLEGANGER - True Colors and True Colors both 3* books for me.


20.6 - MUST READ LIST - Hard Eight. Probably not a book to put on a must read list but it sure is a fun series. I really do enjoy these books and can't wait for the next one to come out every year.


25.7 - PASSION - My passion is books. Well maybe it has developed into an obsession. I read Beowulf on the Beach: What to Love and What to Skip in Literature's 50 Greatest Hits which is an interesting read. The author is a professor. I wish I had some cool profs like him when I was in college. I don't agree with all of his opinions but it was interesting to read 3*. I also read People of the Book which I really enjoyed (4*).



Jayne Ann Krentz and Jack Murnighan are GoodReads authors.

I should have 14 GR authors and one Big book ticket. If you need me to repost any of these please let me know.

[Ashley FL]

Ashley FL

For Task 20.9 (Spirit of Independence), I read A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan. This book was on the link provided in the help task thread and approved in that thread.

I watched "Maria Full of Grace". I picked the movie solely because it was the only one available on [non-pay channel:] TV during these last days of the challenge. It has subtitles, which I ordinarily avoid because I like to multi-task and that is hard to do with sub-titles! Well, it was very good! Disturbing and not a lot of fun, mind you (it is about a pregnant teen in Columbia who ends up as a drug mule). But so well done and thought-provoking. I would definitely recommend it. The actress who played the main character was amazing!

This brings my final total to:

660 points (I was able to fit in more of the books I read this summer than I had thought I would!)
Goodreads Authors: 10
Big Books: 1

Now: onto the Fall Challenge!! I have several huge tomes slated into this one, so I think it will be another one I don't finish. oh well!

[Lauren]

Lauren CT

Hopefully, I will finish one more task tonight/tomorrow...but if not, this is my last post for the summer!

5.5 Dropping Names: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

20.2 A Trip To the Past: Nefertitiby Michelle Moran (takes place in Ancient Egypt)

25.9 Swim Suit Edition: Option C Tankini. I read Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (400 pages published in 2010) and Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (498 pages published in 2005) for a total on 898 pages.

30.5 Virtual Block Party:
A. Food in the Title: Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke
B. A Book with Recipes: Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

My contribution to the party will be Chocolate Pumpkin Cake. It stands out because it is a new twist on a traditional chocolate cake mix. The pumpkin makes the cupcakes extra sweet and moist!

Recipe:
Ingredients
1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, pumpkin, eggs and oil for 3 minutes using a mixer on medium speed. Pour into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
3. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool, then enjoy!

Total Points: 545
Total Tasks: 36
Total Pages: 14443
Total Books:45

[Beth F]

Beth F - used to be Beth(MN)

10.1 - Hurricane Julia - The Viscount Who Loved Me

10.2 - The (blank) who... - The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

50.1 - past/present/future - 16 Lighthouse Road - past read by my friend Cassie
Dead in the Family - read at the same time as my friend Jennifer L.
The Joy Luck Club - My friend Erin wants to read this

Points = 430

And that's probably it for me. Good job all, see you next month! :)

[CathyNJ]

CathyNJ - I just completed Task 25.5

25.5 - Helen's Task - Share the Summer Love – A: The Surgeon, B: Just Like Me, Only Better

A. One from your favorite genre/type. MYSTERY – THE SURGEON by Tess Gerritsen. I love love love, mystery books. Usually murder mysteries are my favorite. I am terrified of everything in real life, so it is funny that I love these types of books. This book was pretty good. I thought I knew who the killer was and I would've been completely disappointed if I turned to be correct, I was wrong, so I was glad...The book was about a serial killer who raped and killed previously raped women. The police had to try and find the killer before he killed off the main character.

B. One from your second favorite genre/type – CHICK LIT – JUST LIKE ME, ONLY BETTER BY Carol Snow. I also love chick lit. It so relaxing to read stories that are fun and not so serious all the time. This book was no exception. It was about a single mother who double's as a hollywood star. I thought the book was cute and very enjoyable.


The Surgeon
Just Like Me, Only Better

[Elizabeth]

Elizabeth MA
25.4 Happy Birthday to Me!
Part A: Read a book by a writer who is a Cancer: Dan Brown born June 22, 1964. I read Angels & Demons.

Part B: Read a book that has a noun in the title that appears on page 31 of part A book. In Angels and demons in the edition I read, on page 31, the sentence, "She handed him a book of photographs" has the noun 'book.' So I read The Book of Numbers by John Horton Conway and Richard Guy.

Total points: 195

[Petra]

I completed Task 25.1 (Independence Day) by reading Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson (retired military) and by Hillary Jordan (red cover).

Both Helen Simonson and Hillary Jordan are Goodreads Authors.

Major Pettigrew is a retired major of the British Army. This could have been a comfy, warm story.
Major Pettigrew and Mrs. Ali are really sweet characters; although, at times, even the Major was annoying and seemed to be living his father's life rather than his own.
The story starts out sweet and interesting and quickly becomes slow and often unbelievable.
The prejudices in this story seem from another time, certainly not the England of today with all its multiculturism.
There were times I could easily have put the book aside and probably would have had I been reading a print copy. I listened to it in audio and just kept listening, despite wanting the descriptive portions to stop and wanting the story to stop meandering and get a move on.
A forgettable story. 2*

I enjoyed the story in Mudbound. It was told from many viewpoints, this story leaves mysterious clues as it moves forward to a climax of events and it's aftermath. The characters are well portrayed, all dealing with their own demons and thoughts. 4*


I think that's it for this Challenge. I still have one book read that I haven't claimed but I need to find a one-book task for it. I'll be asking for help with it in the "Fit this Book" thread.

[Lindsay]

15.3 Books and Blogs (REPOST)
Daughter of the Forest
Found via BookSmugglers: http://thebooksmugglers.com/2009/01/s...
MY REVIEW: Juliet Marillier's fairy-tale-like saga was very emotional for me--at times too much so. I felt somewhat manipulated by the powerful trials Sorcha faced, both the explicit aspects of her trial to save her brother and the other obstacles she encountered, but I suppose it's a testament to Marillier that I cared about the character so deeply. The writing was beautiful, and the descriptions quite moving. Everything pulled together in a heartbreaking fashion. I give it a 4.5.

[Usako]

Tanja

25.8 Sandy's Task - Fairy Tales (400+ pages)
Violet Eyes: A Retelling of the "Princess and the Pea" by Debbie Viguié (4 Stars) 256 pages

AND

The World Above: A Retelling of "Jack and the Beanstalk" by Cameron Dokey (3 Stars) 224 pages

Both were adorable retellings of the classic fairy tales. I liked Violet Eyes over The World Above.

Total Points: 270
https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?k...

[Karen Michele]

15.10 – “Other Things May Change Us, But We Start And End With Family.” – Anthony Brandt

A. Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink Goodreads Author

B. My sister and I have remained close throughout the years. I love her sense of humor, her caring and her creative abilities. Luckily, she was just here from Chicago last week for a visit. I’m glad we keep in touch now that we are both in our fifties!

Points This Claim: 15
1 Goodreads Author
Total So Far: 890