Harry Potter Reading Challenge

[Crusader]

I found it in Google image search. There are a few disturbing pictures that also pop up in the same search. Harry and Malfroy cuddling in their birthday suits... thankfully cropped to show only the top halves.

Disturbing to say the least...

[Lauren]

And recommendations for the competition/sport task? I can't think of anything...
Preferably not YA though, I'm not in the mood for it at the moment.

[Lu]

Crusader - Lol yea I found some of that too Crusader :(

Lauren - I was going to suggest Hunger Games :P

[Lauren]

Hunger Games - might go for that if that task is still open at a later stage, just don't feel like reading about kids or teens right now. Thanks Lu :)

I also want to add that I'm not interested in any books about actual sports eg. A novel/bio about a soccer/football/tennis player that focuses on the sport itself. Sci fi or fantasy sports however, are fine.

[Lu]

Updated

Kat - I think you are on 90 :)

[Claudia]

Finished No 19
New total : 280

[Lu]

Finished nr 4

10 points to Hufflepuff :)

[Diane]

I've finished task number 7. Another 10 points to Hufflepuff. I should be on 100 now.

[Crusader]

Finished #9: Shadowdale has a shapeshifter character

Total: 200

[Diane]

Finished task #3. Another 10 points for Hufflepuff. I'm on 110 points now.

[Sarah]

Hi guys!:) Hope you're all getting along well with your reading. I haven't updated in a while, but I've finished reading numbers 4 (Lover Eternal), 8(Lover Awakened), 10(The Lovely Bones) and 13(4th of July).

Total: 130

[Barbara]

Totally forgot to update everything. I finished American Gods last week and there twins in there. Yeah! Granted they don't play a big part but the task doesn't say they have to so I'm happy. That means task 8 finished and 290 points for me.

[Barbara]

I've finally finished Don Quixote and want to use that as my book about an excentric person. That means that the book I used there (The Alchemist Daughter) is getting bumped to the task 7 about a villain. That means I have 300 points and have only 4 books left to read. Anyone know any great books about shapeshifters?

[Claudia]

Have you read the Parasol Protectorate Series? It's one of my favourites and has werewolves, which will work too.
Soulless by Gail Carriger

[Lu]

Loved the first one :) Still have to read the 2nd

[Barbara]

Ok, never heard of it, but I will put it on my list and if I see it I will check it out. It's weird but I'm getting really competitive now I only have 4 more tasks to do. And there not the easiest ones left. Well the task about founding his or her soulmate shouldn't be too hard but the shapeshifter, winner of a competition and character in school are going to be a challenge.

[Lauren]

I was also struggling with the school one - a lot of the time if there's a school involved I'm not interested. Luckily I remembered that one book had a character who was in school.

Still struggling with sport/competition and I need to read a book for divination.

[Barbara]

I lucked into the divination task. I was already reading a series where people could tell the future by communing with the ancestors and by dreaming. So I could use one of those books. But divination shouldn't be too hard, there are a lot of fantasy books in which someone knows how to tell the future in one way or another. But the competition thing is hard. I have no idea what I'm going to read for that one. But we still have some time to finish so I'm not too worried.

[Lauren]

I'm planning to read Lion's Honey: The Myth of Samson next month, which has the biblical prophecy of Samson, so I can use that for divination.
I've come across a few fortune tellers and the like recently, I think, but none who played a particularly big role, so I didn't include it.

I don't know what to do about competition either. No way am I going to read a sport bio or something.

[Barbara]

Oh no, I'm not going to read the bio of some famous sports hero. I don't even like sports. I am looking into other directions. Like historic races to find the origin of the Nile or climb Mount Everest or something. Some of these things were real competitions with prizes to win and various teams at the same time trying to reach it. Like the South Pole race. Scott and Amundsen raced from opposite directions to reach the South Pole first. Or knights in history or fantasy who are fighting in tournaments. I'm casting a wide net to see what I find.

[Lauren]

Hmm, that's not a bad idea...
I would have re-read The Player of Games but I did that not too long ago. I'm hoping to find something similar - a competition or sport in a sci fi or fantasy setting. Just realised I could have read Ender's Game if I hadn't already done so. Need to go through the shelves...

[Barbara]

Good Luck!

[Anna]

Oh, this is why I suck at math-- good thing Lu's paying attention to my count, lol. :) Just finished #1-- that's like my tenth time rereading a Lord of the Rings book. Scary, but I *should* be rereading HP. 10 points to Hufflepuff!

[Sarah]

I'd like to make a few changes in my list of books, if that's okay. I'd like to replace the books I've chosen for numbers 11, 16 and 17. So, I've decided to read:

11)Marked (House of Night #1) by PC Cast
16)Betrayed (House of Night # 2) by PC Cast
17)Spud by John Van De Ruit

Although, I'm not sure if Marked qualifies for number 11 (since it's only got a tiny slice of a moon next to the title). I realised that Blue Moon (my original choice) is the second book in a series I haven't started.

[Lu]

Updated

[Lauren]

Finished no. 14
190/200
Just one more to go!

[Barbara]

Just finished the book Pillars of the Earth. I know the book is about building a cathedral but a subplot is Jack and Aliena and how their relationship develops and they are each others soulmate and take forever to get together. I would like to use this book for task 4 which would give me 310 points. But if anyone is against it because it isn't the main story line in the book let me know and I will find another book.

[Lauren]

That book is so long Jack and Aliena's story alone could form a novel. And it may not be the main plot, but it's a major part of the story. So I'm ok with it :)

[Diane]

I've finished task 5 & 12. My points for Hufflepuff should be 130.

[Barbara]

Thanks Lauren! if anyone has another opinion, please let me know.

[Sarah]

I'm done with P.S. I Love You (no. 6) and that brings my total up to 140.

[Barbara]

Do you mean I'm done with - I'm finished or I'm done with - I never want to see that book again?

[Lu]

Finished nr 9 = 10 points :)

[Sarah]

I meant I'm done with- I'm finished.
I've finished reading:
Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman (no. 20) and Summer in Tuscany by Elizabeth Adler(in which the main character has a cat) so I'd like to use that for no. 16.
Total: 160

P.S. I don't think I'll be updating for a long while since I've got loads of prescribed reading to get through now that the semester's begun.

[Lu]

Finished nr17

10 points for Hufflepuff :)

[Claudia]

I need a help with the Care of Magical Creatures challenge. I read this book called Elfland with an "Aetherial" on the cover. They are kind of like Faeries. Could that count? Or are we talking creatures that are in no way similar to humans? Like dragons ... and I can't think of anything else.

[Barbara]

Ok, I would say they count and this is why. First of all it says magical creature, not magical animal and that would mean anything magical.
But and this is the real argument why I would say yes. At Hogwarts during care of magical creatures the students learn to take care of bowtruckles and they could be considered humanlike. They have arms and legs and stuff. And if their care is taught at Hogwarts any humanlike creature should count for this task.

[Lu]

I would say yes they count :)

[Claudia]

Thanks!

Finished No. 15
Total 290

[Claudia]

Finished No 17.
Total 300

So now I've done all 20 tasks!
I don't think I'll be reading the last 2 Harry books, but we'll see.

[Barbara]

Way to go. I have finished all HP books but i still have 3 tasks to go.

[Lauren]

Nice Kahlan! I've just got one task to go myself. And as much as I love my team, I won't be reading any Harry Potter. Sorry guys!

[Lu]

Finished nr 12 - another 10 points :)

[Anna]

I've finished number 19 and number 16-- so plus 20 points to Hufflepuff. :)

[Barbara]

I finished the first four books of the Guardians of Ga'hoole this weekend and halfway through the fourth book I realised that Soren and his friends are in school and attending classes. Ok they are owls, but it is a fantasy book for children and they do go to school. So I have finished that task (forgot the number). I now have 320 points in total. My book with werewolves is ordered and will probably arrive this week. After I have read that I only need a book that has a competition in it or where the main character wins a trophy or medal. Anyone read this one yet? Any suggestions.

[Lauren]

That's the only one I have left to complete :(
I only have two sci fi recommendations:
Ender's Game or The Player of Games. Particularly The Player of Games - very elegant but cool. Ender's game is entertaining but a too pro-war for me.

[Diane]

I'm on 160 points. I've still got to read Harry Potter books 1 and 2. I've read the rest previously and I'm not sure I want to read them again when I have so many new books to read :-)

[Lu]

Finished nr 14.

+ 10 points :)

[Lu]

Updated!

Slytherin
Points: 1010

Gryffindor
Points: 510

Hufflepuff
Points: 660

Ravenclaw
Points: 470

[Crusader]

Ha, ha. Shame, the Superior Slytherin rules!