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SPRING CHALLENGE 2011: AUSTRALIA
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Spring Challenge 2011 Completed Tasks (DO NOT DELETE ANY POSTS)

15.7 Lab Lit
Intuition by Allegra Goodman
Task points 15
Total points 130
Total tasks 7
Total books 10

30.6 Myth Behaving Greeks
I rolled a 4 and a 6, which means I had to read:
Part A: Hades: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan.
Part B: Earth (the book): A Visitor's Guide to the Human Race by Jon Stewart. It definitely made me laugh out loud while I was reading it.
Points this post: 30
Total Points: 90

I read The Radleys by Matt Haig
20.9 Lucky Me
I read The Exiles by Hilary McKay
(Title has the word 'exile' in it.)
Points this Post: 30
Total Points: 85
Total Tasks Completed: 7
Total Books Read: 8
Total Pages Read: 2394
Total GoodReads Authors: 2
Total Big Books: 500+ (1), 750+ (0), 1000+ (0)

10.9 Novel featuring a lawyer
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
Total Points: 110
Tasks Completed: 6
Tasks in Progress: 1
Pages Read: 2957
Books Read: 9

points this task 15
total points 165

points this task 20
total points 185

30.3 - Yours, Mine, and Ours
Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers is Telling the American Church by Kenda Creasy Dean
Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson (approved help post #2)
30.6 - Myth-behaving Greeks
Book A (rolled a 2)
Choosing to SEE by Mary Beth Chapman (approved help post #2)
Book B (rolled a 5)
48 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller (approved help post #97)
Points: 60
Total Points: 305

The Search by Iris Johansen
This booked was published in 2000 and Iris Johansen lives in Georgia (USA). I live in Canada.
Total points: 155

5.7 Going Green
I listened to Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture by Ellen Ruppel Shell
Audiobook and borrowed from the library.
Total Points: 135
Tasks Completed: 8
Books Read: 10
Pages Read: 3395 + 1 audiobook
Goodreads Authors: 1
Big Books: 500+(1), 750+(0), 1000+(0)

Crossing Borders by Z.A. Maxfield
**GOODREADS AUTHOR**
finished 4/1
Points This Post: 5
Total Points: 560
Tasks Completed: 36
Books Read: 45
Goodreads Authors: 13
Big Books: 500+(2), 750+(0), 1000+(0)

At the end of the week, I've finished-up a few books that I've been reading at for a couple of weeks.
5.9 Shrimp on the Barbie. American Buffalo: A Play by David Mamet106 pages
10.4 Elementary my dear Watson. Bait by Nick Brownlee 336 pages
This is the first of the "Jake and Jouma" police series; Inspector Jouma works for the Mombasa police force and Jake is his partner/driver/sidekick.
15.10 Spring Break. Soulless by Christopher Golden 310 pages
Zombies in a TV studio. Uh huh. At least the Author is a Goodreads Author.
20.4 Author, Author! The Royal Wedding.
Essays, Speeches & Public Letters by William Faulkner 384 pages
I chose the "name" option, and the author William Faulkner shares Prince William's first name.
Claiming one Goodreads Author for Christopher Golden.
Task Points: 50
Total Points: 275/910
Tasks Completed: 17
Books Read: 23
Pages Read: 6441
Goodreads Authors: 1
Big Books: 500+ (1)

10.1 Ragtime- One of the main characters is a musician. Kind of a strange story - three families lives become intertwined. I'd give it 3 stars.
10 pts this post + 65 previous = 75 total points

10.5 It Takes Two - read book with a 2 word title.
Lover Unleashed by J.R. Ward
This post: 10 points
Total: 95 points
Readerboard Name: Gina NY
Task 5.9 Shrimp on the Barbie: Book with less than 200 pages
Total Points: 165 Points
Task 5.9 Shrimp on the Barbie: Book with less than 200 pages

Total Points: 165 Points

20.3 Happy International Women's Day!:
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
I am from the USA and the author is from the UK.
Points This Post: 20
Total Points: 130
Goodreads Author Books: 1
Big Books: 500+(2), 750+(1), 1000+(0)

15.3 Earth Day
B. Reuse: Read a book you planned to read for the Winter 2010-2011 challenge, but didn’t get to OR reread an old favorite.
Gunpowder Green by Laura Childs
C. Recycle Read a book you’ve been dying to read and then give it away OR read a book you've borrowed from the library or a friend.
False Premises by Leslie Caine
Points This Post: 15
Total Points: 100
Tasks Completed: 6
Books Read: 7
Goodreads Authors: 0
Big Books: 500+(0), 750+(0), 1000+(0)

5.10 -- Kia Ora
I read The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson.
The book was originally written in Swedish. My native tongue is English.
I am also claiming a Big Book Ticket. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is 563 pages long.
Points This Task: 5
Total Points: 50
Tasks Completed: 5
Tasks in Progress: 1
Books Read: 5
GoodReads Authors: 1
Big Books: 500+(1), 750+(0), 1000+(0)
Pages Read: 1519

"The Truth is..."
By the Sword: A History of Gladiators, Musketeers, Samurai, Swashbucklers, and Olympic Champions by Richard Cohen
I recently reread my favorite book of all time, The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. By the Sword talks about the reality of sword fighting during the time of the Musketeers, as well as sword fighting throughout history. I love a book with a good duel, so I found this book excellent!
At 544pp., I am claiming 1 Big Book Ticket for this book
Points this Post: 15
Grand Total: 95
Tasks Completed: 14
Books Read: 14
Pages Read: 4,536
Goodreads Author Books: 0
Big Books: 500+(3), 750+(0), 1000+(0)

10.9 No Lawyer Jokes
The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly
*****I'd like to claim a big book ticket - 505 pages*****
Points this Task: 10
Total Points: 75

I read The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier. The main character, Laura Byrd, is an environmental biologist, and works for Coca-Cola as a "environmental impact specialist".
Total Points to date: 185
Total Tasks Completed: 11
Total Books Read: 14
Total GoodReads Authors: 7
Total Big Books: 500+ (2), 750+ (0), 1000+ (0)

Stolen: A letter to my captor
By Lucy Christopher
**GOODREADS AUTHOR**
finished 4/1
Points This Post: 20
Total Points: 580
Tasks Completed: 37
Books Read: 46
Goodreads Authors: 14
Big Books: 500+(2), 750+(0), 1000+(0)

Torment by Lauren Kate (((Goodreads author))) 452 pages
30.1. Cheryl's Task: Literature Map By Gender
I entered Linda Fairstein into Literature Map (one of my favorite authors) and it kicked out Stuart Woods and Richard North Patterson who are both new authors to me. So I read:
Eyes of a Child by Richard North Patterson
AND
Two Dollar Bill by Stuart Woods
I really liked the Stuart Woods book but the Patterson book not so much.
Total Points - 650
New Goodreads Author = Lauren Kate

American Born Chinese
read 3/12
I realized that I must not have reported reading this book even though I had it marked on my own list. This book was approved for Chinese Tango in the help thread.
Points This Post: 5
Total Points: 585
Tasks Completed: 38
Books Read: 47
Goodreads Authors: 14
Big Books: 500+(2), 750+(0), 1000+(0)

Double Minds by Terri Blackstock
Lead character is a Christian songwriter/performer in Nashville. Very unbelievable story.
15.10 Spring Break
The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel
The last two books in this series has badly needed a good editor. In this one every single character has had to comment on Ayla's strange accent. We got the first four books.
Todays total: 25
Grand total: 435

Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt
15.7 Lab lit
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely
15.10 Spring break
This is Just Exactly Like You by Drew Perry
He is a goodreads author
Points for this post: 35
Total points: 35
Total task completed: 3
Total books read: 3
Total pages read: 884
Total goodreads authors: 1
Total big books:0

15.5 Award Me
Atonement by Ian McEwan
This task: 15
Total tasks completed: 12
Total points earned: 175
GR Authors: 5
Big Book: 1/500+, 1/750+

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Points for this post : 15
Total points : 35

20.1 Lassiez Les Bon Temp Rouler!
Mystic River by Dennis Lehane
(the word "mystic" in the title)
This task: 20
Total tasks completed: 16
Total points earned: 195

Split by Swati Avasthi
I listened to the audio version of this. (Great narration, by the way!)
Total Points: 125
Tasks Completed: 8

5.9 Shrimp on the Barbie - <200 pages: Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell, 193pp read 3/30/2011.
15.7 Lab Lit - scientist in a novel: The Demon's Parchment by Jeri Westerson, 304pp
One of the main characters (who hires the detective) is a physician and his "son" is a medical student and anatomist.
20.9 Australia criminals - thief, criminal, murder etc in title: Charles Jessold, Considered as a Murderer by Wesley Stace, 352pp.
Points in this post - 40
Total Points - 390/910
Books - 37/66
Pages - 11571
Goodreads Authors: 11
Big Books:500+ - (3), 750+ - (0),1000+ - (0)

I read Once Upon Stilettos by Shanna Swendson. I checked the book out from my library.
15.10 -- Spring Break
I read E is for Evidence by Sue Grafton.
20.5. Bigger is Better. Rachel Renee's Task: Alliterative Authors Association
I read Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty.
30.6 Melanie's Task: Myth-behaving Greeks
A. I rolled a 6 and read The Off Season by Catherine Gilbert Murdock. The main character lives on a dairy farm with her family.
B. I rolled a 1 and read Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult.
Points: 70
Total Points: 220

5.2 Circle of Friends-
I read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Points this task 5
total Points 160
Tasks complete 16
Books read 17
Pages read 5772


The Looking Glass Wars and Seeing Redd by Frank Beddor
Points This Post: 20
Total Points: 65
Total Tasks Completed: 7
Total Books Read: 8
Total Pages Read: 2268
Total GoodReads Authors: 2

10.10 The Final Frontiers
Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
Excellent fantasy book!
Points this Post: 10
Grand Total: 105
Tasks Completed: 15
Books Read: 15
Pages Read: 4,977
Goodreads Author Books: 0
Big Books: 500+(3), 750+(0), 1000+(0)

I rolled double 3's.
3. Poseidon: Rising Tides finished 4/1
3. Herodotus: The Texan's Reward finished 3/21
Points This Post: 30
Total Points: 615
Tasks Completed: 39
Books Read: 49
Goodreads Authors: 14
Big Books: 500+(2), 750+(0), 1000+(0)

I read a book I did not get to in the previous challenge and my second book was a library book.
B. Reuse: Hex Marks the Spot by Madelyn Alt
C. Recycle: The Ghost and Mrs. McClure by Alice Kimberly
20.1. Most Improved Player. Cindy AL's Task: Lassiez Les Bon Temps Rouler!
I used the letters J & C...
Skating Around the Law by Joelle Charbonneau (Goodreads author)
25.3. Mrs. Soule's Task: A Better World
Book A: Improving Health - Key to Conspiracy by Talia Gryphon (main character is a psychologist)
Book B: Increasing Knowledge - Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach (approved in help thread)
Total Points This Post: 60
Total Tasks This Post: 3
Goodreads Authors This Post: 1
Grand Total Points: 205/910
Total Books Read: 18
Tasks Completed: 15/53
Total Goodreads Authors: 6
Big Book Tickets This Post: 0
Total Big Books: 0
30. 7 Title Connections
read Fringe Girl by Valerie Frankel and Girl, 15, Charming but Insane by Sue Limb
Points This Post: 30
Total Points: 340/910
Total pages 6411
Tasks Completed: 16/54
Books Read: 22/71
Goodreads Author Books: 4
Big Books: 500+(1), 750+(0), 1000+(0)
read Fringe Girl by Valerie Frankel and Girl, 15, Charming but Insane by Sue Limb
Points This Post: 30
Total Points: 340/910
Total pages 6411
Tasks Completed: 16/54
Books Read: 22/71
Goodreads Author Books: 4
Big Books: 500+(1), 750+(0), 1000+(0)


25.1 In my back yard
For option A (Set on a boat) I chose Three Ways to Capsize a Boat: An Optimist Afloat
For option B (Main character works in a financial institution) I chose The Grey Man
New points:25
New total: 65

My words are: colony, earth, suicide, cowboy and parliament.
Murder Suicide: A Novel by Keith Ablow
Points: 20
20.7 Quips & quotes
"You wouldn't worry so much about what others think of you, if you realized how seldom they do."
"You must do the thing you think you cannot do."
Both of these quotes are by Eleanor Roosevelt. I chose to read a novel about her written by her son Elliott Roosevelt. Eleanor Roosevelt helps to solve the mystery.
Murder in Georgetown by Elliott Roosevelt
Points: 20
Total Points: 250
Total books read: 19
Total tasks completed: 13
Total GR authors: 0
Total big books: 500+ (2)

I read Cleopatra Rules! by Vicky Alvear Shecter (pre-approved)
20.5- Alliterative Authors Association-
I read The Aristocrat by Catherine Coulter
Points for these tasks- 30
Total Points- 255
Goodreads Authors- 3
Tasks Completed- 14

15.10 Spring Break
I read Q is for Quarry by Sue Grafton. I thought that this was one of the better books in the series.
It is 618 pages so I am claiming a big book ticket for 500+ pages.
Points this post: 15
Total Points: 80
Total tasks completed: 4
Total books read: 5
Total pages read: 2540
Total GoodReads authors: 0
Total Big Books: 500+ (1) 750+ (1), 1000+ (0)

Moondogs: A Novel by Alexander Yates
I read this book for PART A. It is a work of fiction and several of the main characters are policemen and soldiers tasked with rescuing an American businessman.
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks
I read this book for PART B. This is a nonfiction title filled with clinical tales of various neurological disorders.
Alexander Yates is a Goodreads author.
Total = 85 points

My Goal Points for this Season: 225
Points earned for this task: 10
Points Achieved to date: 140
Updated last on: 4.02
Total # of books read: 10
Total # of pages read: 3,406
Total # of tasks completed: 9
Task 10.5 Spring Break...It Takes Two Read a book with a 2 word title.
I read


Here is my first points post!
5.1 Waltzing Matilda I chose the dance the 'Castle Walk' from the wiki list and read: Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth
5.4 Fan Club The author I chose was Marian Keyes and the fan from her page was Vickie. I read: The Talk of the Town by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
5.7 Going Green I listened to The Black Robe by Wilkie Collins on audiobook.
5.8 Blow Your Stack I chose: SS-GB by Len Deighton. What a relief to get that off my tbr shelf. Ugh.
5.9 Shrimp on the Barbie I read: The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole, 176 pages.
5.10 Kia Ora I read: La Celestina by Fernando de Rojas it was origionally written in Spanish. For some reason I could get a link to come up for this book.
10.1 Sing Out I read: All Shook Up: The Life & Death Of Elvis Presley by Barry Denenberg
10.5 It Takes Two I read: Jennifer Government by Max Barry
10.7 Kuddle a Koala? I read: In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson. This was written about his travels in Australia.
15.5 Award Me I read: Life of Pi by Yann Martel
20.2 Rookie at the Top-Random Words The random word generator gave me: cat, cucumber, velcro, profit, shopping. I read: How to Wash a Cat by Rebecca M. Hale
20.3 Best Review Contest: I live in the U.S and chose to read Cracks in My Foundation by Marian Keyes who is from Ireland.
20.6 Seasoned Reader: I read Burned by P.C. and Kristin Cast, it is from the House of Night Series and since it is only 323 pages long I also read: Pretties by Scott Westerfeld, this is the second book of the Uglies series and is 370 pages long.
25.1 Coralie's Task:
B. Middlemarch by George Eliot. Mr. Bulstrode is a Banker.
F. Confessions of a Carb Queen by Susan Blech. This book chronicles the authors 200 pound weight loss. Inspiring.
25.4 Helen's Task:
A. The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov and;
B. This Crowded Earth by Robert Bloch
Total points: 190

5.4 Fan club I read The Talk of the Town by Ardal O'Hanlon. I saw that on Vickie's page who is also a fan of Marion Keyes.
and:
5.5 I'm Tellin: I read: The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
Sorry!! Geez.
Points: 190

My Goal Points for this Season: 225
Points earned for this task: 10
Points Achieved to date: 140
Updated last on: 4.02
Total # of books read: 10
Total # of pages read: 3,406
Total # of tasks completed: 9
Total # of Goodreads Authors: 2
Total # of Big Books: 500+(0) 750+(0) 1000+(0)
** You must specifically mention in your completed task post that a book was written by a Goodreads author. If you forget, you may post another message in the Completed Task thread explaining that you forgot to mention the Goodreads author (include the task number the book was read for and link to the book (or title and author (in bold)).
I have forgotten to mention 2 Goodreads authors...
Task #30.7 A Season of Seductionby Jennifer Haymore (message post #696)
Task #5.7 Changeless by Gail Carriger (message post #533)

A Your Money: The Missing Manual (interest in personal finance) finished 4/2
nonfiction book in an area of personal interest
BThe Housekeeper and the Professor 3/31
book with a housekeeper in it
15.10 -- Spring Break
Sno Ho by Ethan Day
**GOODREADS AUTHOR**
finished 4/1
Points This Post: 45
Total Points: 660
Tasks Completed: 41
Books Read: 52
Goodreads Authors: 15
Big Books: 500+(2), 750+(0), 1000+(0)
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Book A: Good Little Wives by Abby Drake read 3/31/11
Blurb: "A wicked and fabulously fun peek into the desperate lives of the rich and the snobby." ~ Rachel Gibson
Book B: Rachel Gibson: Lola Carlyle Reveals All read 3/31/11
Points This Post: 15
Completed Tasks: 19
Total Points to Date: 255
Goodreads Authors: 8
Big Books: 500+ (4), 750+ (0), 1000+ (0)