30.6 Melanie's Task: Myth-behaving Greeks

[Sandy, Moderator Emeritus]

30.6 Melanie's Task: Myth-behaving Greeks

I ran into my high school Ancient Greek teacher last week (and no, did not put my car in reverse to do so again, lol), whose class, despite my distaste for the verb tenses, was one of my favorites. My favorite courses were the civilization ones where we learned everything from hygiene to mythology.

Therefore, for this task, you must read 2 books. Go to Dice Roller and roll the dice ONCE and read:

Book A
1. Zeus: a book where a main character is royal, or with a crown/tiara or scepter on the cover (cover must be posted for the cover option).
2. Hera: a book about family or family relationships.
3. Poseidon: a book where a main character works/lives/depends on water (fisherman, ship captain, Navy, Marine, mermaid, pirate,...)
4. Hades: A book where a main character is considered dead (ghost, angel, vampire) or with "ghost", "grave", "cemetery" or "bones" in the title (variations work: i.e. "graveyard", "ghostly",..)
5. Ares: A book where a main character is in the military or with a mercenary outfit or is a veteran.
6. Demeter: A book where a main character is a farmer, rancher or lives off the land.

Book B
1. Aeschylus: read a book considered a tragedy/drama, or a sad book (For some ideas, you can check out Saddest Books1> and Books That Made You Cry, but it is not required that you use a book from one of these lists.)
2. Sappho: Read a romance
3. Herodotus: Read a historical fiction book (set 30+ years before it was written)
4. Homer: Read a fantasy or sci-fi (futuristic setting or set 30+ years after it was written)
5. Socrates: Founder of the dialectic method of learning, teach yourself something new by reading a non-fiction book on a subject of interest.
6. Aristophanes: Read a comic or humorous book. For instance, books from the Best Humorous Books and Books That Made Me Laugh Out Loud lists work, but it is not required that you use a book from one of these lists.
Please explain the connection between your books and the categories when you post, if it is not obvious from the title or cover.

[Melanie]

A1 - any humanoid royalty (alien, vampire, human,..)
Queen Victoria: A Personal History
A2 - Murder by Family: The Incredible True Story of a Son's Treachery & a Father's Forgiveness
It's All Relative
Choosing to SEE
Keeping Faith
The Red Tent
We Need to Talk About Kevin
A3 - Midnight Pearls: A Retelling of "The Little Mermaid"
A4 - Shadowland and the Mediator series.
A5 - The Killing of Crazy Horse
A6 - Into the Wild
Mudbound
The River
Dark Life

B1 - The Book Thief
The Time Traveler's Wife
B2 -
B3 - historical romance works as long as the setting is 30+ yrs before it was written.
The Oracle of Stamboul
Clockwork Angel
B4 - Wicked Lovely
(any kind of fantasy will work)
B5 -
B6 - Diary of a Modern Day Goddess
Pygmy

[Melanie]

reserved

[Sandy, Moderator Emeritus]

reserved

[Erin (NY)]

I am confused about how many dice we are supposed to roll? Are we rolling 1 die once and use the same number for categories A & B? or 2 dice once and use the corresponding dice for A & B?

[Amanda]

what/where is dice roller?

[Sandy, Moderator Emeritus]

Sorry folks, for some reason the links didn't come through. I'll fix them

When you go to the link, it will be 2 dice - so roll it once and you'll have the 2 numbers.

[Erin (NY)]

Ah! Thanks!

[Amanda]

I got 6 and 1. For Demeter I was thinking of reading Into the Wild and for Aeschylus I was thinking of reading The Time Traveler's Wife.

[Christina]

I rolled a 2 and a 1. How about Murder by Family: The Incredible True Story of a Son's Treachery & a Father's Forgiveness for Hera and The Book Thief for Aschylus?

[Andreea]

What exactly does the task mean by 'a romance'? Just any book that concerns itself mainly with love or Mills and Boon material?

[Christine US]

For "Zeus" -- does it have to be human royalty, or could it be paranormal/sci-fi, king and queen of another species?

[Michelle]

For book A I rolled a 6. Would Mudbound work for this task? It appears to be told from a few different perspectives, at least one of whom is a farmer working the land.

[Bea]

I rolled a six and a five.

Would Except for Me and Thee work for the farmer option (#6)? It is about a Quaker couple and their lives as they travel west.

Would Diary of a Modern Day Goddess work for #5 Socrates? "...Daddona shares with readers her joyful, feminine and spiritual self...she shows us how humor is a beautiful tool in the never-ending quest for inner wisdom and reminds readers that laughter is vital to every goddess."

[Melanie]

Amanda wrote: "I got 6 and 1. For Demeter I was thinking of reading Into the Wild and for Aeschylus I was thinking of reading The Time Traveler's Wife."

That sounds great!:-)

[Melanie]

Christine US wrote: "For "Zeus" -- does it have to be human royalty, or could it be paranormal/sci-fi, king and queen of another species?"

Any kind of royalty will do (sci-fi/fantasy) as long as it's humanoid, lol!

[Melanie]

Christina wrote: "I rolled a 2 and a 1. How about Murder by Family: The Incredible True Story of a Son's Treachery & a Father's Forgiveness for Hera and The Book Thief for Aschylus?"

That will work!

[Melanie]

Andreea wrote: "What exactly does the task mean by 'a romance'? Just any book that concerns itself mainly with love or Mills and Boon material?"

Lol... Any book where romance is a main part of the plot.. You don't have to go to M&B or Harlequin if you don't want to (although you could): you could read Outlander, The Time Traveler's Wife, The Bridges of Madison County, or The Girl Who Chased the Moon for example..

[Melanie]

Michelle wrote: "For book A I rolled a 6. Would Mudbound work for this task? It appears to be told from a few different perspectives, at least one of whom is a farmer working the land."

I'll accept it: from the synopsis it seems like the farm is a main part of the story.

[Melanie]

Bea wrote: "I rolled a six and a five.

Would Except for Me and Thee work for the farmer option (#6)? It is about a Quaker couple and their lives as they travel west.

Would [book:Diary of a..."

For the first book (6) if they set up a farm or ranch (anything to do with agriculture) it would work, otherwise, sorry no...

The second book will work if you find it humorous:-D

[Andreea]

Melanie wrote: "Andreea wrote: "What exactly does the task mean by 'a romance'? Just any book that concerns itself mainly with love or Mills and Boon material?"

Lol... Any book where romance is a main part of t..."

I thought so, but I had to make sure since I have heard M&B/ Harlequin often being referred to as romances. Reading M&B/Harlequin makes me feel like I'm turning into my mother - who loves them - and I don't want to feel like that, at least not yet. XD

[Kathy G.]

Would The River by Gary Paulsen be good
for 6) "live off the land" Part A?

Thanks

[Cindie]

Ok so I rolled 1 and 3. Can I read The Oracle of Stamboul for B3 (historical fiction)? and for Zeus, can I read Queen Victoria by Christopher Hibbert?The Oracle of Stamboul

[Riona]

Can someone tell me, without spoilers, whether or not there is an actual prince in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince that would qualify it for A #1? I am finally getting around to finishing the series!

[Lahni]

Riona wrote: "Can someone tell me, without spoilers, whether or not there is an actual prince in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince that would qualify it for A #1? I am finally getting around to fin..."

No there is no royalty at all. Sorry.

[Lahni]

For part B: 4- does a dystopian setting count as futuristic fantasy/sci-fi? Does any fantasy world count or must it clearly be futuristic?

[Melanie]

Kathy G. wrote: "Would The River by Gary Paulsen be good
for 6) "live off the land" Part A?

Thanks"

I'll accept it:-)

[Melanie]

Lahni wrote: "For part B: 4- does a dystopian setting count as futuristic fantasy/sci-fi? Does any fantasy world count or must it clearly be futuristic?"

Sorry, I should have clarified: Fantasy (any) OR sci-fi, (which would be in a futuristic setting (space,..) or, if you have dates, set 30 yrs after it was written, i.e: 1984, since it was written in 1949).

Dystopian settings will work as sci-fi

[Melanie]

Cindie wrote: "Ok so I rolled 1 and 3. Can I read The Oracle of Stamboul for B3 (historical fiction)? and for Zeus, can I read Queen Victoria by Christopher Hibbert?The Oracle of Stamboul"

Yes to both:-)

[Melanie]

Andreea wrote: "Melanie wrote: "Andreea wrote: "What exactly does the task mean by 'a romance'? Just any book that concerns itself mainly with love or Mills and Boon material?"

Lol... Any book where romance is ..."

Lol.. Different tastes:-) I hope you'll find smt you'll enjoy!

[Fran]

Hi Melanie-
I rolled a 2,4 and would like to read

It's All Relative and Wicked Lovely - just making sure they work. They both just became available on my library online and I scooped them up quick.

[Melanie]

Fran wrote: "Hi Melanie-
I rolled a 2,4 and would like to read

It's All Relative and Wicked Lovely - just making sure they work. They both just became available on my library o..."

both work:-D

[Brenda]

I rolled a 2 & 5. for the first book I would like to read

Choosing to SEE by Mary Beth Chapman

This is from a review by "Holly"...
"She shares their early life; their young marriage, Steven's perseverance in moving his career forward, the birth of their three children and the adoption of three daughters from China....This is a simply written, yet moving story of a family who has learn to SEE that the sun always rises and spring always comes and God is always with us, especially in our deepest moments of grief and despair."

Will this work?

[Melanie]

Brenda wrote: "I rolled a 2 & 5. for the first book I would like to read

Choosing to SEE by Mary Beth Chapman

This is from a review by "Holly"...
"She shares their early life; th..."

Definitely:-D

[Brenda]

Thanks!

[Riona]

Lahni wrote: "Riona wrote: "Can someone tell me, without spoilers, whether or not there is an actual prince in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince that would qualify it for A #1? I am finally getting..."

well damnit. that's okay, i had it somewhere else anyway, but it would be nice to fill this task!

[Juli]

haha, i wasn't sure about the rolling of 1 die and using the same number till i read the posts above, and what do i get... Two 2's. =)

[Aleksandra]

would Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult works for A.2?

[Melanie]

Aleksandra wrote: "would Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult works for A.2?"

Definitely (sounds like a great book, btw!).

[★Meghan★]

I rolled two 3's so could I read Midnight Pearls: A Retelling of "The Little Mermaid" for option A and Clockwork Angel for option B?

[Tanya Patrice]

Would a "werewolf" work for Book A - task 4 - where the main character must be "dead."

[Melanie]

★Meghan★ wrote: "I rolled two 3's so could I read Midnight Pearls: A Retelling of "The Little Mermaid" for option A and Clockwork Angel for option B?"

Yes for both:-D

[Melanie]

Tanya wrote: "Would a "werewolf" work for Book A - task 4 - where the main character must be "dead.""

Sorry, no. Werewolves aren't "technically" dead, just shapeshifters..

[Lahni]

For A2: family: can I use The Red Tent?

[Melanie]

Lahni wrote: "For A2: family: can I use The Red Tent?"

I'll accept it:-D

[Lahni]

Melanie wrote: "Lahni wrote: "For A2: family: can I use The Red Tent?"

I'll accept it:-D"

Great. Thanks!

[travelgirlut]

For A4 would you accept Shadowland by Meg Cabot? The main character sees ghosts, and since the book is about a ghost out to get her, I'd assume the ghost is one of the main characters?

[Melanie]

travelgirlut wrote: "For A4 would you accept Shadowland by Meg Cabot? The main character sees ghosts, and since the book is about a ghost out to get her, I'd assume the ghost is one of the main characters?"

If I remember the Mediator series correctly, one of the MCs is a ghost, so yes, it'll work:-D

[Kathleen]

I rolled a 6 for both books and was wondering if I could read Dark Life as the character's family in the desciption farms the sea floor. Its a bit unconventional but thought it might work.

[Melanie]

Kathleen wrote: "I rolled a 6 for both books and was wondering if I could read Dark Life as the character's family in the desciption farms the sea floor. Its a bit unconventional but thought it migh..."

It's unconventional, yes, lol... I'll accept it since it's the only form of farming available in the future. However, if it had been mermen farming the sea floor I would have had to say no:-D Enjoy