The Next Best Book Club discussion
Cynthia's Seasonal Challenges
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OFFICIAL FALL CHALLENGE - 2008

10 points: read a book with a one word title
Pylon by william Faulkner
15 points: read a book by an author that you have never read before
The 42nd parallel by John Dos passos
5 points: READ A BOOK WITH THE NAME OF A PERSON OR CHARACTER IN THE TITLE
Kim by Kipling

READ A BOOK AND THEN WATCH THE MOVIE ADAPTATION
Dreamcatcher - Stephen King
King didn't write this screenplay, and my son said the movie was awful and so did the reviews all over. I just finished the book on Thursday so it is fresh, and I'm reading "The Complete Stephen King Universe" and had read the history behind this movie, so I suppose with that knowledge I was able to appreciate this movie and understand it. It was a very accurate adaptation, although edited.
Total Points = 160

15 points - Read a book by Hispanic author -- Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel



This brings me to 115 points.

That puts me at 10 points.

Here are my point totals so far:
5 pt tasks:
* Read a book with a color in the title--Black Tide, Brendan Dubois
* Name of a city, country continent in the title--Imagining Argentina, Laurence Thornton (I just saw that this is also a movie, so I may watch it and move this to the 25 pt.)
10 pt tasks:
* Horror or suspense novel--Private Practices, Stephen White
* Non-fiction book--Riding the Bus with My sister, Rachel Simon (I'm assuming this counts)
* Young adult novel--Superior Saturday, Garth Nix
15 pt tasks:
* Author you've never read before--Three Junes, Julia Glass
* Asian or Asian American Author--Falling Leaves, Adeline Yen Mah
Total: 70

9.
The Tell-Tale Heart & Other Writings by Edgar Allan Poe 10/24
10.
Dracula by Bram Stoker 10/25
25 POINT TASKS:
Halloween Fun for Everyone by Ferida Wolff and Dolores Kozielski; Illustrated by Judy Lanfredi; made the "Gobbin' Grab Greeting" (pg. 41) and the "Candy Coffin" (pg. 66) 10/25
CURRENT POINT TOTAL: 175 (10/25)

6. READ A BOOK WRITTEN BY A GOOD READS AUTHOR
House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski
Current Total: 70 points

2. READ A BOOK WITH A COLOR (RED, BLUE ETC.) IN THE TITLE
Gorgeously Green – Sophie Uliano
3. READ A BOOK THAT HAS SOME TYPE OF PLANT LIFE (FLOWERS, TREES) OR PART OF A PLANT (LEAF, PETAL) IN THE TITLE
Garden Spells – Sarah Addison Allen
5. READ A BOOK WITH THE NAME OF A PERSON OR CHARACTER IN THE TITLE
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict – Laurie Viera Rigler
10 POINT TASKS – 30 pts
4. READ A BOOK WITH A ONE WORD TITLE
Horseradish – Lemony Snicket
6. READ A NON-FICTION BOOK
Forensic Science Careers – Blythe Camenson
8. READ A YOUNG ADULT NOVEL
Spindle’s End – Robin McKinley
15 POINT TASKS – 45 pts
1. READ A BOOK BY AN AUTHOR YOU'VE NEVER READ BEFORE
Ellen Foster – Kaye Gibbons
2. READ A BOOK BY A HISPANIC OR HISPANIC AMERICAN AUTHOR
Ask a Mexican! – Gustavo Arellano
3. READ A BOOK WRITTEN BY AN AFRICAN OR AFRICAN AMERICAN AUTHOR
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier – Ishmael Beah
25 POINT TASKS – 25 pts
3. READ A BOOK AND THEN WATCH THE MOVIE ADAPTATION
Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
Goal: 200 pts
Total (as of Oct 27th) – 115 pts

I am at 110 points.

5 POINT TASKS
7. READ A BOOK WITH ANY OF THE FOLLOWING IN THE TITLE (VAMPIRE, ZOMBIE, WEREWOLF, DEVIL, GHOST, GOBLIN, WITCH, FRANKENSTEIN)
The Man in the Picture, a Ghost Story - Susan Hill
That brings me to 120pts.
Only 80 left.

10 POINT TASKS 20
8. READ A YOUNG ADULT NOVEL (ANY BOOK THAT IS CURRENTLY CATEGORIZED AS SUCH WILL DO, WHETHER IT WAS ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO BE ONE OR NOT) Pants on Fire- Meg Cabot
10. READ A NOVEL OR NON-FICTION BOOK ABOUT WITCHES, VAMPIRES, OR WEREWOLVES Dead until Dark-Charlaine harris
15 POINT TASKS 45
1. READ A BOOK BY AN AUTHOR YOU'VE NEVER READ BEFORE The Time Traveler's Wife- Audrey Niffenegger
6. READ A BOOK WRITTEN BY A GOOD READS AUTHOR Little Earthquakes-Jennifer Weiner
7. READ A BOOK WRITTEN BY AN ATHLETE OR FORMER ATHLETE The Luckey One-NIcholas Sparks
25 POINT TASKS 25
1. READ A BOOK AND COOK A MEAL INSPIRED BY IT
The Kite Runner-Khaled Hosseini. I made some chicken kebobs and rice.

Book with a color - Black Waters by Joyce Carol Oates
Book with School in title - Schooling by Heather McGowan
Book with October - A Night in the Lonesome October by Robert Zelazny
Book with November - Gates of November by Chaim Potok
Banned book - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou
Suspense - Twisted by Andrea Kane


Along Came Dylan: Two's a Crowd When You've Been Top Dog
Total: 40 points

TOTAL: 245 Pts as @ 29/10



Finished Touchstone by Laurie R. King (15 pts.)
New total: 240 pts.




TOTAL: 260 Pts as @ 29/10

Anyway, here's the breakdown so far:
***5 POINT TASKS = 5pts***
2. READ A BOOK WITH A COLOR (RED, BLUE ETC.) IN THE TITLE
The Red Leather Diary
***10 POINT TASKS = 30pts***
1. READ A BANNED BOOK
Of Mice and Men
4. READ A BOOK WITH A ONE WORD TITLE
Anthem
6. READ A NON-FICTION BOOK
How to Talk to a Liberal
***15 POINT TASKS = 60 pts***
1. READ A BOOK BY AN AUTHOR YOU'VE NEVER READ BEFORE
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
2. READ A BOOK BY A HISPANIC OR HISPANIC AMERICAN AUTHOR
Blindness
9. READ A BOOK BY A PULITZER PRIZE WINNER (NOT NECESSARILY THE WINNING BOOK)
Back When We Were Grownups
10. READ A NOVEL BY AN AUTHOR WHO IS NO LONGER LIVING
Atlas Shrugged
***25 POINT TASKS = 25pts***
3. READ A BOOK AND THEN WATCH THE MOVIE ADAPTATION
The Fountainhead
*************************************************
My goal is to achive another 30 points via the following:
5 POINT TASKS= 15pts
3. READ A BOOK THAT HAS SOME TYPE OF PLANT LIFE (FLOWERS, TREES) OR PART OF A PLANT (LEAF, PETAL) IN THE TITLE
The Girl in Hyacinth Blue (though in this context it refers to color, can it still count as a plant?)
4. READ A BOOK WITH THE NAME OF A CITY, COUNTRY, CONTINENT IN THE TITLE
Hawaii (assuming a state counts as well?)
7. READ A BOOK WITH ANY OF THE FOLLOWING IN THE TITLE (VAMPIRE, ZOMBIE, WEREWOLF, DEVIL, GHOST, GOBLIN, WITCH, OR FRANKENSTEIN)
I Am Legend
15 POINT TASKS = 15 pts
3. READ A BOOK WRITTEN BY AN AFRICAN OR AFRICAN AMERICAN
AUTHOR
Song of Solomon

And I'm just joking about feeling "lame"...impressed is a better word!

.5 POINT TASKS -15
1. the lady and the unicorn by tracy chevalier (animal)
4. Artemis fowl: the artic incident by eoin cowfler (place)
5. Mr. Vertigo by paul auster (character)
10 POINT TASKS - 80
1. READ A BANNED BOOK
2. Heart shaped box by joe hill (main chac is a musician)
4. ECLIPSE by Stephanie meyer (one word title)
5. The Halloween man by douglas clegg (horror)
6. 20 women for the xx century by ines pedrosa (NON-FICTION )
7. Jane Eyre by c. bronte (19TH CENTURY )
8. Artemis fowl book 1 by eoin cowfler(YA)
9. The nightmare chronicles by douglas clegg (SHORT STORIES)
10. Breaking Dawn by Stephanie meyer (VAMPIRES, OR WEREWOLVES )
15 POINT TASKS - 75
1. The eyre affair by jasper forde (new AUTHOR )
4. beyond the narrow gate by leslie chang (ASIAN AMERICAN AUTHOR)
5. The great and secret show by clive barker (GAY AUTHOR )
6. Sandman preludes and nocturnes by neil gaiman (goodreads author)
10. the postman always ringes twice by james cain (no longer living)
Total: 170

Read a book about music or a musician - Dedication by Emma McLaughlin (10)
Read a novel or non-fiction book about football -Playing for Pizza by John Grisham (10)
Read a book with a one word title - Austenland by Shannon Hale (10)
Read a horror or suspense novel - Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde (10)
Read a non-fiction book - A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson (10)
Read a novel written in the 19th Century - Persuasion by Jane Austen (10)
Read a young adult novel - Wizard's Hall by Jane Yolen (10)
Read a book by an author you've never read before - The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (15)
Read a book by an author who is no longer living - The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (15)
Read a book and then watch the movie adaptation - Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (25)
My goal is 200
New Total - 125
~ Jamie (29)

5.
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson 10/29
CURRENT POINT TOTAL: 185 (10/29)

5. READ A BOOK WITH THE NAME OF A PERSON OR CHARACTER IN THE TITLE
The Complete Stephen King Universe: A Guide to the Worlds of Stephen King
by Chris Golden et al
Total - 165
15 POINT TASKS
READ A BOOK BY AN AUTHOR YOU'VE NEVER READ BEFORE: Heart Shaped Box-Joe Hill
I am now at 155 points.
READ A BOOK BY AN AUTHOR YOU'VE NEVER READ BEFORE: Heart Shaped Box-Joe Hill
I am now at 155 points.

25 task
Read a book and then watch the movie adaptation.
MEMORIORS OF A GEISHA
Now I have 225.

7. READ A BOOK WITH ANY OF THE FOLLOWING IN THE TITLE (VAMPIRE, ZOMBIE, WEREWOLF, DEVIL, GHOST, GOBLIN, WITCH, OR FRANKENSTEIN)
- The devil wears prada - Lauren weisberger
5. READ A HORROR OR SUSPENSE NOVEL
Matthew reilly - ice station
6. READ A NON-FICTION BOOK
Sophies journery - sally collings
10. READ A NOVEL OR NON-FICTION BOOK ABOUT WITCHES, VAMPIRES, OR WEREWOLVES
Twilight - Stephanie meyer
1. READ A BOOK BY AN AUTHOR YOU'VE NEVER READ BEFORE
Martina cole - the graft
3. READ A BOOK AND THEN WATCH THE MOVIE ADAPTATION
Atonement - Ian McEwan
I have 25 points so far with


HAH i only just figured out halloween is why you have all the supernatural theme!!
We don't really do that here, my 25 pts so far are with
READ A BOOK BY AN AUTHOR YOU'VE NEVER READ BEFORE - the graft, martina cole
READ A HORROR OR SUSPENSE NOVEL - ice station, mattthew reilly

145 pts!!!
I'm hoping to get to 200 but not sure that I'll make it, we'll see what happens I guess.

2. READ A BOOK WITH A COLOR (RED, BLUE ETC.) IN THE TITLE: Bitter is the New Black-Jen Lancaster
New total:95

10. READ A NOVEL BY AN AUTHOR WHO IS NO LONGER LIVING
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Current Point Total: 85


Fallon - Yes the word Devil is in the title so it counts.
Angela - Yes an author from the Philippines counts as Asian.

5 Point Task - Read A Book With A Color (Red, Blue Etc.) In The Title (Midwife of the Blue Ridge by Christine Blevins)
10 Point Task - Read a Non-Fiction Book (Belle Weather: Mostly Sunny With a Chance of Scattered Hissy Fits by Celia Rivenbark)
15 Point Task - Read a Book by an Author you’ve Never Read Before (My Husband's Sweethearts by Bridget Asher)
25 Point Task - Read a Book And Then Watch the Movie Adaptation (Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen)
10 Point Task - Read a Novel or Non-Fiction Book about Witches/Witchcraft, Vampires, or Werewolves (The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent)
25 Point Task - Read a Book And Cook a Meal Inspired By It (Belle In The Big Apple: A Novel With Recipes by Brooke Parkhurst) AND MADE BAKED APPLES AND OYSTER STEW (RECIPE FOR STEW IN BOOK)
15 Point Task - Read A Book by A Hispanic or Hispanic American Author (The Gifted Gabaldón Sisters by Lorraine López)
15 Point Task - Read a Book Written By an Athlete or Former Athlete (The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks)
5 Point Task - Read A Book With The Name Of An Animal In The Title (Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched The World By Vicky Myron)
15 Point Task - Read a Novel by an Author Who Is No Longer Living (Thinner, Blonder, Whiter by Elizabeth Maguire)
15 Point Task - Read A Book By A Pulitzer Prize Winner (Not Necessarily The Winning Book) (March by Geraldine Brooks)
10 Point Task - Read A Book with A One Word Title (Testimony By Anita Shreve)
5 Point Task - Read A Book With The Name Of A City, Country, Or Continent In The Title (Big Stone Gap By Adrianna Trigiani)
15 Point Task - Read a Book Written By a Good Reads Author (Field Of Darkness by Cornelia Read)
5 Point Task - Read A Book With The Name Of A Person Or Character In The Title (The Second Coming Of Lucy Hatch By Marsha Moyer)
15 Point Task - Read a Book Written By an Asian or Asian American Author (The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan)
10 Point Task - Read a Novel Written In the 19th Century (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)
10 Point Task - Read A Book about Music or A Musician (Fiction or Non-Fiction) (The Choir by Joanna Trollope)
10 Point Task - Read A Collection of Short Stories, Essays, or A Play (Cakewalk By Lee Smith)
10 Point Task - Read A Horror or Suspense Novel (Willow by V.C. Andrews.)
5 Point Task - Read A Book That Has Some Type Of Plant Life (Flowers, Trees) Or Part Of A Plant (Leaf, Petal) In The Title (The Ballroom On Magnolia Street)
5 Point Task - Read A Book with Any of the Following in the Title (Vampire, Zombie, Werewolf, Devil, Ghost, Goblin, Witch, or Frankenstein) (The Man Who Made the Devil Glad by Donald McCaig)
5 Point Task - Read a Book That Has the Word School in the Title (The Crazy School by Cornelia Read)
15 Point Task - Read a Book Written By an African or African American Author (The Wind Done Gone By Alice Randall)
10 Point Task - Read a Novel or Non-Fiction Book about Football (Coal Run by Tawni O’dell)
5 Point Task - Read a Book with September in the Title (110 Stories: New York Writes After September 11 by Ulrich Bear)
TASKS COMPLETED - 13/26
TOTAL POINTS - 170/290

KAREN – 260
ANN – 245
LIZ (BROOKLYN) - 240
JULIANNE – 220
LOGAN – 215
CHARITY - 210
MELISSA – 190
ANGELA – 185
EMILEE - 180
SARAH - 175
BNOIR - 170
CYNTHIA – 170
JAMIE (29) - 165
LIZ (NY) – 165
(G)EMMA – 160
JOANIE – 155
MARSHA – 155
MELODY - 155
REBECCA - 145
CONNIE - 130
LYNLEE4 – 125
SUSANNA – 125
LINDSEY - 120
LAURA – 115
JAIME(25) – 110
ANDREW – 105
ASHLEY - 105
LIZ (VEGAS) - 105
NANCY – 105
JESSICA - 100
JENNI - 90
LISA (Washington)- 90
KRISTINA - 85
SETH - 80
ELIZABETH - 70
FALLON - 65
KATIE (VEGAS) - 60
LIESL – 60
STARLIGHT - 60
ALYSSA - 55
ANDREA – 55
MELANIE – 50
JEANE - 40
LESLIE - 35
STACIE – 35
JEANE - 30
CHRISTINA V – 20
MK – 15
KATIE (NH) - 10
OPERANDI - 10
Books mentioned in this topic
Girl in Hyacinth Blue (other topics)Flowers for Algernon (other topics)
Flowers for Algernon (other topics)
The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America's First Superhero (other topics)
Frankenstein (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Irène Némirovsky (other topics)Andrew Davidson (other topics)
Kathy Reichs (other topics)
Lisa See (other topics)
Augusten Burroughs (other topics)
More...
And
6. Read a non-fiction book: Naked Economics by Charles Wheelan (10 pts.)
New total: 225 pts.