The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
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FALL CHALLENGE 2009
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FALL CHALLENGE 2009 COMPLETED TASKS
Jennifer wrote: "Cait wrote: What did you think of this? It's the one I'm reading for the task as well.Hi Cait. I quite enjoyed The House on Fortune Street A Novel. I liked the structure of the bo..."
Thank you! I'm looking forward to reading it. When I'm done, I'll let you know which side of the fence I'm on. :o)
Deirdre wrote: "Completed 15.8, read two books that take place in countries that begin with your initials. My initials = D. P.Number the Stars, which is about the German occupation of Denmark.
AND..."
Too funny - we have the same initials and both of those books are on my tbr list for this challenge! Only I am using History of Love for Donna Jo's task and using a book set in Peru for my "P".
Okay. I'm done with task 5.3 (Sea). For this one I read Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea. I know that this is a 'classic' in American literature, but I just didn't like it. AT ALL. It bored me, but I suffered through for the challenge and luckily, its not a long book. Gah. Glad its over... Total points = 80
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Completed tasks:05.6
Read Mortal Causes Ian Rankin
05.7
Call the Midwife Jennifer Worth
05.8
Out of the Dark - Linda Caine and Robin Hoyston
05.9
I'm not scared Niccolo Ammaniti
A 9 year old child discovers a secret that leads him to change his understanding of his parents and the world around him.
10.2
Lullabies for Little Criminals Heather O'Neill
10.4
Read My Invented Country by Isabel Allende (Chili)
10.9
Read Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
10.10
Catwatching by Desmond Morris
15.1
The Cradle Will FALL Mary Higgins Clark
FALLING Leaves Adeline Yen Mah
15.3 Addition/Division
Long Time Coming Sandra Brown
Milk and Honey Faye Kellerman
15.5 Sweden
The Girl Who Played with Fire
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' nest
Stieg Larsson
15.6 Art
Read All's well that ends well by Shakespeare and saw it live from National Theatre in London.
15.7 Let's get physical
Read "Golf le mental pour scorer" by JP Vaillant and played a round of golf on 9/15/2009 at La Bruyère in Belgium
15.9 Homework
Read Home by Marylinne Robinson
20.2
Mudbound Hillary Jordan (M)
Night Watch (The) Sarah Waters (N)
On Chesil beach Ian Mc Ewan (O)
25.3
The 19th Wife David Ebershoff
25.7
Cross James Patterson (1 word)
Blue Smoke Nora Roberts (2 words)
What I loved Siri Hustvedt (3 words)
25.8
Emma Jane Austen (name)
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen Paul Torday (place)
Saturday Ian McEwan (thing)
25.9
Instant Confidence Paul Mc Kenna
The Pursuit of Happyness Chris Gardner
50.1
The Little Prince Saint-Exupéry
Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen
Salem Falls Jodi Picoult
Total points: 320
Total books: 30
Total tasks: 20
Task 10.3- A collection of children's stories- Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, Hello, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Farm.1 Task completed, 10pts
5 Tasks in progress
2 Tasks half done
5. 2. An Apple (Book) A Day Keeps The Librarians Away - September Is National Apple Month So Let's... • Read A Book That Has A Picture Of An Apple On The Cover.
OR
• A Book With The Word Apple(s) In The Title. Twilight Stephanie Meyer (re-read) 9-8-09 498 Pages
Current Pages Read: 1480
Books Read: 5
Challenges Completed: 3
Total Points: 30
I have no new points, but have started four tasks. 15.3 (Subtraction) 11 letter:Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson-9/6 (282 pgs)
4 stars (sad book about eating disorders)
15.10 Student:Dancing in My Nuddy-Pants: Even Further Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison-9/8
3.5 stars (this is a cute series and I am really enjoying it!) Trying to see how to fit the rest in the challenge.
20.2 Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas: Further, Further Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison-9/7 (173 pgs)
Need to finish L and M
25.8 • With The Name Of A Person In The Title. Proper Nouns Only (David Copperfield, Odd Thomas, Still Alice Would Work
The World According to Garp by John Irving-9/8 (688 pgs) Garp is the person in this book.
4 stars (Really liked this book, despite the fact that much of it seem far fetched, but as I thought about it, not really.)
Update:9/8/09
Points: 10
Tasks: 1 (4 in progress)
Books: 5
Pages: 1460
Going to the libray to get my children's book. I feel so strange going into that section as I do not have children and have never ventured in this section of the library.
Diane wrote: "Deirdre wrote: "Completed 15.8, read two books that take place in countries that begin with your initials. My initials = D. P.Number the Stars, which is about the German occupatio..."
I enjoyed Number the Stars; The History of Love, not as much. Have fun!
Completed 10.1, read a book published during Buddy Holly's lifetime (9/7/1936-2/3/1959).The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe , first published in 1950.
Total Points = 70
Completed:5.9 The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
10.5 Night by Elie Wiesel
15.4 Digital Fortress by Dan Brown and watched the movie Outbreak. I love that movie! :)
25.8 a) Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
25.8 c) The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Total: 30 points
Tasks Completed: 3
Tasks In Progess: 3
Books Read: 5
Completed 5.6. Terrifying Titles "Soulless" by Christopher Golden
Really excited to be posting my first completed task! 8. Let's Find Out If Two Heads Really Better Than One - Read A Book That Has More Than One Author.
I read Left Behind by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins.
Pages read: 339
Tasks completed: 1
Books read: 1
Total points: 5
For task 10.1 (Buddy Holly), I read Anthem (1938) by Ayn Rand. On a literary level, I thought it fell flat. She certainly made her point about the meaninglessness and boredom of life in an extreme collectivist society. But who wants to read a book with boring characters? On a philosophical level, I was put off by the severity of the dystopia she described; I find subtlety much more convincing. Plus, I don't buy the whole slippery-slope thing. I say skip this one and read We the Living, instead. That was actually a compelling read!For 25.4 (book vs. movie), I read The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, published in 2003 (goodreads says it was first published in 1386, but something tells me that's not true, LOL). I also watched the 2006 film of the same name directed by Mira Nair. I loved the book--most of it at least. I felt like the last ten pages of so kind of beat me over the head with message, distorting my impression of the whole. But watching the movie helped me remember all the things that I loved about the book that weren't present in the movie.
I much preferred the book, which is rich with detail and characterization without ever becoming tedious. At times I had to remind myself that Lahiri's characters aren't real people, that I don't know them personally. Given that the book is an in-depth account of thirty+ years in the lives of parents and child, it must have been difficult to adapt it to a two hour movie. I felt like nothing was fully explained in the movie--the emotions and motivations of the characters were never fleshed out in the way I felt they should have been. (They could have made it a four hour movie, right?) I'm sure if I had never read the book I would have liked the movie more that I did, but I sure am glad I read the book!
Total Points: 75
Jennifer wrote: "Cait wrote: What did you think of this? It's the one I'm reading for the task as well.Hi Cait. I quite enjoyed The House on Fortune Street A Novel. I liked the structure of the bo..."
Jennifer, I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed this book. I borrowed it from the library without really checking what it was about prior to my borrowing it, but based upon your feedback, it looks like it will end up being a good choice.
Thanks much!
Katie wrote: "goodreads says it was first published in 1386, but something tells me that's not true, LOL"Weird. I changed it to 2003.
Finished two more--10.8--MY NAME IS SALLY LITTLE SONG by Brenda Woods
A nice little tale about a slave family who flees the plantation and goes to live with tribe of Native Americans. I had no idea that this happened, but apparently it was not uncommon for slaves to live with the Indians as "slaves" in name only.
and
10.1--BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S by Truman Capote
I found it interesting that the novel was much "dirtier" than the film ever was. I still like Audrey Hepburn's "Holly" better than the original, but I know that Capote was unhappy with Hollywood's watering down of his tale.
This brings me to 175 points!
I also read this one before I left, and didn't have time to post it. I actually have 25 points.5.8 Read A Book That Has More Than One Author. Shadow Magic by Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett, read 9/3/2009 387 pp.
Total points: 25/690
Tasks completed: 2/45
Books read: 4/59
Total pages: 1325
10.3• Several Children's Books (The Number Of Pages Should Add Up To At Least 100). -Dora the Explorer Super Babies by Victoria Miller-23 pgs
-Dora the Explorer: The Birthday Dance Party: Daisy's Fiesta de Quinceañera by Dave Aikins (22 pgs)
-Dora the Explorer: At the Carnival by Leslie Valdes (22 pgs)
-Dora's Chilly Day by Kiki Thorpe (23 pgs)
-Dora Saves Mermaid Kingdom! by Artful Doodlers (22 pgs)
-Dora Had a Little Lamb by Steven Savitsky (22 pgs)
Total Pages: 134
Update:9/8/09
Points: 20
Tasks: 2 (4 in progress)
Books: 5 (+6 Dora Explorer Books)
Pages: 1594
10.8 You'll Find It in the Dictionary - Random Word Generator. My words were PANIC, BAD, and SELF. I went with bad. Unfortunately, in my reading zeal, I somehow lost track and ended up reading two books with the word bad, instead of one. I didn't hit upon this realization until I was 3/4 of the way through the second book, so I just forged through and finished it. Such is life. Anyway, I read Bad Blood A Novel by Linda Fairstein and Happy Birthday, Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel.Total Points: 110/690
Books Read: 17 (+ 7 Berenstain Bears books)
Tasks Completed: 8/45
Tasks in Progress: 6
I finished challenge 15.9, Home/Work. I read Homefires by Margaret Maron. This was a mystery regarding the burning of African American churches in South Carolina. For the assignment, research the church burnings that took place during the Civil Rights movement (1960s). Write a short essay describing the time period, your personal feelings about these crimes and why these actions are now prosecuted as Federal crimes, not local or state.
This gives me an additional 15 points for a total of 25 altogether.
Hi Sera. Hi Cait.Cait said:When I'm done, I'll let you know which side of the fence I'm on. :o)
Sera said: Jennifer, I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed this book.
I hope you both enjoy The House on Fortune Street A Novel. I also took it from the library, knowing only the barest amount about it, and I am glad to have read it. I hadn't read anything by Livesey before, but had heard good things about a couple of her other books. I will be interested in both of your thoughts on the books, once you have read it.
:)
I finally finished my second book! I'm jealous of all of you who have been able to read so much already!5.9 Coming of Age Novel-I read Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld
5 more points for this one which brings me to a total of 10 points.
Total Points: 10
Tasks Completed: 2
Books Read: 2
Total Pages: 691
Finished Task 15.6 by reading Cross Country and listening to Buckles & Boots by Ridley Bent and No Fences by Garth Brooks.I found Cross Country really cheesy. It's not a book I enjoyed. Listening to it on audio made it okay but I wouldn't recommend it.
Country music has come a long way since the twangy days (although I enjoy that, too). I listened to Ridley Bent's album and, because it somewhat strays from true Country in the second half of the album, I also listened to Garth Brook's No Fences. Can't get more Country than that.
Total Points: 35
Finished another:25.10 (Monsterfest):
Zombie Haiku by Ryan Mecum
TOTALS
75 Points
5 Completed Tasks
2 Partially Completed Tasks
11 Books
1,847 Pages
Finished 10-1, I read "I Capture the Castle" By Dodie Smith, it was first published in 1948. I liked it but didn't feel as drawn in as I was expecting.20 points total.
I completed Garden Spells for the apples on the cover task (5.2).Total points: 5
Completed 15.7 (Physical Education) with David Grann's The Lost City of Z, which was the perfect choice for this task - so interesting that I started working out more just to get more listening time in!Current Total: 50 points
15.4 I read Ender's Game and watching The Universe on the History Channel about the effect the Moon has had on the earth since the earths formation and how it basically was key to making intelligent life possible (by creating stable climates etc). It was interesting. I also loved Ender's Game. I am not sure how I made it to this age without reading it! 25.3 I read Boy Meets Boy. It was OK but could have been a lot better. What I would like to have read was a realistic story about a gay teenage relationship in a high school environment that did not discriminate. What I actually got to read was basically a gay teenage relationship in a ridiculous fantasy world. The author made the town/high school SOOO quirky that it ceases to be realistic and becomes a ridiculous, making it seem that the non-discriminatory part is unrealistic as well. Does that make sense?
Point Total: 80
Page Total: 1116
I just finished task 10.8My words were basement, sleeping, and cause
I read Mermaids in the Basement by Michael Lee West. If you love southern lit, you will love this book. Such a quick read, really enjoyed it and I was able to get it off of my TBR list.
Total points for this task: 10
Tasks completed: 4
Tasks in progress: 4
Books read: 6
Total points for challenge thus far: 50
7. Can You Read Faster Than A Speeding Bullet? - Christopher Reeve, Famous For His Role As Superman, Was Born On September 25, 1952...• In Honor Of Him Read A Novel About Heroes/Heroines/Superheroes/Super-heroines
Wonder Woman: Love and Murder by Jodi Picoult, Terry Dodson (Illustrator), Rachel Dodson (Illustrator)-9/8 (129 pgs)
New Total 30 points
5.5 Going Back To School - Re-read A Book That You Were Required To Read For School...See If You Feel The Same About It Now As You Did Then.Cat’s Cradle by Vonnegut Loved it then , loved it now
5 points
total 115
Finished10.7 Read a novel about heroes, etc.
Princess of Wands by John Ringo. She's not just another soccer mom; she makes Buffy look like a teenybopper.
I babysat tonight and completed task 10.3 (Berenstain) with the following kid-chosen books:- Bert and the Missing Mop Mix-up by Sarah Roberts (32 pages)
- The Wiggles Hot Potato, Hot Potato, no author attributed, published by Grosset & Dunlap (10 pages)
- Lazy Town Picnic Day by Wendy Wax (22 pages)
- The Berenstain Bears by the Sea by The Berenstains (29 pages)
- Stripes from The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh series, no author attributed, published by Mallard Press (43 pages)
for a total of 136 pages
Total Points: 85
5 POINT TASKS1. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
2.
3. Vanished at Sea: The True Story of a Child TV Actor and Double Murder by Tina Dirmann
4. The Face on the Milk Carton by Carolyn B. Cooney
5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
6. Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark by Alvin Schwartz, Stephen Gammell (Illustrator)
7. Whatever Happened to Janie? by Caroline B. Cooney
8. The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin, Nicola Kraus
9. Little Women by Louis May Alcott
10. Something Upstairs : A Tale Of Ghosts by Avi
10 POINT TASKS
1. The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien
2. A Child Called it By David Pelzer
3.
4.. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
5. The Book Thief by by Markus Zusak
6. Crossing the Starlight Bridge (Aladdin Fiction) by Alice Mead
7. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller
8. Breaking Dawn By Stephanie Meyer
9. The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
10. The Cat Who Could Read Backwards (Cat Who..., #1) by Lilian Jackson Braun
15 POINT TASKS
1. About a Boy by Nick Hornby and Don't You Forget About Me (Gossip Girl, #11) by Cecily von Ziegesar
2. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
3. The Ex Games (Romantic Comedies) by Jennifer Echols and You're the One That I Want (Gossip Girl, Book 6) by Cecily von Ziegesar
4. The Host by Stephanie Meyer
5. When Jonathan Died by Tony Duvert and The Tenant by Roland Topor
6. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Volume One in the Wicked Years) by Gregory Maguire
7. Adam Copeland On Edge by Adam Copeland
8. The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoevsky and The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky
9. No Place Like Home A Novel by Mary Higgins Clark
10. The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee and Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez
20 POINT TASKS
1.The Shack by William P. Young
2.
3. Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell
25 POINT TASKS
1. A Light In The Attic By Shel Silverstein And The Friday Night Knitting Club By Kate Jacobs
2. Carrie by Stephen King and Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
3. Rainbow High by Alex Sanchez
4.
5. Daughter of Fortune: A Novel (P.S.) by Isabel Allende
6. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
7. Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer and
8. Heart and Soul of Nick Carter by Jane Carter and Around a Minnesota Campfire by Ruth Hein , Terry Fisk and Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
9. Knitting for Dummies by Pam Allen, Trisha Malcolm and Julia's Chocolates by Cathy Lamb
10. Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, #1) by Richelle Mead
30 POINT TASKS
1. The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber and Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
50 POINT TASKS
60/690 Points
2221/19657 Pages Read
The left quite a bit out of the movie that was in the book. Overall the movie was good but I think the book was way better.
I also finished task 25.4 (Candace's task)I read the book The Martian Child A Novel About a Single Father Adopting a Son by David Gerrold and also watched the movie starring John Cusak. (book published 2002 and movie was out in 2007)
The book is a wonderfully written memoir about adoption (which could be used for that task). The author is openly gay (so you could also use this for Wendy's task) and it is a wonderful relationship about a father and son bond. The movie changes the father figure a little to but overall, sticks to the story told in the book. I really enjoyed both the movie and the book, but my favorite was probably the movie, just because it is such a touching story and I liked seeing it visually. That being said though, I still give the book 4 stars.
Total points for this task: 25
Tasks completed: 5
Tasks in progress: 3
Total points for challenge thus far: 75
Michelle wrote: "Completed:5.9 The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
10.5 Night by Elie Wiesel
15.4 Digital Fortress by [author:Dan Brown..."Task 15.4 is mix and match both of those are SCI-FI you would either need to read a sci-fi book paired with a movie about actual science or a scientific book and a sci-fi movie so I can't credit you for that task.
Cutebabys wrote: "Okay. If that's not right then I've read 'The lost boy', I read the whole trilogy. Partially. I didn't finish the last book, it got too dry. Also And for the cats book I just read like...17 books o..."I've given you credit for the adoption task with The Lost Lost Boy and for 30.1 - I will still need you to post the title of one of the other warriors books so I can credit you for 5.8 the two author task as I already gave credit for the cat task.
Finally completed my first task. School and work are taking up way too much of my reading time.5.1 Things I Want My Daughters to Know by Elizabeth Noble
5 points total so far...pretty sad compared to everyone else
Finished 25.10 (Sam's Task) with Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison. I liked parts of it, but it was a little uneven. Not sure if I'll read more of the series...
25.7 Cindy's Task - One, Two Three:1) Summer by Edith Wharton
2) The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks
3. Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson
Total Points: 135/690
Books Read: 18 (+ 7 Berenstain Bears books)
Tasks Completed: 9/45
Tasks in Progress: 5
10.5 - The Reader- Bernhard ShlinkGermany task
Task 5.1- Read A Book That Has The Word Son(s), Daughter(s) (Because They're Just As Important), Kid(s), Child, or Children In The Title.Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop, 5pts
2 Tasks completed, 15pts
4 Tasks in progress
2 Tasks half done
Mod
5.1 Things I Want My Daughters to Know by Elizabeth Noble
5.2 Apple a Day by Joe Schwarcz
5.6 Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
5.8 Cemetery Dance by Preston & Child
20.3 Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
25.1 The Surrogate Thief by Archer Meyer and A Stone, a Leaf, a Door Poems by Thomas Wolfe (294 & 166 pages) Thief/leaf rhyme
If they all qualify: 65 pts
Finished task 25.3 (Wendy's) last night. For this one, I read Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris (which I got ok'd through Wendy). This was hilarious! I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a bit of dark humor :)I also finished the first part of Nicole's task (25.1) by reading Jack Prelutsky's A Pizza the Size of the Sun. This is a great collection and I really enjoyed it as well. No points for this one as of yet though - only halfway done with it!
Total points = 105
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Just finished task 5.9 - I read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See... still one of my favourite books, and a great coming of age story.Point total: 30
Books read: 3
I completed task 15.6 by reading Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead. This play has been on my to-read list for a VERY long time and I am glad to finally have read it! It was quite amusing, I would love to see it on the stage. Point Total: 95
Page Total: 1242
ok then for task 15.4 I changed my movie to Project X starring Matthew Broderick. It has to do with ethical values on animal experimentation.I thought the movie Outbreak would work because it has to deal with a lethal virus. I guess that's not scientific enough? Oh well. I had to watch Project X for school anyway.
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The Seasonal Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Tempt Me at Twilight (other topics)Patterns in the Sand (other topics)
The Shadow of the Wind (other topics)
My Grandfather's Son (other topics)
Soul of a Dog: Reflections on the Spirits of the Animals of Bedlam Farm (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Lisa Kleypas (other topics)Sally Goldenbaum (other topics)
Clarence Thomas (other topics)
Audrey Niffenegger (other topics)
Neil Gaiman (other topics)
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Number the Stars , which is about the German occupation of Denmark.
AND
The History of Love: A Novel , which is about an old man who once wrote a book about the woman he fell in love with when they lived in a village in Poland.
Total points = 60