Reading with Style discussion
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Fall 2012 General Questions & Answers
Karen GHHS wrote: "The elderly character does not have to be the narrator, so the book does not have to be 1st person?..."Correct. But if the character is not important enough to be named in the book description, or in a two-sentence summary, the character is not a main character (the coach from GOLD is not mentioned in a multi-paragraph description, so it does not work).
Karen GHHS wrote: "Can there be two narrators?
An example would be Will Grayson, Will Grayson- one narrator is gay, the other straight..."
Books qualify on an all-or-nothing basis. If there are multiple narrators and all of them are LGBT it works. Otherwise it does not.
Karen GHHS wrote: "LGBT: author or character that narrates the story. Does this assume 1st person?..."
No. You can have a third-person narrative that is clearly the perspective of a single individual.
Liz M wrote: "Karen GHHS wrote: "The elderly character does not have to be the narrator, so the book does not have to be 1st person?..."Correct. But if the character is not important enough to be named in the..."
Thanks Liz, that helps a lot!
One last question and confusion then. I asked in the help thread about
The Cardturner: A Novel about a King, a Queen, and a Joker the description to me sounds as if it's all about the teen's time playing bridge and developing a relationship with his blind elderly uncle. I was told no because the teen was the main character. That's fine because Louis Sachar is a Veteran author, but that's why I thought it had to be the main character.
One quick "Square Peg" question, and I'm sorry to be a pain in the butt!I very much want to read A Field Guide for Science Writers: The Official Guide of the National Association of Science Writers. It's a collection, and I got confirmation earlier that it would count as not-being-counted-for-Oktoberfest if at least one of the authors were not born in the listed countries. Well, there is one author that is "British" and one that is "Brazilian," and I can find biographical info saying they were educated there, but no confirmation of where they were actually physically *born*. Is this enough for it to be a Square Peg, or is it not enough proof?
Thanks, mods!
Also, if that doesn't work for Square Peg, would this: The Best Science Writing Online 2012? This one I know for a *fact* has authors in it that were not born in the US, and it doesn't have a Dewey Decimal number that would qualify for any of the other possible tasks. And -- and -- I'm IN IT!!! (OK, small shameless plug. But I'm very excited.)
I have just finished The SnowmanbyJo Nesbø and realized that it fits the Square Peg. I have checked all the tasks the only one I'm not clear on is, if Jo Nesbo is a LGBT author or not. I could not find any info on this on the net, help please.
Ismaa wrote: "I have just finished The SnowmanbyJo Nesbø and realized that it fits the Square Peg. I have checked all the tasks the only one I'm not clear on is, if Jo Nesbo is a LGBT author or not. I could no..."
He is married with a child. Although not definitive, we'll say he's not LGBT.
From Jo Nesbo website:I also made a decision that was very important for me. But not until Greedy Jo had had a serious discussion with Decent Jo. The decision was that all the income from Headhunters, domestic and international, would go towards a plan I had been mulling over for a while: basic reading and writing classes for children in the third world. My motivation was principally twofold. I have been privileged enough to be able to travel all over the world, and what this traveling has taught me is that the ability to read is a basic prerequisite for citizens to find their bearings in society so that genuine democracy can exist and so that those same citizens can create a better life for themselves and their families.
Does this make you want to go out and buy the book?
Ismaa wrote: "I have just finished The SnowmanbyJo Nesbø and realized that it fits the Square Peg. I have checked all the tasks the only one I'm not clear on is, if Jo Nesbo is a LGBT author or not. I could no..."
Thanks Elizabeth :) and yes I'm going to buy Headhunters for Decent Jo's project
Just checking in to see if some of the books I'm reading for class would count for some of the tasks this season ^_^ Thus far I'm reading:Art History's History by Vernon Hyde Minor
Public Parts: How Sharing in the Digital Age is Revolutionizing Life, Business, and Society by Jeff Jarvis
I'm having difficulties figuring out if these work for any of the tasks. Thanks everyone!
Christin wrote: "Just checking in to see if some of the books I'm reading for class would count for some of the tasks this season ^_^ Thus far I'm reading:Art History's History by Vernon Hyde Minor
Public Parts:..."
I'd bet that Vernon Hyde Minor is over 60. He got his BA in 1968, which makes it very highly likely that he was born prior to 1952. I don't feel like digging further and would approve him for 10.5 over 60 author of non-fiction.
I don't have a good idea for Public Parts. Have you used your Square Peg?
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Christin wrote: "Just checking in to see if some of the books I'm reading for class would count for some of the tasks this season ^_^ Thus far I'm reading:Art History's History by Vernon Hyde Mi..."
Great! I couldn't find a birth date for Minor so I wasn't sure if he would get approved for 10.5 so thank you so much!
I haven't used my square peg but I don't think I can use Public Parts for it since Jarvis is American (and using him for Oktoberfest just doesn't feel in the spirit of the Task) :(
Christin wrote: "Great! I couldn't find a birth date for Minor so I wasn't sure if he would get approved for 10.5 so thank you so much!"It's a close call, but let's go with it.
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Christin wrote: "Great! I couldn't find a birth date for Minor so I wasn't sure if he would get approved for 10.5 so thank you so much!"It's a close call, but let's go with it."
Thank you! ^_^
If he graduated in 68, assuming 4 years college for a BA and 12 years of secondary schooling, he would have been born in 1952. People born in 1952, would be 60 in 2012. Given that the book was published in 2000, it would make him approximately 48 at time of publishing.
Bea wrote: "If he graduated in 68, assuming 4 years college for a BA and 12 years of secondary schooling, he would have been born in 1952...."Only if he started secondary school at birth.
Assuming he was 21 when receiving his BA:
1968-21=1947
2000-1947=53
Liz M wrote: "Only if he started secondary school at birth."Oh, yes. I forgot about the first 6 years! Shows you how long ago that was for me. :)
I think i have one for 10.1, the elusive square peg: The Men Who Stare at Goats by Jon Ronson. As far as I can tell, the author has not held office, was born in Wales, the story doesn't have monsters, a character over 60 (jon was born in 1967) and there are no 7s involved. Oh, and Art has not read it. Plus! It's actually a book I own and want to read!Anyone familiar with this book to know if it fits any other task? Thank you!
I read The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts by Louis de Bernières for 10.8 Task, 7 Words in the title. This is the first of a Trilogy. Can I read Senor Vivo and the Coca Lord for 10.9?The reason I ask is that I read this for the challenge and not before it, so does it still apply?
Ismaa wrote: "I read The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts by Louis de Bernières for 10.8 Task, 7 Words in the title. This is the first of a Trilogy. Can I read Senor Vivo and the Coca Lord for 10.9?The reaso..."
Yes, Senor Vivo can be used for 10.9. I'm glad you liked Don Emmanuel - I'm hoping to get these in some day.
Ismaa wrote: "I read The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts by Louis de Bernières for 10.8 Task, 7 Words in the title. This is the first of a Trilogy. Can I read Senor Vivo and the Coca Lord for 10.9?The reaso..."
I "loved" Don Emmanuel Elizabeth, and that is why I was so eager to read the second one and also include it in the challenge. Bernières is becoming a big fav with me.
Thanks for the heads up
Who would be considered the author of Black Coffee?It's the novelization of a play that was originally written by Agatha Christie. Charles Osborne was responsible for the novelization.
So is Agatha Christie the author (her name is the first that appears on the cover) or Charles Osborne?
Isabell wrote: "Who would be considered the author of Black Coffee?It's the novelization of a play that was originally written by Agatha Christie. Charles Osborne was responsible for the novelization.
So is Aga..."
We use the first named author in determining applicability.
So Agatha Christie would be considered as the author of Black Coffee? Even though the novelization was only published years after her death (pub. date was 1997) and the actual text was not written by her but by Osborne?
Isabell wrote: "So Agatha Christie would be considered as the author of Black Coffee? Even though the novelization was only published years after her death (pub. date was 1997) and the actual text was not written ..."If it helps, some of the text certainly was written by Christie, because most of the dialogue is taken straight from the play.
Rosemary wrote: "Isabell wrote: "So Agatha Christie would be considered as the author of Black Coffee? Even though the novelization was only published years after her death (pub. date was 1997) and the actual text ..."Thanks, Rosemary. That explanation really helped my mind to grasp that Christie is the author of the book. I didn't realize that Osborne took such a large part from the play.
And I really wanted to make sure that Christie counts as author here before I post the book and claim points for 20.8.
Yes, we will take Christie as the author - she is listed first.
Thank you for clarifying that, Elizabeth.
I have a question about the 10.8 - Rosemary's Task - Lucky Sevens challenge. Can you use a book by an author who does not actually publish under his first name?
For example William Somerset Maugham
William has 7 letters, but he does not actually use his first name for his books.
He publishes under
W. Somerset Maugham
So could I still use his first name for this challenge?
I just wanted to double check.
When I was thinking of this task, I intended it to be the name that the author publishes under, so an initial would only count as one letter and wouldn't work, but it's up to the mods.
Yes, we should use the name the author uses to publish. Somerset Maugham will not work for this task.
Hmm. Can anyone find a place for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer? Amazingly, Garfunkel has read Tom Sawyer Abroad, Tom Sawyer, Detective, AND The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but not the original Tom Sawyer! I guess I will use it for Oktoberfest if I have to, but does anyone else see another option...? My library is sponsoring a month-long "everyone read the same book" program with talks and events throughout the month, and this year's book is Tom Sawyer -- I want to participate!
Melanie wrote: "Hmm. Can anyone find a place for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer? Amazingly, Garfunkel has read Tom Sawyer Abroad, Tom Sawyer, Detective, AND The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but not the original T..."Tom Sawyer qualifies for 20.2-Rural Setting and 20.8-Veteran author. Sounds like a fun program at the library. Hope you enjoy!
For the challenge 20.8 - Kate S' Task - Veteran's Day, November 11th:
Read any book written by a "veteran" author, one that has published books for 20 or more years during his/her lifetime.
Can still living authors count if they have up to this date been publishing for at least 20 years? Or is it only suppose to be for authors already deceased?
Silver wrote: "For the challenge 20.8 - Kate S' Task - Veteran's Day, November 11th:
Read any book written by a "veteran" author, one that has published books for 20 or more years during his/her lifetime.
Can ..."
This task is for any author, living or dead, who has been publishing for 20 years or more.
I was hoping to read Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier for my Square Peg task (as Marillier is a New Zealand writer, etc). However the story is supposedly a re-telling of Beauty and the Beast so I was wondering if anyone who has read it knows if there are any actual monsters in it - is the "beast" character, Anluan, a monster for instance? Thanks!
I want to read (or re-read in this case) Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses by Isabel Allende for 20.9 Elizabeths task, National Authors Day. Please let me know if it fits the task, as its not only an autobiography but also about food as aphrodisiacs.
Just want to excitedly share that I think I *finally* found a Square Peg -- and it's a book that I've had on my shelf (and been meaning to read) for over a year! Most Underappreciated: 50 Prominent Social Psychologists Describe Their Most Unloved Work. At least 1 author born in a non-Oktoberfest country (Israel, Greece, and the UK), Garfunkel hasn't read it, several authors are under 60, non-fiction so there are no conversations between women, published in 2011 with 11 words in the title, not shelved in the 500s or in 8x4...anything I'm missing?!
I have a book i want to use for this challenge called "The Night My Sister Went Missing". It's a YA and I lloked on the Lexile score and there was no lexile score for the book. In fact, the book wasn't even listed. So I looked under Carol Plum-Ucci, the author and though there were other books she wrote, listed, this one was not. Same for the new Libba Bray book, "The Diviners". Lexile didn't have a score for it because it wasn't even in their list. Could I look somewhere else?
okay so that probably won't qualify.
You can still read them for the 10 and 20 point tasks, though. You just can't claim style points or read them for the ABC challenge.
I need some help with determining the Lexile score for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.There are several editions listed on Lexile with less than 800, but as far as I can tell those are adaptions with easier language than the original. There are also several editions above 800 (830 to 970) and it seems as though those are the editions where Mark Twain is actually listed as author and those editions have a more realistic page number, so those doesn't seem to be adaptions.
So I assume that The Adventures of Tom Sawyer has a Lexile score of more than 800 and style points can be claimed for it?
Isabell wrote: "I need some help with determining the Lexile score for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.There are several editions listed on Lexile with less than 800, but as far as I can tell those are adaptions wi..."
That seems correct to me. Our database lists a Lexile score of 950 for Tom Sawyer.
I generally assume the highest rating is the original, because it seems incongruous that someone would adapt the book to a higher reading level.
Thanks for the confirmation, Liz.And thanks for that tip, Elizabeth. That will looking up the lexile scores easier in the future.
I have a question. I am reading Acorna's Children-Third Watch and it is shelved as YA. I looked on the lexile score for the book and it isn't listed. However Anne MCCaffrey's other works are scored anywhere from 840 up to 1120. I like to get some style points for this book. The lexile score that appears the most is 840 and 950 so could I use the 840 score to claim style points since my book isn't listed?
Sorry, Jayme. From the FAQ, regarding YA with no lexile score:Are YA novels allowed?
Yes, with a couple of caveats. YA cannot be used for the sub-challenges (15-point tasks), unless otherwise specified. YA books can be read for the RwS tasks (10-point and 20-point tasks), but they will only earn style points if the book has a Lexile score of 800 or above. If a YA book does not have a Lexile score, it is not eligible for style points.
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LGBT: author or character that narrates the story:
Does this assume 1st person?
Can there be two narrators?
An example would be Will Grayson, Will Grayson- one narrator is gay, the other straight
Elderly: author over 60 for non-fiction only, main character over 60 for fiction
The elderly character does not have to be the narrator, so the book does not have to be 1st person?
If it is 1st person narration, it must be narrated by the elderly character?
The elderly character must be THE primary main character, not just a main character.
Example: in Gold there is an important character, the coach, who is over 60, but that's not a main character, so it doesn't count for the task or combo points?
Sorry for my confusion, but I keep mixing them up, thinking I have a good choice and then realizing it's wrong! ;)