The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

I've just finished listening to Words of Silk by Sandra Brown for Task 15.7 (and thank G-d for that!) while walking in the park. I think I am falling in love with audio books!

This brings me up to 40 points!

Totals:
40/690 Points
3/60 Books
3/45 Tasks
Pages Read: 708

15.4 Drama - Read Play & Watched Film Production
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare (5 Stars) combined with 1993 MAAN Film Release starring Kenneth Branagh (5 Stars)

Total Points: 40

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?ke...

Completed:

10.8 "king" - Search of the Moon King's Daughter by Linda Holeman

15.4 Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams & watched Planet Earth #8 "Jungles".

20.3 Julie and Julia by Julie Powell

New Completed Points: 45
Total Completed Points: 200

Diane wrote: "15.9 Homework Assignment - The Long Walk Home A Novel by Will North.

Total Points: 210/690
Books Read: 27 (+ 8 Berenstain Bears books)
Tasks Completed: 16/45
..."What is the assignment (part 2 of that task)? I need that before I can add your points.

This evening I finished Snow Shadows by Caitlyn Hunter for task 10.6--the main character is Cherokee.

I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway earlier this year and have been meaning to read it ever since. I had it slotted in for a summer challenge task but did a horrible job of reading books that I owned. I'm doing much better this time around at reading what I have before running off to the library.

Anyway, I liked the book. Since I was the only winner I'll probably do a "real" review but not until tomorrow because I'm feeling sleepy tonight. :)




TASKS COMPLETED: 10
TASKS PARTIALLY COMPLETED: 3
BOOKS READ: 12 (+4 kids books)
PAGES READ: 3,738
POINTS EARNED: 65
NUMBER OF BOOKS READ FROM MY 'OWNED AND UNREAD' SHELF: 11

5.1. Our Children Are Our Future (Reads) - Funnily The First Letters Of The Fall Months Spell Out The Word Son (September, October, November) - So 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.

Daughters of the Grail by Elizabeth Chadwick

I just finished The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. It was a lightning-paced book and was a fun read. It was too eerily similar to his other books, but it was an overall decent book.

I'm going to use this book for the 25.7 c) The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown.

Now to continue with The Monster of Florence: A True Story by Douglas Preston.

Total Points: 45 points
Tasks In Progess: 2
Books Reading: 1
Books Read: 9

I've also read The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. I do not know where to include this in my challenge. I've already completed the Sci-Fi task. Any suggestions?

~M

25.1 - Wolf at the Door by Christine Warren, Zombie Haiku Good Poetry for Your...brains by Ryan Mecum
Rhyming words: Door & For

Total Points: 155
Tasks Completed: 9

I think it's fun I got to say, "I HAVE to go to the movies! So I can finish this reading task!" :P

For 25 point task #4 (Candice's), I read The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, and went to see the movie tonight! Slight spoilers below for both the book and the movie.

In general, I liked the book better than the movie. Despite the fact that the books jumps around and time, and the movie pretty much follows Henry's life chronologically, the movie felt much more disjointed. Also, they spent so little time on the happy moments in their lives, and so much time on the sad moments. It was hard to really see how and why they loved each other, other than "they were meant to". I will say, though, there were a few things I liked better in the movie. The main thing I appreciated was how they changed Gomez. I found him to be very creepy in his obsession with Clare in the book, and they pretty much take that out in the movie - he is the solid friend that Henry really needs. I kept waiting for "creepy Gomez" to make an appearance, so I was pleasantly surprised when he didn't! Also, I think the movie was cast well, especially Alba. When we see her for the first time, I though, "Oh! She's perfect! It's Alba!" :)

I'll probably rent the movie and watch it again sometime, with a less critical eye and with more time between the book reading and the movie watching.

Updated points: 35

I completed task 15.2 by reading Red Prophet.

In this alternate history, North America is divided into several smaller countries - there are still British colonies, french Canada, and a small united states around the great lakes. A lot of historical figures are given alternate roles and personas (Napolean helps coordinate a war of Indians versus americans for example).

I think we are better off with how things actually happened! The US would not be nearly as strong or successful today if it had half the land and the French revolution had never happened. That is a selfish view point, i am sure some other countries would prefer if the us hadn't become so strong, but such is life.

Point Total: 155
Page Total: 2603

For 5.5, I finished Lord of the Flies by William Golding I believe I was required to read this book back in my freshman year of high school, or maybe it was junior high, I can't really remember. I do remember that I did not like this book and did not finish it. I used cliff notes to write my paper on it and take the tests. Rereading it now, I give it 4 stars. It really is a great book and very inventive.

5 POINTS

1. Children: The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan
2. Apples: Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
3. Ocean: Life of Pi by Yann Martel
4. Adoption: Sea Swept by Nora Roberts
5. Back to School: The Lord of the Flies by William Golding COMPLETED 9/16/09
6. Terrifying Titles: Dead End Dating by Kimberly Raye
7. Giving Thanks: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
8. Two Heads: The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub
9. Age Spectrum: (coming of age) Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
10. Daylight Savings Time: Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

10 POINTS

1. Buddy Holly: All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren
2. River Phoenix:
3. Stanley Berenstain: Bears in the Night; The Bear Detectives: The Case of the Missing Pumpkin; The Birds, the Bees, and the Berenstain Bears; The Berenstain Bears and the Bad Dream all by Stan Berenstain for 129 pages. COMPLETED 9/1/09
4. Hispanic Heritage: The Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux
5. Oktoberfest: Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
6. Native American:
7. Superman: 8. Dictionary (Paragraph, Casing, Dictionary):
9. Gone With The Wind:
10. Cat's Meow: A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

15 POINTS

1. Grammar: Prepositions - Something from the Nightside by Simon R. Green 9/7/09 and From the Corner of His Eye by Dean Koontz
2. Rewriting History: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Suzanna Clarke
3. Math: Division (62) Key of Knowledge by Nora Roberts and Addition (14) Eleven on Top by Janet Evanovich
4. Sci Fi vs. Sci Fact: Life, the Universe, and Everything by Douglas Adams
5. Study Abroad: Swedish - The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson and Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
6. Creative Minds: The Eight by Katherine Neville
7. Get Physical: Bo Knows Bo by Bo Jackson and watch a Texas A&M Football Game
8. Geography: J - Japan - Shogun by James Clavell and M (Middle Initial because last initial is W) - Mexico - The Xibalba Murders by Lyn Hamilton
9. Homework: Nursing Theorists and Their Work by Ann Marriner Tomey
10. Teacher/Student: student - A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray and teacher - The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

20 POINTS

1. Christian Fiction: Left Behind by Tim LaHaye
2. Alphabet: K - Key of Valor by Nora Roberts; L - The Last Dickens: A Novel by Matthew Pearl; and M - My Favorite Mistake by Beth Kendrick
3. Group Read: Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane COMPLETED 9/11/09

25 POINTS

1. Rhyme Time:
2. Related: Black House by Stephen King and Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
3. Harvey Milk:
4. Book/Movie: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
5. Fortune Telling:
6. Curse of Tippecanoe:
7. One, Two, Three: Marked by P.C. and Kristen Cast; Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich; Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich
8. Nouns: Name - The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe; Place - Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris; Thing - The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
9. Self-Improvement: The Traveler's Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success by Andy Andrews 9/4/09 and Kennison's Gifts by W. David Tibbs
10. Halloween Part III: Season of the Witch by Natasha Mostert

30 POINTS

1. Job/Dream Job: Theoretical Basis for Nursing by Melanie McEwan (acutal - nurse) and Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters (dream - archeologist)

50 POINTS

1.

TOTAL PAGES READ: 1090
NUMBER OF BOOKS READ: 8
NUMBER OF TASKS COMPLETED: 3
NUMBER OF TASKS IN PROGRESS: 2

Finished Cait's Task (25.8):

Proper Noun: Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea (9/9/09)
Proper Place: Motherless Brooklyn (9/6/09)
Noun: The Hunger Games (9/16/09)




TASKS COMPLETED: 2
BOOKS READ: 4

Joy Marie wrote: "For 5.5, I finished Lord of the Flies by William Golding I believe I was required to read this book back in my freshman year of high school, or maybe it was junior high, I can't really remember. I do remember that I did not like this book and did not finish it. I used cliff notes to write my paper on it and take the tests. Rereading it now, I give it 4 stars. It really is a great book and very inventive. "

Thou almost persuadest me to read it again. But alas, I shall not! ;) I HATED Lord of the Flies in high school... now I'm wondering if I'd like it better now... But I'm still going to read To Kill a Mockingbird, since it's like... the #1 book ever, and I remember almost nothing about it...

All right. Completed another task!

Task 25.1 — Nicole — Rhyme Time: A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein (9/5/09) AND Last Bite: A Novel of Culinary Romance by Nancy Verde Barr (9/17/09) (Light/Bite)

I liked both of them quite a bit! Nancy Verde Barr was Julia Child's Executive Chef for 18 years, so when she wrote about her character working behind-the-scenes on a cooking show, I believed every word! It was like reading the Food Network... haha! :) Plus, there's a recipe for Eggplant Parmesan in the back that I'm dying to try.... Yummm!

CURRENT STATS
Tasks Completed: 13/45
Tasks Partially Completed: 3/45
Books Read: 18/60
Pages Read: 5,469
Points Earned: 145/690



Now what to read next.....

Michelle♥ wrote: "I just finished The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. It was a lightning-paced book and was a fun read. It was too eerily similar to his other books, but it was an overall decen..."
regarding War of the worlds
did you read it as a child? There is a task there, forgot where though

would war or world be a thing?

can it fit under the abc challenge

Recently Finished Tasks:
10.8 (Random Word Generator) Play It as It Lays - Joan Didion
20.1 (Christian Fiction) The Magician's Nephew - C.S. Lewis
25.10 (Monsterfest) Devil May Care - Sebastian Faulks

Total Points - 135

25.4 (Candace's Task)
Book: Skipping Christmas by John Grisham (2001)
Movie: Christmas With The Kranks (2004)

I must say that I enjoyed both the movie and the book very much. I think Tim Allen was perfect for this role as Luther. Some parts of the movie strayed from the book which is the norm it seems and is a shame since the book was wonderful as is. I enjoyed the book more then the movie simply because there were more details in the book and you got a better sense of the characters, their feelings and thought processes. They way their neighbours rallied around them at the end came through better in the book and reminded me of the real meaning of the Christmas season.

I completed the Grammer task. (15.1) I chose the preposistion with. The books I read were
Three Weeks with My Brother by Nicholas and Micah Sparks
Dance with Me by Luanne Rice

Finished 5.10 Time Travel by finishing Knight Errant. This book was OK. But a little far fetched. I know it is fiction but I find it hard to believe that someone can go back 500 years in history and find people who are facinated by her stories of the future without thinking her a nut case. This brings my total to 65 points.

4. Adoption Story – November Is National Adoption Awareness Month - Read A Novel Where The Main Character Is Adopted Or Adopts A Child Themselves Or A Non-Fictional Book Related To Adoption.
Children of the Waters by Carleen Brice-9/17 (298 pgs)

This was an excellent book about adoption and biracial families. It is also deals a lot with self-identity when you are two different races.

60 points

Finished

5.1 Daughters of Darkness - LJ Smith
25.4 Stardust- Neil Gaiman

I enjoyed both the book and the movie, but for different reasons. I liked the beginning of the book with the description of Tristan's family and the market over the wall. But I liked the ending of the movie better. Also, the brother ghosts in the movie were so much more enjoyable than they were in the book. Both were enjoyable and I give both 4 stars, but they were pretty different from each other. The movie probably would have been 5 star if I hadn't watched it so close to reading the book.

Total Points 210/690
Total Books 20/59
Total Tasks Completed 15/45
Total Pages 5873

Finished:
10.1 Read Jubilee Trail by Gwen Bristol. It was published in 1950. And you wondered about what went on during those wagon train trips across America. It's got romance, adventure, scenic beauty, pathos, fleas...

Cynthia -- I posted a completed task on 9/11 and haven't seen it come up yet in the leaderboard . . . just wanted to make sure it didn't get lost -- here is what I posted.

message 654: by Ebostdorff 09/11/2009 06:07PM

10.3 -- . This Year Thanksgiving Falls On November 26th - Famous Children's Author Stanley "Stan" Berenstain (The Berenstain Bears) Died On That Day In 2005 (He Was Born September 29, 1923) - In Memory Of Him...
• Read A Book With The Word Bear Or Bears In The • Several Children's Books (The Number Of Pages Should Add Up To At Least 100).
No Juvenile Or YA Books For This Task.

Read a collection of children's books - 100 books:

1. Oh say can you say -- Dr. Seuss -- 36 pages
2. I am not going to get up today - Dr. Seuss -- 38 pg
3. I can read with my eyes shut -- dr. Seuss -- 35 pgs
4. Bears in the night -- Berenstain -- 30 pages

total -- 139 pages

TOTAL POINTS -- 10

5.4 - Changeling by Cate Tiernan

Total Points: 160
Tasks Completed: 10

Hello! I have finished the following tasks:



Task 15.5 Foreign Language - French

The Heart Is an Involuntary Muscle by Monique Proulx (3 Stars) Completed 16Sept09
Someone I Loved by Anna Gavalda (4 Stars) Completed13Sept09

Task 25.3 - Gay Positive Character

Three Junes by Julia Glass (4.5 Stars) Completed 17Sept09




Total Completed Tasks: 9
Total Number of Books Read: 13
Total Number of Pages Read: 4025
Total Points Accumulated: 140

Phew... I am glad to get a couple of more completed challenges up on the board. I thought I was a fast reader, but holy cow, some people are crazy fast at reading. I feel like a slacker!!! LOL!

I hope everyone is having fun reading and finding some treasures along the way!

Finished another task

25.3 WENDY'S TASK - Harvey Milk, The First Openly Gay Man To Be Elected To Public Office In California, Was Murdered On November 27, 1978. In Honor Of Him Read A Book With A Positive Gay Or Lesbian Character.

My Most Excellent Year A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, and Fenway Park by Stanley Kluger

Cait recommended this book in one of the threads, and I'm glad that I followed his lead because I loved this book. What a wonderful YA read! I gave it 5 stars. Thank you so much, Cait!

Total Points: 70 + 25 = 95

Task 5.10 Time of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch


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5.1 Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards (done)

One more task completed...

10.3 Read with my little one during bedtime:
The Berenstain Bears Go Back to School (30 pages)
The Berenstain Bears and the Homework Hassle 32 pages
The Berenstain Bears Think of Those in Need (32 pages)
The Berenstain Bears on the Road (24 pages)
The Berenstain Bears and the Ghost of the Forest 32 pg
The Berenstain Bears Say Please and Thank You 24 pages

Total pages: 174
Total points: 55

Cheryl wrote: "I completed the Grammer task. (15.1) I chose the preposistion with. The books I read were
Three Weeks with My Brother by Nicholas and Micah Sparks
Dance with Me by Luanne Rice"

Hey Cheryl, how did you like Three Weeks with My Brother? I just picked it up a my library's used bookstore yesterday. I was kind of on the fence about it, but I just couldn't walk away from it in the end. Now I'm wondering if I made a good choice....

I finished Cait's Task-25.8 (which I loved BTW)

I read:

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff
The Double by Dostoevsky

This brings me to 45 points.

Ebostdorff wrote: "Cynthia -- I posted a completed task on 9/11 and haven't seen it come up yet in the leaderboard . . . just wanted to make sure it didn't get lost -- here is what I posted.

message 654: by Ebostd..."
Sorry about that - for some reason one of my leaderboard edits didn't save a few days back and yours must have been one of them.

F.R.C. 5.3 -- "In 1492 Columbus Sailed The Ocean Blue - In Honor Of Columbus Day (October) - Read A Novel Where The Main Character Travels At Sea Or A Non-Fiction Book About Sea Travel."

I just read Life of Pi. If interested, I've posted a review in my profile.

Points earned: 5
F.R.C. Total points: 5

Jessica wrote: "I finished Cait's Task-25.8 (which I loved BTW)"

Hi Jessica! How did you like The Monsters of Templeton?? I own this book and would love to know your thoughts? :)

Today, I completed this task. :) My first!

30 POINT TASK
Your Job/Dream Job Challenge - First Read A Book That Is Somehow Related To Your Current Profession (Students Count) AND Then Read A Book That Is Related To Either Your Current Or Childhood Dream Job. The Books Can Either Have A Character Or Setting That Relates To That Job.

Sweet Valley University #6: The Love of Her Life by Laurie John (this series takes place at university, and I'm a university student) AND The Library by Sarah Stewart (the protagonist of the story becomes a librarian, which is my hoped-for profession).

TOTAL: 30

Few more tasks:

10.6 Native American - The Absolute True story of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie

15.8 Geography Lessons -

S - Spain - Vermeer's Milkmaid by Manuel Rivas
E - England - Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear

25.9 Self Improvement Task -EnLIGHTenment by Jessica Berger Gross (weight loss/self-help book/memoir) and Getting It by Alex Sanchez (character is given a "queer eye"-style makeover by a gay classmate and also learns to accept and embrace people that are different from him)

Previous score: 5
Current score: 55

10.4. Hispanic Heritage Month Begins On September 15 Which Commemorates The Anniversary Of Independence For Five Latin American Countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, And Nicaragua)/ In Addition, Mexico Declared Its Independence On September 16, And Chile On September 18. Read A Book Written By An Author From One Of Those Countries Or That Takes Place In One Of Those Countries Or A Non-Fiction Book About One Of Them.
Mexico by Michener
10 points
160 total

thanks cynthia!

I have completed the math task (#15.3) by reading the following:

(Addition=14) Catching Fire-Suzanne Collins
(Division=73) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-J.K. Rowling

Cynthia wrote: "Diane wrote: "15.9 Homework Assignment - The Long Walk Home A Novel by Will North.

Total Points: 210/690
Books Read: 27 (+ 8 Berenstain Bears books)
Tasks Complete..."

Sorry, my bad. My assignment was to do some "research" on Wales, most particularly facts related to the mountain that the protagonist climbed, called Cadair Idris, and the various climbing paths mentioned in the book. I looked up pictures of this mountain and it is quite breathtaking. There is also a good deal of mythology and legend asociated with it. I also looked up on a map to see in which part of the United Kingdom Wales can be found. Lastly, I studied up on the pronunciation of letters in Welsh dialect, and how some have completely different sounds than their English counterparts.

Just finished 30.1 (Roseann's Task) with Kabul Beauty School An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil by Deborah Rodriguez and The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield.

Kabul Beauty School was very disappointing. The Thirteenth Tale was fantastic though...I really couldn't put it down. I was quite jealous of Margaret as she has all of my dream jobs: writing, researching, working in an antiquarian bookstore. Ah, that'd be the life!

completed 10.9 The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

new total: 40points

Finished 10.1 with The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner. It was originally published in 1942. I hadn't read this book since I was about eight, and it was such fun to have a reason to check it out of the library!

That has me at:
Total Points: 135
Completed Tasks: 9
Books Read: 17 (including children's books)
Pages Read: 3,160

5.5 Going Back to School. I reread Heart of Darkness and the Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad. It was a book that didn't really stick with me back when I first read it (many, many years ago...). I really could't remember if I liked it or hated it, the answer probably being neither. It was actually a pretty decent book, despite it's frequent appearance on the Unpopluar Book list. It is definitely something that I enjoy now more in my old age, and I'm sure it's more enjoyable now since it is voluntarily read vs. assigned.

Total Points: 215/690
Books Read: 30 (+ 8 Berenstain Bears books)
Tasks Completed: 17/45
Tasks in Progress: 8


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Cynthia wrote: "I've finished 2 tasks...

10.1 - I read Foxfire by Anya Seton which was first published in 1950. It was a classic tale of two people from different backgrounds who fal..."

Go Hokies!

I finished task 25.1 by reading Last Exposures A Sequence of Poems by Cathryn Hankla and Fast Women by Jennifer Crusie. I really just don't care for poetry so that was a lets just get it over with kind of book but Fast Women (my first Crusie book) was pretty good.

11 TASKS COMPLETE - 3 PARTIALLY DONE
19 BOOK READ
6,213 PAGES READ


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15.7 Let's Get Physical (P.E)
The Mist (audiobook) by Stephen King (while on treadmill)

Total points: 70

Diane wrote: "Cynthia wrote: "I've finished 2 tasks...

10.1 - I read Foxfire by Anya Seton which was first published in 1950. It was a classic tale of two people from different b..."Yeah they pretty much destroyed Marshall (52-10) so it wasn't the most interesting game but still fun since we won.

Oh coome on, I just read this book, and already I couldn't remember that she was adopted!

5.4 Adoption Story - The Coven

1 DONE!
Total Points: 5

I have my first task completed. Task 20.1. I read Gideon's Gift by Karen Kingsbury. This gives me a total of 20 points. ;)