30.3. Donna Jo's Task: Yours, Mine, and Ours

[Sandy, Moderator Emeritus]

30.3. Donna Jo's Task: Yours, Mine, and Ours

A. Read a book with the word Your(s), My or Mine, or Our(s) in the Title;

B. Read a book with a blended family (Children, Steps, and/or Halfs) in it. Books may be fiction or nonfiction and may involve adult step or half siblings. Examples: Imperfect Birds, Undead and Unreturnable, Other People's Children, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Stepparenting

Family relationships involving adoptions or extended families (for example, children being raised by grandparents) do not work for this task.

If the family's blended relationship is not apparent in the Goodreads description, please note the information when you post your completed task.

[Donna Jo]

Good Choices:
the Queen Betsy books by MaryJanice Davidson
I Capture the Castle
Shopaholic and Sister
Books with Cinderella or Snow White theme
Phoenix and Ashes
The Other Mothers' Club
Lost in the Forest
Family Matters
When Madeline Was Young
One Small Thing

[Donna Jo]

Not so good Choices (for THIS task):

No adoptions, please.

The Secret Garden
Wuthering Heights

[Sandy, Moderator Emeritus]

reserved

[Dee]

i'm going to assume all the Queen Betsy books work because her relationship with her Step-Mother seems to be a key element in all 4 that i've read so far - i'm up to Undead and Unpopular - found a mention of her new step-brother in the description...so fingers crossed :)

[Gayla]

Will The Sweet Relief of Missing Children: A Novel work? One of the characters is running away from an abusive stepfather.

[Dlmrose, Moderator Emeritus]

Might these work?
Love and Other Impossible Pursuits
One Small Thing
When Madeline Was Young
Family Matters
Lost in the Forest
The Other Mothers' Club

[★Meghan★]

I think I might read Before Midnight: A Retelling of "Cinderella"...would that work for Part B?

[Fran]

I planned to read this soon anyway, think it will work for B- A Kiss at Midnight - retelling of Cinderella

[Patricia]

Would adoption count for "blended families"? For example,
Love in the Driest Season: A Family Memoir by Neely Tucker -OR- Digging to America by Anne Tyler?

[kiki]

what about a man raising his own son and an orphaned granddaughter? is that not blended enough?

[Kathy G.]

Would Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister work for part B?

Thanks

[Erin (NY)]

Would any of the Mortal instruments series work? (City of Bones is the first one), the main character Jace is adopted by another family when his father dies.

[Donna Jo]

Delicious Dee Challenge Addict wrote: "i'm going to assume all the Queen Betsy books work because her relationship with her Step-Mother seems to be a key element in all 4 that i've read so far - i'm up to Undead and Unpopular - found a ..."

As long as the step mother and/or stepsister work into the book it's okay.

[Donna Jo]

*Meghan*, Fran, Kathy G.

Cinderella tales are a great example. Go for it.

[Donna Jo]

Patricia and Erin (NY)

I am going to say no to adoptions.

[Donna Jo]

kiki wrote: "what about a man raising his own son and an orphaned granddaughter? is that not blended enough?"

kiki, an extended family is not quite what I had in mind.

[Donna Jo]

Gayla and Dlmrose, give me some time to check out those titles--I'm not familiar with them. I've got meetings later today, so I'll post tomorrow a.m.

[Sue]

Will Chosen work? From the description it sounds like Zooey's step-father is a major character.

[Amanda]

Sue T wrote: "Will Chosen work? From the description it sounds like Zooey's step-father is a major character."

I've read the book and he's not really. The authors don't really give her human family much face time, which is too bad because I think it would have been interesting.

[Erin (NY)]

I am having a really hard time coming up with a book for part B. Does anyone have any great novels that would work?

[♥Meagan♥]

I found a YA series called IQ by Roland Smith where it's a brother and his step-sister.I,Q

[Rachel Lee]

Just have to say, that Yours, Mine, and Ours was absolutely my favorite movie when I was growing up. I still watch it at least once a year!!!

[Lahni]

This may be a stretch but will you allow The Red Tent as a blended family...one husband with several wives? :)

[Sandy, Moderator Emeritus]

I started a Listopia list for books involving blended families, including some that I've read that involve stepparents, step-siblings, etc.
Blended Families

Please add to the list as you run across others or think of books that would work. When choosing books from the list, though, use judgment - this is like any other GR list - anyone can add anything to it, so being on the list is not a guarantee that it will work.

[Patricia]

Thanks for creating the list Sandy. A big help!

So, does that mean I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith works? That's one I'd like to read but couldn't tell from the GR description.

[Lahni]

Patricia wrote: "Thanks for creating the list Sandy. A big help!

So, does that mean I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith works? That's one I'd like to read but couldn't tell from the GR description."

I read I Capture the Castle for this last challenge and they have a stepmother named Topaz. She is very much a part of the story. I'm not the official approver but it should fit.

[Jayme(theghostreader)]

Thank you, thank you, thank you, I can use Phoenix and Ashes for part B. :)

[Isabell]

Would Shopaholic and Sister work? In it the adult main character discovers she has a half-sister and tries to build up a relationship with her.

And I've just found a book at our local second-hand bookshop called Mein ist die Rache, the German translation of "A Suitable Vengeance". If I translated the German title back into English it would say "Mine is (the) Vengeance"/"The Vengeance is Mine". Does that work for part A?

[Sandie]

Would How To Talk To A Widower work? The description mentions a stepson.

[Sandy, Moderator Emeritus]

Patricia wrote: "Thanks for creating the list Sandy. A big help!

So, does that mean I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith works? That's one I'd like to read but couldn't tell from the GR description."

I started the list so that people could put suggestions on it, but this is Donna Jo's task and she has the final word. The books I added are books that I've personally read and that involve "steps" of some sort.

Also, I'll repeat the usual caution - just because it's on the list isn't a guarantee and the usual challenge rules apply - for instance, I just looked at it, and someone added several Little Golden books - normal rules on page length, etc. still apply.

I also noticed that a number of the books added appear to be books involving adoption/foster families, rather than 'blended families." Donna Jo specifically noted that this is not what she had in mind for the task.

[Donna Jo]

Sue T wrote: "Will Chosen work? From the description it sounds like Zooey's step-father is a major character."

Sue, I don't think Chosen will work--it looks like the stepfather is barely there.

[Donna Jo]

Erin (NY) wrote: "I am having a really hard time coming up with a book for part B. Does anyone have any great novels that would work?"

Sandy has put a list up up and we are working on it.
Blended Families should have some good choices in a few days.

[Donna Jo]

So, does that mean I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith works? That's one I'd like to read but couldn't tell from the GR description."

Yes, that's okay.

[Donna Jo]

Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "Thank you, thank you, thank you, I can use Phoenix and Ashes for part B. :)

You're right--I love Mercedes Lackey's books, so it's great to be able to work another one into the challenge.

[Donna Jo]

Isabell wrote: "Would Shopaholic and Sister work? In it the adult main character discovers she has a half-sister and tries to build up a relationship with her.

And I've just found a book at our loc..."

Both of these will work

[Donna Jo]

Sandie wrote: "Would How To Talk To A Widower work? The description mentions a stepson."

This looks like a good example of what I'm after.

[chucklesthescot]

One option could be Charlaine Harris 'Harper Connolly' series which features step-sister and step-brother solving missing person cases. Grave Sight. I can't think of anything else at the moment...

[Sandie]

Thanks, Donna Jo.

[Donna Jo]

Dlmrose wrote: "Might these work?
Love and Other Impossible Pursuits
One Small Thing
When Madeline Was Young
Family Matters
Lost in the Forest
[bo..."

Sorry this took me so long to get back to you. These all look good. I enjoyed When Madeline Was Young--haven't read the others.

[Donna Jo]

Gayla wrote: "Will The Sweet Relief of Missing Children: A Novel work? One of the characters is running away from an abusive stepfather."

Gayla, I'm not too sure about this one. I've not read it and the descriptions aren't helping me. If Paul's stepfather has more than a passing involvement in the story, okay, but mention how when you post.

[Kristina Simon]

chucklesthescot wrote: "One option could be Charlaine Harris 'Harper Connolly' series which features step-sister and step-brother solving missing person cases. Grave Sight. I can't think of anything else at..."

Thanks, Chuckles! This one is on my TBR pile, but I'd forgotten it had a step-sister/brother as part of the story.

[Sandy, Moderator Emeritus]

chucklesthescot wrote: "One option could be Charlaine Harris 'Harper Connolly' series which features step-sister and step-brother solving missing person cases. Grave Sight. I can't think of anything else at..."

I remembered those, so I added the various books in the series to the list.

[Donna Jo]

Thanks, Chuckles and Sandy.

[chucklesthescot]

Yeah I liked the first book Grave Sight and hope to fit books 2 and 3 into the challenge for this task and 10.4 if it is approved. *rushes off to thread for 10.4!*

[Sue]

Donna Jo wrote: "Sue T wrote: "Will Chosen work? From the description it sounds like Zooey's step-father is a major character."

Sue, I don't think Chosen will work--it looks like the stepfather is..."

No problems.

[kiki]

how about All About Lulu. looks like a step-mother and step-sister play a major part. has anyone read this? if so, is it any good? thanks! :)

[Donna Jo]

I've not read this, but it looks like it should work. Let us know how it is.

[Deedee]

I'm looking at The New Year for Part B. The premise is: an American solider during the Korean War has a relationship with a Korean woman; unknowing to him, she has his baby; it is now 1970ish, and the Korean woman and his son come to USA to meet him and his wife. (The soldier and wife did not have children.) So his son is the step-son of his wife? Would that fit? Thanks!

[Donna Jo]

This sounds okay to me.