30.5- Ms Anderson and Tanja's Task: Life Lessons

[Liz]

I would definitely recommend The Princess Bride - it was hilarious! I especially loved Prince Humperdink-haha!

[Caity]

AHH! No! I already have my book chosen for the 4 I rolled, and this is after I changed it once! This makes me want to change it again, or read several books!

Maybe I can find another task to squeeze Princess Bride into... I've had a copy on my bookshelf for probably 4-5 years now.

[Megan]

Caity wrote: "AHH! No! I already have my book chosen for the 4 I rolled, and this is after I changed it once! This makes me want to change it again, or read several books!

Maybe I can find another task to squee..."

You might be able to use it for 15.10, where you use a book that would fit another task.

[Caity]

Hahaha, I might have to. I'm trying to squeeze so many books into this, including a full reread of the Harry Potter series. Fortunately, I have three reading challenges to play with.

[Sara ♥]

WOW, Caity! You're going to be BUSY! I've been meaning to read The Princess Bride for a long, long time now... It's the BEST movie!

[Usako]

I bet you could fit every HP book into the Fall Challenge.

[Dee]

ditto...there are enough page length ones/best sellers/mythical beasts I bet you could do it

[Caity]

Yeah. I actually have a number of books that will be counting for at least 2 tasks. There's a link to my spreadsheet on google docs of everything I'll be reading for all three challenges, plus an extra sheet just for the reading through time sub-challenge in reading with style. If I did a different book for every task of every challenge I would probably have to read over 100 books.

And I'm certain I'd be able to fit all the HP books into just the Fall Challenge, but I want to read a lot of different books. I practically have the first three HP memorized. Only 2 HP left to fit in, and I got Princess Bride into the Good Spirits task (I was born 15 years after it was published).

[Megan]

And there's still more tasks coming, too! So there could be even more places to fit books. I've got two on my "must-read-this-fall" list that I haven't fit yet, and several places still to put them. I'm waiting to see what else comes up before deciding :3

[★Meghan★]

Caity I worked in every Harry Potter book except the first, but that is because I am reading that now.

[Allie]

For #2, Can we use different forms of the word on the list?

Specifically, could I read The Hour I First Believed for believe?

Ah, I just noticed that "first" is on the list too, so this definitely works. I'm still posting just in case someone else needed an idea :-)

[Megan]

Allie wrote: "For #2, Can we use different forms of the word on the list?

Specifically, could I read The Hour I First Believed for believe?

Ah, I just noticed that "first" is on the list too..."

For simplicity's sake, it would be easier to stick to the list as written. I think there are enough words on it that finding a book that fits should be easy without having to use tenses.

[Penny]

Caity and Meghan, yay!!! I'm not the only craze fan, there is another person trying to fit as many HP books as posible, so that makes 4 of us already :), thank God for HP that equinox task was driving me crazy, intill I thought of using HP for the challenge.

Now if I could find the same magic solution for task 25.1, how in the world am I going to read 10 books for just one task. :-/

[★Meghan★]

Penny I have at least 5 series I am fitting into this challenge! I have everything but the Stephanie Plum ones all fit I just have about 5 more to work with.

[Caity]

Penny, you could always do what I'm doing and use the two Jules Verne novels that would fit the task for it. They're available on Project Gutenberg for free, they don't have to be read in order, and they've already been accepted by Wendy.

[Penny]

Thank you Caity!!!!, Around the world in 80 days is my favorite Verne book, can definitely do that one, so that's 50%, :).

Meghan, 5 series, wow, after the endless wait and speculation for HP, I promise myself I would not get into unfinish series again, of course I have not kept my word, but no series has hook me.

[★Meghan★]

Haha Penny! For some reason I always have to figure out what is going to happen in series even if I do not like them that much. (I know weird!) Some of these I have read the first books for the summer challenge and fitting in the rest for the fall challenge. I am reading the Harry Potter series, Bride Quartet Series by Nora Roberts, Millenium Trilogy, Hunger Games Trilogy, Night World Series, Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning and now the Stephanie Plum series. Ok I do not think I can fit absolutely one more into this challenge.

Edit: I have fit all books but 5-8 and 11-16 of the Stephanie Plum Series. Still waiting for the 20 point tasks to hopefully help me.

[Caity]

Meghan, I can totally relate. So far I am trying to squeeze in the Symphony of Ages original trilogy, the entire Harry Potter series, the Night Angel trilogy, the last book of the Gemma Doyle trilogy, at least the first book of the Hunger Games trilogy (I can only afford these in paperback or at the used bookstore where newer hardbacks are $3, so I only have the first book right now), and the second and third books of the Mistborn trilogy. I am now considering trying to fit in the Millennium trilogy out of sheer curiosity, plus I have an entire trilogy in one omnibus book (the Ivory trilogy) and Born of Night, which is the first book in a trilogy by Sherrilyn Kenyon, and if I can find the second and third used I will likely try to fit those in, as well.

And, for the record, I have so far fit in the first 6 HP books, the first two Night Angel books (one of them was thanks to this task, btw), and the first two Symphony of Ages books, but this is spread out across three challenges.

[Megan]

Caity wrote: "Meghan, I can totally relate. So far I am trying to squeeze in the Symphony of Ages original trilogy, the entire Harry Potter series, the Night Angel trilogy, the last book of the Gemma Doyle trilo..."

Achmed! I love Achmed :3 He's so wonderful :3

[Caity]

Ms Anderson wrote: "Achmed! I love Achmed :3 He's so wonderful :3"

ACK! I see that and all I can think of is Achmed the Dead Terrorist! Hahahahaha... I love Jeff Dunham. He and I went to the same college and had one of the same professors. It's my not-so-claim to fame.

On topic! Yeah, because that's what the cool people do. Here's the fantasy shelf for anybody who rolled a 1: http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/f...

I am also happy to recommend fantasy books to people who may not ordinarily read fantasy and need suggestions and/or want to know a good stand-alone so they don't get committed to a series (although I can recommend plenty of series, as well). Just for the record, I have the entire first page of those marked as read, to-read, or wishlist.

[Megan]

You'll meet Achmed (and Grunthor! Squee!) when you read the Symphony of Ages. I absolutely LOVE the original trilogy.

My biggest recommendation for "fantasy for people who dislike fantasy" is David Edding's Pawn of Prophecy. PoP doesn't read like fantasy at all--it comes off more like historical fiction, and it's a brilliant story.

As for a stand-alone fantasy, I almost want to say The Legend of Nightfall, but I haven't read it in more than ten years, so I'm not sure if I'm still qualified to make that recommendation lol I enjoyed it when I read it, though. I should dig that out sometime and read it again...

[Caity]

My favorite stand-alone fantasy is actually one that was originally published as two separate books but is now published as one. I absolutely ADORE Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith. It was one of the first fantasy books I read, just after I had gone through The Hobbit, the Lord of the Rings, and the first few Harry Potters, and it was the one that really got me hooked.

[Penny]

I know, I have to finish a series when I start, but sometimes I have to spot (Eragon, on hold indefinitly after Eldest) or I don't feel inspired to continue (The Septimus Heap series). The Hunger games is a perfect example of my post HP concept, it soudns like something I'll enjoy, so I was waiting intil it was over, to avoid all the eximent and craziness that I love about the wait for each of the last 3 HP books, it was so much fun, but I'm fine if it stays as a one time thing.

[Cindy AL]

Calling fantasy people, I am reading Discord's Apple and so far it is great. It is no Pawn of Prophecy, but I will definitely look for more books by this author (I think she has a paranormal series, maybe, THIS book is billed as a stand alone). I need it for the fall challenge, and I may have to take it back to the library to stop myself from finishing it! LOL!

I also liked Symphony of Ages, although I lost interest in the follow-up books, just not the same. There are two other series that always get confused in my mind with books following the original Symphony trilogy - one is by Kate Elliot and the other is by Sara Douglass.

Nothing is quite like David Eddings, especially the original Belgariad and the original Sparhawk books.

[Kristina Simon]

Anyone have any good suggestions for 5 (controversial)? I realize this is subjective and right now I have Abortionist's Daughter slotted for the task. But I'm also thinking about something like I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced. Or maybe a book on polygamy. Anyone read any good ones?

[Usako]

Kristi - Both are great choices. Atm, the book/author link isn't working but Under the Banner of Heaven and Infidel are great for controversy.

[Kristina Simon]

Thanks, Tanja. I've read Infidel and if anyone else rolled a 5, I'd highly recommend it. Definitely putting Under the Banner of Heaven on my list. Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!

[Dee]

i'm reading Lolita for my banned book so that might work...i would say possibly look at the various banned books

[Usako]

Delicious Dee - That's what I was going to recommend to people if they rolled a 5.

And welcome, Kristi! A couple of people in my book club physically threw the book when reading Under the Banner of Heaven. There were moments I had to close the book, walk away and take a breather. But we all appreciated the read and had no regrets.

[Janice]

Kristi (Passion for the Page) wrote: "Anyone have any good suggestions for 5 (controversial)? I realize this is subjective and right now I have Abortionist's Daughter slotted for the task. But I'm also thinking about som..."

Kristi, I really liked Daughter of the Saints: Growing Up in Polygamy by Dorothy Allred Solomon.

[Kristina Simon]

Janice CA wrote: "Kristi (Passion for the Page) wrote: "Anyone have any good suggestions for 5 (controversial)? I realize this is subjective and right now I have Abortionist's Daughter slotted for the..."

Thanks, DD. I've read Lolita (and only want to do it once ;o)). And thank you, too, Janice. I think I'm going to go with either Under the Banner of Heaven or Daughter of the Saints.

[Dee]

i've discovered I sorely neglected the classics growing up...so i'm rectifying that now...I have lolita on my list for this challenge...ditto with either Anna Karenina or the Brothers Kamarazov and sense and sensibilty or Emma

Kristi (Passion for the Page) wrote: "Janice CA wrote: "Kristi (Passion for the Page) wrote: "Anyone have any good suggestions for 5 (controversial)? I realize this is subjective and right now I have [book:Abortionist's Daughter|730273..."

[Kristina Simon]

Delicious Dee the book slut wrote: "i've discovered I sorely neglected the classics growing up...so i'm rectifying that now...I have lolita on my list for this challenge...ditto with either Anna Karenina or the Brothers Kamarazov and..."

Uh, yeah, me too ;o). I found a challenge at the end of last year called Filling in the Gaps. The challenge is to list 100 books you should have read in school or that you've always wanted to read (like the ones you've listed) but haven't and to work your way through the list over the next 5 or 10 years.

[Caity]

Haha, I neglected the classics, as well. When I was younger all I read (well, almost all I read) were the Babysitters' Club books. I went from those straight into fantasy in high school. In college I finally realized I had barely read any classics, so I am slowly getting into those and lit fic, although I still love fantasy.

Also, I'm not really sure WHEN it happened, but at some point in junior high or high school I developed a love of historical fiction. Then there's the obsession with non-fiction about the holocaust that I first discovered when I was 9 and then really began to delve into when I was 12. I read I Have Lived A Thousand Years: Growing Up In The Holocaust on a trip with a school group and ever since then have been really into reading people's stories from the holocaust, especially those who survived the camps long enough to write about it.

[Dee]

i'm just making my own...using the B&N list of classics (i think there are like 101) and just reading them/listening to them as I can fit them into challenges etc

Kristi (Passion for the Page) wrote: "Delicious Dee the book slut wrote: "i've discovered I sorely neglected the classics growing up...so i'm rectifying that now...I have lolita on my list for this challenge...ditto with either Anna Ka..."

[Ashley FL]

Would Twice Bitten count for "mythical or supernatural creatures"? There are vamps, werewolves, shape shifters, water nymphs, etc.

Thanks!

[Megan]

Ashley FL wrote: "Would Twice Bitten count for "mythical or supernatural creatures"? There are vamps, werewolves, shape shifters, water nymphs, etc.

Thanks!"

Yup, sounds good!

[Ashley FL]

Great -- thanks! My reserve copy is in transit at the library -- hooray!

[Megan]

Ashley FL wrote: "Great -- thanks! My reserve copy is in transit at the library -- hooray!"

Yay! I hope it's worth the wait!

[Aleksandra]

Would I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou work for lesson 5?

[Julia]

Just to make sure since I rolled double 2s, I can use any word from that list, even the articles?

[Usako]

Alek -- sure!! Just say it was on the banned list - explanation enough there

Julia -- MsAnderson did say any on the list :) But I thin articles were to be ignored but I will let MsAnderson make that decision

[Megan]

I'm going with any word on the list. I know a few people so far have picked words with "an," so it'd just be simpler to include the whole list. Good luck *_~

[Julia]

Thanks! I can only imagine how some kids would spell some of those words today. bb w/ b4 cuz lk ur ...

[Kim D]

For #1 does Marked by Elisabeth Naughton work?

[Megan]

Kim D wrote: "For #1 does Marked by Elisabeth Naughton work?"

It sounds like it will from the description and reviews.

[Kim D]

Thanks! I really wanted to read it because it's one of the free books I got for my Nook!

[Megan]

Kim D wrote: "Thanks! I really wanted to read it because it's one of the free books I got for my Nook!"

Yay! I hope you enjoy it :3

[Jayalalita]

Might I ask, for #1, would An Earthly Knight count as containing a mythical/supernatural creature, being about Tam Lin and fairies? Many thanks!

[Megan]

It looks like it mentions fairies, but from all the reviews and I looked up, the book focuses on the history of the time rather than the fantasy elements of the original story (even the author's site talks about it in a historical context). For that reason, I'm going to say no.

According to what I saw when I was looking up reviews, Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones is also the story of Tam Lin, and it focuses much more on the supernatural and fantasy parts of the ballad, so it would work if you were still interested in reading about Tam Lin.