The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
FALL CHALLENGE 2010
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TASK IDEAS - Fall Challenge (Task Ideas ONLY!)
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El
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Aug 02, 2010 11:44AM
I can't remember which challenge it was but there was one that required some rhyming which in theory seems simple enough. I remember, however, there being difficulties with that based on regional accents. That's not to say it's not a good idea, but it could create extra work for the moderators to make judgments.
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Felina wrote: "I have to say that I'm somewhat offended by the discussion of YA books being 'dumbed down' and a little bit more offended by the suggestion that YA books should be excluded simply because one perso..."I agree with Felina, while I am NOT a big fan of YA,especially the newer books, I have managed to find a few books in that genre that I enjoyed. While I usually don't pull books from this genre, I would find one I enjoyed if a task called for it. We all have genres we prefer and others we are not very fond of, but it does everyone good to step outside of our own boundries.
As to them being dumbed down...somehow I don't think classic books such as The Giver, Rebecca, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Dairy of Anne Frank, or the Summer of My German Soldier, plus many others, could be considered dumbed down by anyone.
El wrote: "Rebecca? That's not YA."It is listed as Young Adult on several classic Young Adult lists. Rebecca herself was a young adult, so her ghost would be young adult too yes?
This is my problem with YA tasks, there's a lot of room for interpretation. Apparently VC Andrews is also consider YA fiction.
When a book is originally written for adults, doesn't mean young people won't enjoy it. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn isn't YA, as it was written for adults and before there was even such a thing as YA.
I could see why VC Andrews be considered YA, I read her when I was 13-20 years old.
As did I, Jayme. I think, however, when people say "YA" the last person that jumps to mind is VC Andrews. In fact, if I had shelved Andrews in YA at the bookstore I used to work in, I would have immediately lost my job. But that's my point - it's all in the interpretation.
Let's use this thread for TASK IDEAS ...(and move the YA discussion to a different thread if you feel it's necessary to continue that.)
This is brainstorming: any task ideas are acceptable.
If you want to respond to task ideas in this thread, please keep it to "Like That One" (or "Don't Like That One" if you must).
Please take other commentary / controversy to a different thread.
Thank you.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "When a book is originally written for adults, doesn't mean young people won't enjoy it. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn isn't YA, as it was written for adults and before there was even such a..."YA is a relatively new genre, as is Paranormal and Urban Fantasy, but that does not mean that books written before those classifications do not fit into those categories. Most fairy rales were written for adults too, but we know consider them children's books.
Yes, YA is wide open for interpretation, that is why I don't understand the problem with reading a book that is YA. If the main characters are between the ages of 13 and 21 it could probably fit any task dealing with YA.
I am not trying to upset or anger anyone. I just don't understand the animosity over this issue
What about a "recommend a book"-type task? In the help thread, everyone can post books that they would recommend to the other group members, and then each participant can pick someone's recommendation? I'm sure everyone has books they'd happy to recommend.Also, the SRC has a huge bookshelf at this point. One of the tasks could be to read a book from the bookshelf that you haven't used for a group reads task.
Along the same lines, I loved the task from a few challenges ago (Winter 2009-10, maybe?) where we were supposed to pick a task from a previous challenge to do, and there was a list of tasks we could choose. It was a really fun, broad task, and there were plenty of good ones on the list.
For the moving the clocks back an hour, we could read a book about time travel!
Oh! And people mentioned trying to find authors with the sequential letters from "Fall" and "Autumn" was difficult, what if you could choose two letters? So you could read a book by "Lloyd Alexander" (L-A) or "Mildred (D.) Taylor"?
What about reading a book with a subtitle, such as Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron?
I am amazed by all the wonderful task ideas posted on here. Makes me glad I am not the one choosing which ones to use.
For a two book task, read a book with a color in title AND a book that has a cover that is more than 50% that color, so for example if I read The Red Tent, I could read any book whose cover is dominantly red.
JenC. wrote: "Love the time-travel idea!"Me too!
Okay, I guess I can understand if you really don't want to be required to read a YA book to complete a task, but I don't think they should be excluded from couting towards a challenge task...I think there was one task this challenge that specified no YA books which I thought was a bit unfair. I think people have negative perceptions about YA literature, but a book is definitely not "better" just because it is marketed to adults! Okay rant over! I like the suggestions above for doing a "Black Friday" challenge to read a book about shopping or where the character works in retail, as well as the one for Teddy Bear Day to read a book that ties in with Games & toys.
A Halloween challenge would be fun- read a ghost story, horror story, or non-fiction about the holiday
For halloween you could also do a book with candy on the cover or in the title
for fall you could do a book with the words fall, falling etc in the title
read a book with apples or pumpkins on the cover
read a book where the main character is a teacher or student (to tie in with the new school year)
Choose one of the books that was an option for the group reads, but was not chosen
El wrote: "...there was one that required some rhyming which in theory seems simple enough. I remember, however, there being difficulties with that based on regional accents. That's not to say it's not a good idea, but it could create extra work for the moderators to make judgments."Or a website, such as RhymeZone (with 322 results for fall!), could be the judge.
Ms Anderson wrote: "What about a "recommend a book"-type task? In the help thread, everyone can post books that they would recommend to the other group members, and then each participant can pick someone's recommendat..."I like this idea!
Fall equinox: read two books that have the same number of letters in their titles.Read a book by an author that has the same first name as a Saint's Day that falls in Sept.-Nov.
October 19th is Mother Mother Teresa Day in Albania. Read a book about a religious figure (fiction or non), a book set in Albania or by an Albanian author.
Sept Wierd Holidays– Apple Month – Johnny Appleseed day-Sept 26 – Read a book about a folk hero
Backpack Month – Book that takes place in the wilderness/mountains
National Piano Month – Lead character is musical
Women’s Friendship Month – Read a book about friendship between two or more women
Grandma Moses Day Sept 7 – Read a book where main character is over 70
International Chocolate Day Sept 13 – Read a book with Chocolate or other candy name in title
Trail of Tears Commemoration Day Sept 16 – Read a book about a Native American
Ancestor Appreciation Day Sept 27 – Read a book based on your heritage could be a two book task – one based on each side of your heritage.
World Maritime Day – Sept 28 – Part of the book takes place on water
Harvest Moon – book that takes place on a farm/ranch/country
Read a book that someone read in SUMMER for the favorite genre bookRead a book that is in the list of the SRC must-reads (I believe someone is compiling a list of the must-reads)
Read a book that was used this RC for the List Maker task. (We made our own list, we might as well use it right?)
The post with all the books on the task would need to be updated to do that though...
Sorry for 2 posts in a row, I forgot to add this to the last one...There are so many people in the world that have multiple occupations: the typical Hollywood "model-actress-waitress", the "singer-songwriter"....
Why don't we support the "XYZ-author" by reading a book by someone who does things besides write books for a living?
examples: Steve Martin, George Carlin, Michael J. Fox, Walter Cronkite, Tom Brokaw, Brooke Shields...
I'm sure there are lots of others, those just pop off the top of my head.
Christine wrote: "Read a book that was used this RC for the List Maker task. (We made our own list, we might as well use it right?)
The post with all the books on the task would need to be updated to do that t..."
I like this idea. And updating/making the list probably wouldn't be too hard. School for me doesn't start until after Labor Day, so I've got time to do it if no one else wanted to.
Plant the Seed -- In honor of Johnny Appleseed, plant the seeds of reading! READ a book and recommend it to other SRC readers! You collect points once another SRC reader has picked that book, too, for another task. (This works VERY well for popular books -- see Donna Jo's post under Certificates!)Up In Smoke -- It's Thanksgiving and the doused flames turned your bird into a charred mess. In honor of those cooks who turn messes into something spectacular, READ a book that dramatically alters something bad into good. (This is a very subjective task so the reader must explain what that change is. Examples, Home Improvement books *OR* the character made a dramatic change with him/herself like in Infidel)
Video Killed the Radio Star -- In this case, video book trailers have influenced the book publishing industry! Check out GoodReads' assortment of videos and READ a book based on a trailer/vid you liked! When collecting points, please reference the video's link. (GR Videos: http://www.goodreads.com/videos)
Take the Trivia Challenge -- READ a book referenced in trivia question 7, 8 or 9! (GR Trivia: http://www.goodreads.com/trivia)
Go West -- In honor of Leif Erikson Day, READ a book about ancient exploration (Pre-Columbus times).Let's Get Physical -- In honor of Health and Sports Day, READ a book about health or fitness. Optional: Do a physical activity reflected in the book.
Open Up Your Eyes -- In honor of World Blindness Awareness Month, READ a book by a blind author OR a book with a blind main character.
Join the Bandwagon -- READ a book featured in a Book Blog Tour. When collecting points, please reference the link.
Say Your Prayers -- October is a month dedicated to the rosary. The opening prayers consist of 8 lines. Based upon the first letter of your first name, READ a book with a title featuring a word in that line. The, It, In, Is, With, etc obviously do not count.
1. (A-C) In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. (D-F) Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
3. (G-I) Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
4. (J-L) O Lord, open my lips.
5. (M-O) And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
6. (P-S) Incline your aid to me, O God.
7. (T-V) O Lord, make haste to help me.
8. (X-Z) Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Alleluia.
Example: I am a T, so my book could have - Lord, make, haste, help and me. So I could read...Making Haste from Babylon: The Mayflower Pilgrims and Their World: A New History or The Help
1. September, October and November all have 3 syllablesRead a book whose title also has only three
syllables
Ex. Rebecca or The Red
Tent or Possession
2. Read a book written by an author who has died in 2010. Here is a list of some authors who have left us thus far in 2010 http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/yea...
Paint Me a Picture -- In honor of National Arts & Humanities Month (October), READ a book which features classic art on the cover. A lot of the classics do this particularly Austen. When claiming points, post the cover and reference the art piece by title and artist's name.Autumn Leaves Explosion -- Read a book with a predominant orange, gold or yellow cover! (not doing red/green since that's done A LOT)
Life on the Other Side -- READ a book about a religion not of your own. This is not limited to books about but can include books with religious characters or religious themes.
I am Home -- READ a book which features a cover or book title that inspires those Homey (Cozy) Autumn Scents -- hot apple pie, pumpkin pie, a pile of leaves. When claiming points, please reference the scent and why it inspires the feeling of "home".
Sorry all! I'm catching up and as soon as I hit post, more ideas spurn!
What to Wear -- Halloween is about the costumes! READ a book that has MULTIPLE covers from the same country. So no using a Harry Potter book cover from the U.K. and the U.S.Example:
The School of Essential Ingredients
and
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
and
Exploring author blogs: Click Explore. Pull down menu to Authors. Click on tab that says Recent. You will find a list of authors who have recently blogged on Goodreads. Choose an author, somewhere on the page, and read one of their books.
Not be to offensive to those that are Catholic, but I am not...so I find it extremely unappealing and prejudicial aganist other religions to ask someone do something based upon a Catholic rosary prayer. Yes, I know the option to not do the task exists. And I would feel the same way if you asked me to do something based upon the lyrics of the dreidel song. I say leave religion out of it.
And please, no more blog tasks. One was hard enough.
How is it any different from doing tasks based upon other religious holidays or religious months?
I like the Fall Equinox idea, the Trail of Tears (I so want to fit in Louise Erdrich), and the Grandma Moses. Like Christine, I am offended by the Catholic and other religious ideas.
Let's not start another discussion in this thread, please.Task ideas, please.
(Start another thread if you want.)
I kinda like the "Life on the Other Side" idea; it deals with religion, but it's easy to get around the "you're going to hell if you don't believe what I do" aspect that people get offended by--just read historical fiction.Edit: Oops, sorry. Started typing before you posted, PJ. Removed my non-Task Idea part.
The volume of task ideas is amazing! I am still not seeing a lot of "international" flare - still a lot of US based ideas (holidays, months with "national...whatever month, references to persons of American note, etc...) I am going to go outside this box of comfort and suggest:A) The Continental Divide: Go to the list randomizer and enter:
Antarctica
South America
Europe
Asia
Australia
Africa
(For the purpose of this task, North America is excluded. Antarctica can be excluded too if it is thought to be too hard to locate books about or set on that continent.) Whatever continent is listed first is your selection for this task. Read either a fiction or nonfiction book about, based in or written by an author from your given continent. Any country, town city village within your given continent is acceptable.
No double dipping on the randomizer. Your first shot is your continent for the task.
B) Canada, Eh!: Canada is known for its beautiful fall colours and thousands of tourists come to visit, enjoying long drives while witnessing the changing leaves. Visit the Wikipedia page about Canadian Literature and discover a new Canadian author and novel. You won't regret it!
C) Coffee or Tea?? ~ as the days and nights get cooler, many return to enjoying their favourite hot beverages, tea &/or coffee. Which do you prefer? Select your beverage of choice, then pick a country from your choice. Find a book, fiction or nonfiction, about, set in or written by an author from your chosen country. Enjoy a nice cuppa at some point while you are reading your book.
Coffee Growing Countries:
Brazil
Vietnam
Colombia
Indonesia
Ethiopia
India
Mexico
Guatemala
Peru
Honduras
Côte d'Ivoire
Uganda
Costa Rica
Philippines
El Salvador
Nicaragua
Papua New Guinea
Venezuela
Madagascar
Thailand
Tea Growing Countries:
China
India
Kenya
Sri Lanka
Turkey
Vietnam
Indonesia
Japan
Argentina
Iran
Bangladesh
Malawi
Uganda
If you drink neither beverage, just select the country that has the most appeal to you.
This one is complicated, and it was what I was going to do when I was on track to finish:Fall is the time for the county fair: Read two books, one from each group of options:
Group I Rides:
1) Ride the Merry-go-round - read a book with something round on the cover, ie a wheel, sun, balloon
2) Ride the Scrambler - read a book with the author's initials being some combination of the letters S,C,R,A,M,B,L,E,R. Could be L. E. or E. L.
3) Take a trip through the Tunnel of Love or the House of Horrors - read a supernatural/horror book or a romance.
Group II - Exhibits and food
1) Love that prize livestock: Read a book set on a farm, ranch, or that involves farming or ranching in some way, ex. The Egg and I or Little House on the Prairie
2) Read a book with at least one word from your favorite midway food in the title - "turkey" for turkey legs, "cake" for funnel cakes, "dog" for corn dog etc
3) Read a book, fiction or non-fiction that involves in some way a craft that might be displayed at the fair.
But Jennifer, I do not drink coffee or tea ;) But I like the task b/c it's cute!YAY for County Fair!
Oktoberfest -- The original "Oktoberfest" occurred in Munich, on October 18, 1810: For the commemoration of their marriage, Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I) and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen (namesake of the Theresienwiese festival grounds) organized a great horse race (the marriage took place on October 12; the horse race on October 17—therefore, there are different dates named as being the first Oktoberfest). READ a book featuring a historical royal couple.
Discovery -- In honor of the discovery to the Eastern World of Puerto Rico by Christopher Columbus on November 19, 1493, READ a book based in a country OR by an author from a country that you haven't read before.
A Penny a Day -- Scotland celebrates St Andrews Day, its official national day, on 30 November. Since 2006 it has been an official bank holiday. READ a book about finances. Example: Ponzi's Scheme: The True Story of a Financial Legend
I'd love to see what someone could do with this...It is quite common for some males in Australia (especially in the city of Melbourne), and New Zealand to sport a moustache during the month of November. The custom being known as Movember (Movember is a portmanteau of the words 'Moustache' and 'November'), and being a fundraising event for men's health issues. One's fashionable appearance often comes second to the calling of Movember. A similar observance in the United States and Canada, called Novembeard or No Shave November (originally referred to as No-Shave-For-a-Month but was considered too long and many males forgot what month it actually occurred in so the name was changed),[citation needed:] involves a full beard as opposed to a mustache.
So do we read a book referring to moustache or beards?
LOL ... is there a Snidely Whiplash book?
I LOVE the county fair task. So imaginative.Tanja - Great ideas...all of them. I hope someone creative (not me) can come up with something cool for Movember or Novembeard. Something easy could be a book with a male lead. I think it might be to hard to do a male lead with facial hair. How would you know until you read the book?
And for the record I like the Rosary task idea. Perhaps instead of the rosary we could choose another well know poem/saying just to ease the tension. Perhaps something by Robert Frost. Shakespear might be to hard since he uses a lot of words that are not common or no longer in use.
Tanja wrote: "I'd love to see what someone could do with this...It is quite common for some males in Australia (especially in the city of Melbourne), and New Zealand to sport a moustache during the month of No..."
There are all different names for different types of mustaches and beards (goatee, muttonchops, etc.). Maybe read a book with one of the kinds (or plain beard/mustache) in the title. Or read a book by an author with a beard or mustache!
Cindy wrote: "This one is complicated, and it was what I was going to do when I was on track to finish:Fall is the time for the county fair: Read two books one from each group of options:
Group I Rides:
..."
This idea is AWESOME.
Hercule Poirot has a mustache...he'd be an easy one to do:) There are definitely great Agatha Christie's out there!Love the rides idea. I saw it and knew exactly what I would books I would use too...
WOW! I cannot keep up with all these great ideas!! Too many favorites to list now! I sure hope this group can keep going - I haven't done a challenge yet since it seemed too overwhelming to do one in this group for my first, so I'm doing a smaller one in another group but was so looking forward to the fall challenge!I love the Canadian author idea - I read a canadian author book in the challenge I'm doing now in honor of Canada day - Moonheart by Charles de Lint and discovered an excellent new-to-me author that I will definitely read again!
Use either the words September, October, or November as a letter bank to create a new word with 4 or more letters. You can use a letter as many times as you want. Read a book with that word in the title.SEPTMBR- Trees, Pets, Step...
OCTBER- Core, Tort, Octet...
NOVEMBR- Room, Moon, Venom...
Read a book that someone used to complete a task in the first SRC.
Read a book that someone posted in the scavenger hunt thread.
Upcoming religious holidays. I tried to keep it to around one holiday per religion, sorry if I picked a minor one or messed something else up.
September 2- Krishna Janmashtami (Hindu)
September 12- Paryushana (Jain), Auditor's Day (Scientology)
September 19- Talk Like a Pirate Day (Pastafarianism)
September 22- Hoi Yen Dieu Tri (Cao Dai)
September 25-26- Mehregan (Zoroastrianism)
September 28- Confucius's Birthday (Confucianism)
September 30- Blasphemy Day (Agnosticism/Atheism)
October 12- Vetrnóttablót (Norse Religion)
October 19- Double Ninth Festival (Taoism)
October 20- Birth of the Báb (Baha'i)
October 24- Maladay (Discordianism)
November 1- Samhain or Beltane (Wicca/Pagan)
November 2- Mictecacihuatl (Aztec Religion)
November 5- Diwali (Hindu/Buddhist/Jain/Sikh)
November 21- Guru Nanak birthday (Sikh)
The Seasonal Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
City of Ashes (other topics)War and Peace (other topics)
Still Missing (other topics)
Jane Eyre (other topics)
The King's Mistress (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Markus Zusak (other topics)Kathryn Stockett (other topics)
Elizabeth Gaskell (other topics)
Charles de Lint (other topics)
