OFFICIAL WINTER CHALLENGE - 2008/2009 Showing 151-200 of 2,159

[Melissa]

Okay, so I'm switching things around so I can stay as close to my career as possible with my reading choice -- Cynthia, you tell me if you think this doesn't work. I'm moving Nine and Counting: The Women of the Senate to my career book (all of the main characters are elected government workers, at least that's how I've always seen it) and putting Hidden Power: Presidential Marriages That Shaped Our History as my politics book.

[Terri]

5 point tasks
No 8: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - read!

Now reading How To Be Lost for no 7.

Tasks completed: 1
Points earned: 5/345 (woohoo!)

[Fiona (Titch)]

For Christmas: Read a Book with the word Santa, Elf, or the Name of Any of the Reindeer in the Title. Cupid Effect - Dorothy Koomson.

For The Holiday Season: Read a Book with a Holiday Song in the Title. Silent Sisters - Jenny Tomlin & Kim Challinor

[Tien]

Read A Book Whose Title Contains The Word Winter, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or any other winter holiday. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 5 Pts

Total @ 1/12/08 = 5 Pts

[Melissa]

Completed:
5 Point Tasks
8. A Christmas Carol

Currently Reading:
15 Point Tasks
10. Hidden Power: Presidential Marriages That Shaped Our History

Tasks Completed: 1/21
Points: 5/245

[Alice]

I've added the final two 25 points books onto my list now.

1. My Father's Wives by Jose Eduardo Agualusa - set in Angora - A for Alice.

3. Sepulchre - 736 pages long!

[Kate]

I have a question. I am a college student. I work part time as a receptionist though I am studying to be an accountant. Can I read a book about an accountant or does it have to be about a receptionist?

[Fallon]

Read A Book Where The Main Character Is Mentally Or Physically Handicapped
- The Curious incident of the dog in the night time - mark haddon
Tasks completed - 1/33
Points - 10/375

[Bird]

Melissa - Hidden Power sounds really interesting! How are you liking it so far? I've been looking for a good pick for that task.

[Lisa Julianna]

I just printed this out and going to post it so I can look at it a lot...lol...We will see how far I get.

I am excited to try this. :~)

Thanks Cynthia for putting this together.

[Alyssa]

My Plan
5 points
1) I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
2) In the Time of the Butterflies
3) Romeo and Juliet
4) Snow Falling on Cedars
5) Neverwhere: A Novel
6) The Crown Conspiracy
7)What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception
8) If on a winter's night a traveler
9) The China Garden
10) Stardust

10 points
1) The Joy Luck Club
2) Noche De Paz/ Silent Night
3) Their Eyes Were Watching God
4) Kiss of the Spider Woman
5) Congo
6) The Bean Trees
7) The Glass Menagerie
8) All the King's Men
9) The Dean's December
10) Under the Skin

15 points
1) Invisible Man
2) The Headless Cupid
3) The Chocolate War
4) Eclipse and Breaking Dawn
5) Little Town Lies or Twenty Years at Hull House: With Autobiographical Notes
6) The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
7) World Religions: The Great Faiths Explored & Explained (if i can find it)
8) Smart Women Finish Rich: 9 Steps to Achieving Financial Security and Funding Your Dreams (resolution: keep track of my finances)
9) Atonement: A Novel
10) Primary Colors: A Novel of Politics

25 points
1) The Kite Runner - Afghanistan- A- Alyssa :)
2) 1984
3) still deciding between 3: The Quincunx or People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present or The Crimson Petal and the White

[Melissa]

Bird, it's a good book. Very interesting. I read it 4 or 5 years ago for a college class and I've been dying to pick it back up. If you're into history, check it out.

[Laura]

Yeah right, like I'm gonna read all these with 2 months of winter in tax season, but here goes:

5 points:
2) 84, Charing Cross Road
3) Born in Shame
4) The Cat Who Came in from the Cold
5) (to follow)
8) The Christmas Carol
9) Whiskey Sour
10) PS I Love You

10 points:
3) Everyday Grace: Having Hope, Finding Forgiveness and Making Miracles
4) History of Love
6) Book Thief
8) The Sugar Queen
9) A Wedding in December

15 points:
1) We are all Welcome Here
3) Obsession, Deceit & Really Dark Chocolate
4) (to follow)
6) Mencken & Sara: a Life in Letters
8) The Freedom Writers Diary
10) The Audacity of Hope

25 points:
1) Anne of Green Gables (Canadian, my middle name is Catherine), L M Montgomery
2) Home to Holly Springs, Jan Karon
3) Bleak House, Dickens

I need a book where an accountant is the main character. This should be easier to find...

[Cynthia]

LEADER BOARD
JAIME - 15
OFMATT - 15
SERA - 15
CYNTHIA - 10
FALLON - 10
SUZIER - 10
ANN FROM SC - 5
KAREN - 5
MELISSA - 5

[Cynthia]

Answers to ?'s

Jeane - Yes I think Moby Dick would definately count for the started a book and never finished challenge for you.

Alyssa - The book doesn't have to have been published in the last year to count for the new author but if it has more than one author both should be first time authors. Cold is not specific enough to count for the winter weather word challenge.

Melissa - the political/job books you picked sound fine to me.

Fiona re message 157 - neither of those fit the categories. I haven't read We Need To Talk About Kevin but it doesn't sound like it exactly fits the mentally/physically handicapped category.

Kathryn - you could read a book about a college student, a receptionist, or an accountant as far as I'm concerned for the job task.

Ok I think that covers everything I missed - whew...lol!!!

[Lisa Julianna]

What books out there have the main character(s) as a receptionist?

[Sera]

I just finished my first task for 15 points.

10. In Honor Of Inauguration Day: Read A Book About Politics/Politicians (Fiction Or Non-Fiction).

Mistress of the Vatican by Eleanor Herman

This non-fiction book is about "the first female Pope" and goes into great details about politics in the papal states from electing a pope to manipulating the pope for power and financial gain.

1/33; 15/375

[Cynthia]

Receptionist (to name a few)
The Big O by Declan Burke
Foul Play by Janet Evanovich
Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him by Danielle Ganek
A Country Affair by Rebecca Shaw

[Angela]

Ofmatt- The book by Jen Lancaster had some 1 and 2 stars, but not as many 4 and 4 stars: You should check it out. It is worth the read!

5 stars (1024) | 4 stars (1061) | 3 stars (530) | 2 stars (160) | 1 star (74) | avg 4.00

[d4]

This may be kind of out there, but I was wondering if Not In Kansas Anymore: A Curious Tale of How Magic Is Transforming America would count for "7. Read A Non-Fiction Book About A Religion Other Than Your Own." I haven't read it, but it seems to be about pagan religions.

[Cynthia]

Ofmatt - yeah I think it would fit.

[d4]

thnx :D

[Darla]

Hey guys... For the first time author challenge:

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

While she did write a couple of long stories published in Vogue magazines, To Kill a Mockingbird is the only book she ever wrote and published.

I found that out by accident and I just happened to pick it up at the used book store the other day... That one was a lucky pick!

[Lisa Julianna]

Thanks Cynthia for the suggestions for the receptionist as a main character. :~)

[Fiona (Titch)]

Thats ok Cynthia, Fallon told me a book I have on my TBR list for number 7 hun.

[Fiona (Titch)]

What would u suggest for those 2 Cynthia?

[Jeane]

Alice, I am also planning Sepulchre for more than 700 pages!!! Hope it is as good as The labyrinth.

Thanks Cynthia, maybe the challenge will finallly make me finish it!

[Katie]

For the "Holiday Song in the Title" does it have to be the name of the song or a lyric to a song? (Ex: He Sees You When You're Sleeping)

[Lindsey]

15 Point Tasks (15)
7. Read a non-fiction book about a religion other than your own:
On Being a Muslim

[Alice]

Hey Sera that book sounds good I'm going to use that for my political one too as I was struggling to find something for that.

Cynthia thanks for the receptionist books I have now chosen A Country Affair for the same profession categorie.

Jaime I am also hoping Sepulchre will be as good as the Labrynth. I've had it on my book shelf for ages but the fatness of it has been putting me off - perfect for the book over 700 pages challenge!

[Ann from S.C.]

And I'm off and running...

My update:
5 point update
8)Read a book whose title contains the word winter, christmas, hanukkah, kwanzaa...

A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens

Total-5 points

[Alice]

Someone at work has just recommended a book which happens to be the only book an author has written so I am going to use that for No. 6 of the 5 point task.

The Shack by William P. Young

[Cynthia]

Katie - yes it should be the title of the song like Silent Night by JD Robb but a pun of a christmas song title would also be acceptable like Fleece Navidad by Maggie Sefton.

Fiona - I wasn't thinking about Cupid being one of the reindeer last night (tired I guess) so that one actually is ok but for the other (christmas song) you could use one of the one's I suggested above or another example would be Deck the Halls by Mary Higgins Clark.

[Cynthia]

MY FINISHED TASKS
10 POINTS - For Chinese New Year: Read a Book That Takes Place in China or Was Written By a Chinese Author. - The Kitchen God's Wife By Amy Tan

NEXT TASK
Read A Mystery Novel. – The Good Thief's Guide to Paris By Chris Ewan


Tasks Completed: 1/29
Total Points Earned: 10/305

[Sera]

Thanks, Alice. It's a great book; let me know how you like once you read it.

Cynthia, how about "Dashing Through the Snow"? Although the customary song title is "Jingle Bells", there are versions on the internet that list "Dashing Through the Snow" as the title? As always, I am thankful for your help.

[Jen B]

I feel like someone has asked this already, but I can't find it in the thread...does it count if we listen to a book on CD? I'm not an audio book person, but someone gave me a CD copy of Holidays on Ice, and I'm thinking it will be a good thing to listen to on my commute. It also happens to fit the "winter weather word" task, so I thought I'd ask. :)

[Jeane]

Jen, if i remember well it does count for audio books.

[Cynthia]

Yes audiobooks do count (I'll add that to the rules) - note for the 700+ page book task you would just have to listen to a book in which the regular book edition is that long.

Dashing Through The Snow would be fine Sera.

[Fiona (Titch)]

Cynthia, ur gonna laugh at me. Cos u said no to Cupid Effect. I borrowed a book from library called Dancer - Colum McCain (hehe).

[Terri]

Fiona, I've just got a swap for Dancer! Looking forward to reading that.

I've just finished How To Be Lost by Amanda Eyre Ward ... for 5 point task No 7.

so ...

Tasks completed: 2
Points earned: 10

Now to start Rainbow Diary which will be for the 25 point task, as it is about South Africa which begins with S for Suzie!

[Fiona (Titch)]

Will be interesting to see what we think of it.

[Jamie (The Perpetual Page-Turner)]

update:

15 point task--
Read A Non-Fiction Book About A Religion Other
Than Your Own.----

The Compassionate Life by Dalai Lama XIV

total as of December 2nd-- 15 points.

[Jamie (The Perpetual Page-Turner)]

cynthia..do you think The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel counts as mystery? i was searching lists on here and it was put under a mystery list.

[Alyssa]

anyone know a book where is main character is a social worker?

[Fiona (Titch)]

Alyssa, these are what I can find hun:

Becoming a Social Worker by Viviene Cree
Death of a Social Worker by Sue Miller
The Nameless Social Worker by Rachel Bramble

Here is the link to other books on Social Worker:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/social-worker...

[Angela]

or a school counselor??? I think this is too hard of a challenge for 15 points!!

[Fiona (Titch)]

Angela, found these on Amazon hun:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w...

[Angela]

Thanks Fiona... I was looking for more of a fiction book.

[Fiona (Titch)]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/school-counse...

Thats the Fiction area of School Counselor xx

[Angela]

Thanks!!! I have been looking like crazy for this :)