Barbara's TDRC to read and completed list

[Barbara]

Read three books this week (Passage to Pontefract, Lost in a good book and I am number Four). All three I can use in this challenge but none of them finish a task for me.

[Lauren]

Barbara wrote: "All three I can use in this challenge but none of them finish a task for me."

Don't you just hate it when that happens?

[Barbara]

I do, especially if people are close on my tail. I want to win and I can "hear" Lauren F closing in. And my mum is in town so the next couple of days I won't read as much as I would like. But then again these books need to be read anyway so why not now.

[Lauren (Sugar & Snark)]

Oh don't stress too much! Im so behind in my studying and It seems like everything I want to read just doesn't want to fit into a challenge!

[Barbara]

I don't! If I would stress than I would have had a terrible week. Like I said my mum is in town and that takes away from my time reading. I normally read like 200 pages a day and now I am happy if I read 50 pages a day. But it is a no brainer. If I have to choose between spending time with my mum and reading, my mum wins every time. It's just that I need reading. It relaxes me, gives me a certain peace of mind. If I haven't read during a day I get antsy.
I am very lucky that I had a lot of books on my to read list that fit in this challenge.
Too bad that you're behind in your studying. I hope you will be able to catch up. What are you studying? or have I asked that question already sometime?

[Lauren (Sugar & Snark)]

I know what you mean about reading if I’m not reading a book I don’t know what to do with myself. If I finish a book late at night I have to at least start another one before I go to sleep. I think it’s a healthy form of escapism (other wouldn’t):D
I've quit my job this year to go back to studying (I’m studying nutrition)but I have had to move back home with my parents so every day is mum day :) but we get along really well so I can understand your priorities. The reason I’ve gotten behind with my studying I that my grandmother passed away recently and my father has been having some health problems. But I’m slowly getting back on track. And as for the reading I think I’m due some healthy escapism!
By the way your picture is great it looks so beautiful there!

[Barbara]

I'm so sorry for your loss. I know how things like a death and health problems of parents can interfere with your studying. i had my fair share of that. I had a terrible year when I was writing up my last paper for my Archaeology degree. In the Netherlands you have to do researc and write a pape of 100 pages about that research as your final project. I had done the research and was writing everything up when first my mum and then my dad got really sick. It took me quite some time to get back on track. All I can say is take your time if you don't it will bite you in the butt later on. And of course enjoy a lot of escapism. It is the best thing in the world.
I don't get to see my mum that often and I really get along great with her. I talk to her on the phone every day, but it just isn't the same as spending time with her. Having said that she has gone back home and I have all the time in the world to read again so I will fifnish some books this weekend.
It was so beautifull in Vienna and especially the palaces. It was amazing. have you seen the photos I posted in my planning thread of my personal goals? If not you should check them out. If you ever come to Europe Vienna should definitely be on the list of cities to visit.

[Lauren (Sugar & Snark)]

I’m also a mommy’s girl at heart, up until now I have lived away from home for 10 years and also spoke my mom every day, even when I lived overseas. The phone bills were huge! I lived in Edinburgh for a while so managed to see quite a bit a Europe. Unfortunately not Vienne which I am really starting regret. My other regret is that I am so photo phobic and only took pictures of the scenery on all my travels, I have loads of great location pictures but none of me in them! What part of the Netherlands do you live in? I don’t know Holland very well only Amsterdam of course and Rotterdam because I have friends who live there.

[Barbara]

When I lived in Mexico my mum tricked everybody she knew in getting a certain telephone provider. If she they took out a subscription and mentioned her name she got 15 minutes free and she could call any country in the world. Since we only called once a week she managed to save so many free minutes that we almost didn't have to pay anything for those six months. This was before cell phones.
I know what you mean about the photos. I have almost no photos of me in famous locations but that is more because I hate the tourist vibe it gives off. I hate it when you want to take a photo of some famous building or site and there are constantly all these tourists standing in front of the building because they want to be on the photo. Sometimes on the photo you can't even see what they are standing in front of but they were there because they have proof. The photo of me at Schonbrunn is pretty much the only tourist photo of me posing in front of something that I know of.
I live in Haarlem. I was born there and really never left. Except for 6 months which I spent in Mexico. It is between Amsterdam and the coast. I know Amsterdam pretty well because one of my best friends lives there. How do you like Rotterdam? It is a city that isn't that well liked in the Netherlands. It has this strange industrial kind of feel to it and it doesn't seem to friendly to us. So I am curious what an outsider thinks about Rotterdam.

[Barbara]

My mum went home on Thursday so that means I can read again, Yippie! I miss her dearly but I am glad to be able to read as much as I want which is what i have done. I have finished The Second Dutchess for task 6, Watership Down for task 15 and Brideshead Revisited for task 23 (my father was born on 29 March 1945).
This means I have finished 16 tasks and am now a Ghoul. It also means I am running out of tasks that require you to read one book and I have to start the tasks where you have to read more than one book.

[Lauren (Sugar & Snark)]

I know what you mean about the touristy photo's it just seems a little cheap to me. I have always had this theory that if you need a photo to remember a person, place or moment then they are not worth remembering. I must admit Rotterdam is a bit bleak, even my friend who lives there (born and raised) never really has anything good to say about it, I think its because so much of the Netherlands is historical and quaint and Rotterdam is so industrial.
Congrats on Ghoul Status you better email Lu so you can claim your glory!

[Barbara]

I always feel that I am taking photos to show the people back home what I have seen. And for myself to prove to myself that I have really been there. We never travelled because of money issues when I was young and I always wanted to see the world so every time I take a trip it is a dream come true that I never thought would happen and so I take lots of pictures to prove it to myself and show my mum and other people look I was really there.
Yeah Rotterdam is a strange city. I wouldn´t want to live there. Haarlem is perfect. If I want I can be in Amsterdam in no time but also the beach is easy to reach and there is lots of different kinds of nature close by. Also Haarlem has the best town centre in the Netherlands if you judge it on shops. We have some great (movie) theatres and stuff. I love this city!
Thanks for the congratulations. I have already claimed my glory as you say for the HP challenge and I don't want to nag, so I just wait till she sees it and if by the time I reach my next status upgrade she hasn't seen it yet I will say something.

[Barbara]

I read from demons to Dracula and Minion. So that is part two and three taken care of for task 27. I have now finsihed 17 tasks.

[Lauren]

Oh cool, how was From Demons to Dracula? I was very happy to get a copy at a book sale earlier this year.

[Barbara]

It was a nice overview of what information you can look for but nothing was discussed in detail and that was a bit of a disappointment. Sometimes it was like the author wanted to show how much he knew by just dropping names and info. The few things that were discussed further weren't always something that I thought interesting or to the point. But it is a nice starting point to start reading about the development of Dracula and vampires but didn't hold much new info for me.

[Lauren]

That's a pity. I was really hoping it would be more academic. I studied a little vampire fiction at varsity which was really cool. Oh well, it doesn't hurt to get an overview and maybe find some more books to read and movies to watch.

[Lu]

Congratz Barbara!

[Barbara]

I finished task 11.

[Lauren (Sugar & Snark)]

Yeah I suppose I am lucky I get to complain to Lu in person since I see her almost every day! Sometimes I even get her to update for me because I don't have internet at home at the moment.
Barbara I envy you loving the city you live in. I've just recently moved to Johannesburg and I’m not really enjoying it. I used to live in Cape Town and loved it. Some cities just have a special vibe to them!

[Barbara]

I couldn't imagine not loving the city you live in. I would never move to a city I don't like, But I gues over here that is easier, because the country is a lot smaller and even If I work in a city I don't love I could commute there quite easily. I don't know if it is because I was born and raised here in Haarlem but for me it is the best city in the world. You have everything you would expect a big city to have and it still feels small.

You are lucky that you can complain to Lu in person. I don't want to complain to often to her because it is a lot of work keeping everything updated and it has to still be fun for her to do so if people start complaining that it isn't updated often enough then the fun will go out of it. That's why I don't want to ask het to update everytime I see that she hasn't done it yet. And it also this challenge. I don't know why, but I really want to win this one. I want to complete the other ones but I want to win this one and I even want to get to the new rank first and so far I have managed to do that although it doesn't show like that in the points thread. So it is just my own obsession with this challenge that is making life difficult for me. But I'll get over it once I win :D

[Barbara]

After posting the previous comment I just have to update.
I read another book (The Star of Lancaster) for task 37 , so that's 3 books down 30 still to go.
I have read Men against the Sea for task 21. So that is finished. It was a bit of a drag because I wanted to read Birds of Prey for that challenge but it stopeed taking place on a boat 200 pages into the story and the book is about 750 pages long so that one was out. Fortunately I could use this book.
So task 21 is finsihed.
I read Star trek The Voyage Home for task 26 and I had my pick of classics I could use, because there are also reference to for example Hamlet and Alice in wonderland in there but I used the Mutiny on the Bounty reference and this book I have also already read. The reference is on page 32:
Jim looked over McCoy's shoulder. The docter had struck out the Klingon identification script; above it he had spelled out " H.M.S. Bounty."
"We wouldn't anybody to think this was a Klingon ship, would we?"
Jim Chuckled. "You have a fine sense of historical irony, Bones."

This means I have now finished 20 tasks, which would seem to mean that I am halfway done but bookwise I am not nearly halfway done. It does mean however that I am now Lamia rank.

[Lu]

Congratz Barbara!

[Barbara]

Thanks Lu!

[Lu]

No problem :) Congratz :)

[Barbara]

Finished Epitaph for Three Women which will do nicely for task 14.

[Lu]

Barbara would you mind checking your emails?

[Barbara]

done and answered.

[Barbara]

Finished Black Man for task 12. My initials are BM stand for Barbara Meerveld. I have now finished 22 tasks.

[Lu]

wow nice Barbara!

[Barbara]

Finished Scarlett for task 4. Wish I never picked it up again. I gave up on it because I had the characters mixed up and now I it just spoils the original for me. Too bad they thought the original needed a sequel.
My total finished tasks is now 23.

[Barbara]

Finished Hadji Murad by Tolstoy very early this morning and am still very tired but very glad though since I am in a bit of a deadzone of reading. I don't want to read much right now which is very strange for me. Never the less I finished this book for task 19 and my total tasks finished is now 24 which makes me some new creature.

[Lauren (Sugar & Snark)]

CONGRATZ I think we are both Furies (is that the plural of Fury) now. And I know I am going to be one for a very long time!

[Barbara]

I am going to be one longer than I have been any other rank but I still have books for one book tasks. But I am going to America next week where I won't be reading much and I am a bit in a slump with not much reading anyway, I'll be a fury for some time.
I think Furies is the correct plural and we are. I must say that this is something we should do more often. I mean challenges with ranks or where you get stars. I really like reading for those challenges.

[Lauren (Sugar & Snark)]

I agree! I love the title/star parts of challenges. I think all of them should work this way. It is very rewarding; I think it is a throwback to our kindergarten days!
I’m also going to be short on my reading for a while, nothing as exciting as an overseas trip but I have a friend coming to stay for a week then I’m going to Durban for a wedding and straight after that I’m going to the National Arts Festival in Grahams Town. So no more stars in my foreseeable future.

[Barbara]

I must say I have flown so often that an overseas trip isn't really that exciting anymore. But it is still fun. But your plans sounds exciting too and lots of fun. I hope you enjoy yourself!!!

[Lu]

Congratz Barbara!

[Barbara]

Never thought this day would come, but I finished Ulysses. That is my book for task 2 and makes my total finished tasks 25.

[Barbara]

Ok, I finished another two tasks which makes my total now 27. Still a few more one book tasks to go and then I can focus on the more book tasks.
I would like to take the oportunity to thank the masochist who thought up the recreat a cover task because I did not have fun doing it. First of all I am not that good at arts and crafts and for this task I had to paint and I can't paint to safe my life as you can see in the result. Then I had a lot of problems with various programs to put in the title and even though I seem to remember that putting in the title wasn't obligatory I really wanted to do it because it makes the paintjob less noticable. In the end after struggling with various programs as said I just copied my picture of my recreated cover in Words and used wordart to put in the title. Since I couldn't post that online I had to take a photo of my computerscreen and uploaded that photo and that is the wonderfull picture you people will be able to enjoy. I guess my story sufficiently expresses my irratation making this cover. I know there are some slight differences but those can't be helped since I am not that skilfull. I hope it suffices.
Seriously I did have fun doing it and hope the cover is acceptable.



P.s. the white surrounding the cover is part of the screen that I couldn't get rid of.

[Claudia]

Brilliant! I truly botched my first attempt and the second one didn't look even close to the original. Wonder which cover I will butcher next...

[Barbara]

Thanks! I thought I butchered this one, but since it wasn't going to get any better I might as well post it. I am looking forward to what everybody else is going to post for this task.

[Lu]

wow Barbara great job!!
You don't even wanna know what I'm going to come up with. I hope it is atleast 50% as good as yours!

[Barbara]

I look forward to seeing it! Thanks.

[Liezel]

Love the cover, I'm still trying to find something thats really easy to do, since I'm not very creative

[Barbara]

Thanks! Me neither. I kind of lucked out. I had this epiphany that since I am this huge Star Trek fan and have this huge Star Trek collection of memorabilia I had all kinds of action figures and starshipmodels and Star Trek books. It was then just a matter of finding the book with a picture depicting figures and/or ships I had. So the hardest part was painting the background and then all I had to do was place the models in the right position and put in the titels.
I will keep my eyes open for what I think are easy covers (like with householditems on them or flowers or something like that) and if I find something I will post it. BTW Did anyone check out the discussion with the game of find a cover with a specific item on it? Maybe there are some great ideas in that discussion. Or even in the cover challenge. I remember there being some items in that challenge that shouldn't be too hard like a candle. Just go through everybodies read list to see which book they read and if it is do-able and something you want to read. Couldn't hurt to check if you're still searching for a cover.

[Liezel]

Thanks for the suggestion, haven't thought of that - will check it out.

[Barbara]

I have read another three books and I had to do some shuffling. I had read a book called Epitaph for three women for task 14 I put that in task 37 so I could use A game of thromes for task 14 as I gues everyone will do. I also read Pride and Prejudice as my first book for task 35 (book lovers song) and I have read Sword of Avalon for task 9. That makes my total completed tasks now 28 and I am now a Djinn. I still have 5 one book tasks to go and then I have to start concentrating on the larger tasks.

[Claudia]

I didn't even realize Pride and Prejudice can fit anywhere in this challenge. Yay =)
Congratz on Djin!

[Barbara]

Thanks, Yeah it is one of the author's mentioned in the book lovers song. So you can put it there, that is one less book you have to read.

[Barbara]

Finished task 32. Total finished tasks is now 29.

[Lu]

Sorry the 28 tasks got a bit lost in your text above.

Congrtz Barbara!