The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

Completed Task 10.6 (Native Americans)

by reading


New Total = 55 points

25.2 Donna Jo's Task
Where Are You Now? by Mary Higgins Clark (mother)
Decked by Carol Higgins Clark (daughter)

Total points: 95

Just finished the first book in this task, so no new points.
Prepositions - Read 2 Books That Contain The Same Preposition In Their Titles. Ex. A Lesson Before Dying & I Heard That Song Before
After You by Julie Buxbaum-9/18 (326 pgs)

I absolutely loved Julie Buxbaum's first book, so I was excited when she had a new book out. This was another great read.

Now I have 6 tasks started!! I should be racking up the points one I have them all finished.

Just finished task 25.10 by reading The Devil's Arithmetic. Depressing book. I need something uplifting to read...seems like I haven't read anything happy in awhile.

Total Points: 45/690
Books Read: 5/60
Tasks Completed: 4/45

Finished 10.5 (Germany) with Andrei Cherney's The Candy Bombers, which is about the Berlin Airlift of 1948-1949. A really great read, and very inspiring.

Current Total: 65 points

Angela wrote: "Just finished the first book in this task, so no new points.
Prepositions - Read 2 Books That Contain The Same Preposition In Their Titles. Ex. A Lesson Before Dying & I Heard That Song Before
..."

I have 6 multi-book tasks started too! I always seem to do that...

Am new to the challenge so this is my first post.

For task 10.3 I read a whole series of Berenstain Bear books (240 pages). I was very impressed by the way Stan and Jan Berenstain wrote the books at different reading levels. Here are the ones I read with their levels.

1. The Berenstain Bears Ride the Thunderbolt - picture book with 3-4 word descriptions for pre-schoolers.
2. The Berenstain Bears and the Missing Watermelon Money - simple sentences-grades 1-3.
3. The Bear Scouts - beginner books with paragraphs for early elementary school.
4. The Berenstain Bear Scouts and the Coughing Catfish - chapter books for more advanced elementary school readers.

This was both an entertaining and educational task.

Total points: 10
Books read: 1 (I am counting this task as 1 book)
Pages read: 240
Tasks completed: 1
Tasks in progress 4

Done with task 5.5 (Back to School) - for this one I read Lois Lowery's Number the Stars. I actually to read this book at two different times in school. Once in the 4th grade (for English class) and then again in my sophomore year of high school (for World History). I still think what I thought both times before, its a good book - but it is interesting to see how you feel about thing as you get older. At 9, its a nice story about friends, at 15 its a story about the Holocaust & World War II in a country you didn't hear much about. And at 27 - its still a good book (though short), but its amazing the courage a ten year old can inspire, makes you want to be a better person.

This is a great story and I think that everyone should read it at least once.

Total points = 185


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10.4 Hispanic Heritage Month - I read Malinche by Laura Esquivel. The book takes place in Mexico and is written by a Mexican author.

Total Points: 225/690
Books Read: 32 (+ 8 Berenstain Bears books)
Tasks Completed: 18/45
Tasks in Progress: 8


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For 25.4 I read My Sister's Keeper and saw the movie. This was not because of the challenge but because I wanted to see the movie and felt I should read the book first. Then the challenge had this task - yeah for sychronicity!!

The movie followed the book fairly well until the end which was totally different. Quite a shock - especially since I had just read the book.

The book ended with a very dramatic and totally unexpected ending. I won't go into detail because I don't want to spoil for anyone who is planning to read/see the book/movie.

The movie ended with a much more realistic ending. While the book had dramatic impact, the movie was more believable. If I had to vote, I would vote for the movie's ending.

Total points: 35
Books read: 2
Pages read: 663
Tasks completed: 2
Tasks in progress 4

For 25.5 I read Kaleidescope by Dorothy Gilman. This about a psychic named Countess Karitska who does readings in her home. She is caught up in people's lives and in helping the police with their investigations. An easy, entertaining book series by the author of the Mrs. Pollifax novels.

For 5.9 I listened to the audiobook of The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. This is about a senior citizen and his wife living in a nursing home. Very sweet and sentimental story of his remembrances of their life together.

Total points: 65
Books read: 2
Pages read: 1179
Tasks completed: 4
Tasks in progress 4

I'm reporting in yet again! Yay!

Task 5.2 An Apple (Book) A Day Keeps The Librarians Away - The Pinballs by Betsy Byers (9/16/09) http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Extra notes: my copy does have an apple on it, for it's an "apple paperbacks" book. The nearest book cover I can find is
Book cover http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0590...
But the top part is missing there. On the top left, it's supposed to say "Apple Paperbacks" and the apple is directly to the right of the top center peak. If this description doesn't suffice, email me and I'll upload a picture of my well-worn book as best I can. :D

Task 25.4 CANDACE'S TASK - Read A Book That Has Been Written Within The Last 10 Years And Made Into A Movie Within The Last 5. Read The Book And Watch The Movie Both, Then Post A Little Review Of The Two And Tell Us Which One You Liked Better And Why.
Twilight, book 1 by Stephanie Meyer (9/15/09) -- watched DVD [movie:] (9/18/09)
Book Review - http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Movie Review - I'm thinking at the moment the movie is better, actually, for it doesn't seem quite as silly as the book does at times. They do follow the book pretty much, but there's not much content in the book from which to show. One change is downplaying her sickness to the sight of blood, and making up for it with extra vampire research. The vampire running is very cool, like one might imagine from reading the book. Most of the vampires are done pretty well, aside from the teeth (pointy teeth now a myth or what??). Carlisle Cullen (aka the foster father of the vampires)--I totally crushed on him, more so than Edward (though, I'm a fan of Mr. Pattinson - that accent is hot. ~wink~). If you're to watch this movie, watch with the directors/actors' commentary, too. It's more interesting to see their points of view during the making of the film, and you get the deleted scenes (some are enjoyable). :)

Total Points: (today) 30 (overall) 70/690
Books Read: (today) 2, 1 movie (overall) 9/60
Tasks Completed: (today) 2 (overall) 5/45
Tasks in progress: 4
Pages Read: 2514

Back to the reading board. ;)

Finished 5.9 (Coming of Age). I read Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume. I think I was one of the few girls that didn't read Judy Blume books when I was growing up. That being said - I can still relate to Margaret (in some ways). She's in 6th grade and all she wants to to grow some boobs and get her period. By the end of the book - she happily attains one of those missions :). Personally, I don't remember being too excited for either of those to happen, but I guess they are both rites of passage for young girls on the road to womanhood :).

Not a bad book, definitely something that should be read when you're younger though...

Total points = 190


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Helen wrote: "Am new to the challenge so this is my first post.

For task 10.3 I read a whole series of Berenstain Bear books (240 pages). I was very impressed by the way Stan and Jan Berenstain wrote the boo..."

Welcome, Helen and congratulations. I know Cynthia will appreciate the clarity of your post.
;^)

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.

The Funny Thing Is... by Ellen DeGeneres as an audio book read by the author was rather like listening to one of her stand-up routines.

running total: 15 tasks -17 books

Finished a couple more--

25.10--DEATH OF A WITCH by M.C. Beaton

Well there really wasn't much about the witch in this as she did die pretty near the beginning, but it was a cute little Cozy Mystery.

and

10.4--PORT MUNGO by Patrick McGrath

I really had trouble finishing this one. The main problem with this "love" story was that there was no likable character and very little love. I would not reccoment this book.

This brings me to 270 points!!

5.7 Book of Shadows

I give thanks for magic, and human imagination. >w<

For task 20.1

The Shack by William P. Young


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I'm not sure what to make of this book, I thought the story was contrived and not that well written but it certainly tugged at emotional heartstrings. I don't think it added to my knowledge of Christianity in anyway, nor did it encourage me to explore my faith any further.

I am sure there are much better books out there for the purpose this book suggests itself.

View all my reviews >>

Points for this book: 20
Total Points to date: 140

Kristina UK

I finished 25.9, Self-help/Positive Change with
Worry Well Understanding and Managing Your Relationship with Anxiety by Jerilyn Ross and Robin Cantor-Cooke and
Going Gray What I Learned About Beauty, Sex, Work, Motherhood by Anne Kraemer

Worry Well (alternate title One Less Thing to Worry About) was a lightweight- the author writes more about her own anxieties than anything else. Her descriptions/justifications for anxiety take 199 pages, her "wisdom"- pages 200-231

+25
total= 240

5 Point Tasks
1. The Heretic's Daughter
2.
3.
4.
5. The Scarlet Letter Did not like it as much, but I hate rereading books so that does not surprise me.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

10 Point Tasks
1.
2.
3. Chicky Chicky Chook Chook (32 pp.) Poor Puppy (40 pp) Go, Dog. Go! (64 pp.)
4.
5.
6.
7. Falling Boy A Novel
8.
9.
10.

15 Point Tasks
1. a.
b.
2.
3. a.
b.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
b. C- Congo The Poisonwood Bible
9.
10. a.
b. student:Down the Rabbit Hole An Echo Falls Mystery
20 Point Tasks
1.
2.
3. Julie and Julia 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen

25 Point Tasks
1. a.
b.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7. a.
b.
c.
8. a.
b.
c.
9. a.
b.
10.

30 Point Tasks
1. a.
b. Fake psychic/Private Investigator and slacker Psych Mind Over Magic

50 Point Tasks
TBD

TOTAL POINTS: 50

Hi Cynthia! I edited my alternate history post to include my thoughts on whether the world is better or not in the rewriting. Thanks! Sorry I missed that part of the challenge! (so total points should now be: 220 - in case you don't want to go hunting for my post!)

I just finished 2 books yesterday, which will really help my score!

30.1 - Truancy (student) by Isamu Fukui and Why Buildings fall down (Engineering) by Matthis Levy, et al.

25.20- The Lancaster Witch by Carol H. Berman

Previous points: 25
New Points: 65
Total Points:80
Tasks Completed:5
Tasks In progress:3
Pages read:2348

4 more tasks/6 more books & a movie!

5.9 Coming of Age: All Grown Up: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson Sept. 15
This is about an elderly minister who married late in life, and is writing letters to his young son. I was expecting uplifting, but there was very little of that. There was some good history of bloody Kansas and the personal battles behind the fight over free/slave states.

10.5 Oktoberfest: All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque Sept. 17
This still resonates almost a century later, mainly I think because of the first-person narration of the horrible realities faced by foot soldiers.

25.4 Candace's Task: book + movie Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (560 pp) Sept. 14
The book is definitely better than the movie! I first read this almost a year ago, and did my re-read of the book after I saw the movie. There were some sweet, even great moments in the movie, and in some places where they changed an event (such as finding a house) the movie version worked better for visual effect than the way it actually happened in the book. But the movie did too much jumping around (and I say this about a book that does nothing but jump around!) and it just didn't make the emotional contact that the book did.

25.8 Cait's Task: 1) Proper Noun - Name of Person: Mr. Cavendish I Presume by Julia Quinn (370 pp) Sept. 11
2) Proper Noun - Name of Place: Paradise Valley by Robyn Carr Sept. 18
3) Common Noun - Thing/Object: James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl (160 pp) Sept. 8

Total Points = 265

I finally read a book that wasn't part of a multi-book task!

25.4 Books and Movies – Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

Total: 55/690 points
6/59 books
5/45 tasks
2320 pages

I wasn't going to use Twilight for this task, but got the DVD and then just had to re-read the book. I have to say I thought it was even better second time around, and better after reading the other books (especially Midnight Sun). I absolutely loved it and could almost start all over again. 5 stars
The film was OK. Bits were good but I think they could have done a much better job with the script and the editing. The first half especially seemed a little jerky. Bella didn't come across right to me either. And I do wish they'd kept some of the good bits in the book in the right place and not changed locations or times. I know films can't be exact and cover everything but sometimes there seem to be changes just for the sake of change. 3 stars

Completed 5.6 with Plum Spooky. Not my cup of tea so I gave it 2 stars.

Total Points: 45

Finished 5.6 with Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich. (My Halloween adjective is, obviously, "spooky.") Glad it was just a library book. Definitely not her best work.

That has me at:
Total Points: 140
Completed Tasks: 10
Books Read: 18 (including children's books)
Pages Read: 3,528

I have finished the 30.1 task. I read The Thirteenth Tale for the book with something to do with my dream job (to own and run a book shop). I also read The History Man by Malcolm Bradbury which is has a university lecturer as the main character (i work in a university).

Previous reads

5.4 Adoption - Digging to America by Anne Tyler

20.3 Group Read - Shutter Island by Dennis LeHane

25.5 Fortune in the title - Fortune's Rocks by Anita Shreve


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Ok so I just completed task 20.3 and I read Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane for the group read. This was by far the BEST book that I have read ALL year and I'm so glad that I picked it up! If you have not read it yet I suggest you start!! You will not regret it!

Total: 65 points
Tasks Completed: 6
Tasks In Progess: 2
Books Read: 8

5.10. Fall Back In Time For Daylight Savings Time – Read A Novel Where One Or More Character(s) Travel Back In Time.
Slaughterhouse 5
5 points
175 total

I complete Wendy's Task. Read a book about a positive gay or lesbian character.

I read The Family Man by Elinor Lipman.




Tasks Completed: 8
Tasks Started: 3
Books Read: 13 (plus 3 children's picture books)
Pages Read: 3,952
# of Books from "owned and unread" shelf": 10
Total Points: 195

Hey guys you're fast.I'm still on my first task.I'm halfway of The first.Its a 20 points value.I'm reading Julie and Julia I will be glad to have my first 20 points.

oh my goodness I FINALLY completed my first task (better late than never, right??):

15.5 with The Complete Persepolis and The Photographer Into War-Torn Afghanistan with Doctors Without Borders. Both were originally published in French.

Just finished Shutter Island for 20.3. Great book. Reminded me very much of Primal Fear. Now I am excited to finally be able to open the discussion topic and see what everyone has been talking about.

Total Points: 140

20.3 GROUP READ - Julie and Julia My Year of Cooking Dangerously

Points: 30
Books Read: 3

just finished Philip Roth's The Dying Animal for half of task 30.1. another cheery book. i think it's time to pick up some Sedaris, i need a laugh!!!

15.9. Your Homework Assignment (Should You Choose To Accept It) Is To Read A Book With The Word Home OR Work In The Title.
• After Reading The Book You Have To Design A Homework Assignment That Relates Somehow To That Book. Post The Details Of The Assignment When You Claim Points For This Task.
[image error] "work" (by the way, that's a broken fortune cookie on the cover, not a couple of noses)
Dance with Chance Making Luck Work for You by Spyros Makridakis, Robin Hogarth and Anil Gaba

Assignment:
Starting with $5000 imaginary money, "invest" in four stocks or commodities listed on the stock or commodity market reports for three months. Compare your results with the three month average stock and commodity prices. Report on how the difference/similarity affects your feeling of well being.

Running total: 16 books - 18 tasks

Finished Cait's task 25.8 by reading 3 books.
Person - Aunt Dimity's Good Deed by Nancy Atherton
Place - Liberty A Novel of Lake Wobegon by Garrison Keillor
Thing - The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald
That brings my total to 90 points.

I completed The Devil in the White City Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America for task 10.8. My word was "white."

Total: 25 points and 3 books

5 Point Tasks
1. The Heretic's Daughter
2.
3.
4.
5. The Scarlet Letter Did not like it as much, but I hate rereading books so that does not surprise me.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

10 Point Tasks
1.
2.
3. Chicky Chicky Chook Chook (32 pp.) Poor Puppy (40 pp) Go, Dog. Go! (64 pp.)
4.
5.
6.
7. Falling Boy A Novel
8.
9.
10.

15 Point Tasks
1. a.
b.
2.
3. a.
b.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
b. C- Congo The Poisonwood Bible
9.
10. a.
b. student:Down the Rabbit Hole An Echo Falls Mystery
20 Point Tasks
1.
2.
3. Julie and Julia 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen

25 Point Tasks
1. a.
b.
2.
3.
4.
5.Skylight Confessions
6.
7. a.
b.
c.
8. a.
b.
c.
9. a.
b.
10.

30 Point Tasks
1. a.
b. Fake psychic/Private Investigator and slacker Psych Mind Over Magic

50 Point Tasks
TBD

TOTAL POINTS: 75

Finished:
5.10 Travel back in time
Legend by Jude Deveraux.
This was a re-read for me and I'd forgotten how much back and forthing in time there was.

Tara wrote: "25 Point Tasks...
4.
5.Skylight Confessions
..."

Convince me that this fits the Fortune Telling Task
;^) Jan

25.5. JANICE'S TASK - Fortune Telling Has Long Been A Halloween Tradition: Read A Book With "Fortune" Or "Prophecy" In The Title, OR That Features Fortune-Telling, Prophecy Or Prediction(s) As The Main Theme Or Has A Fortune Teller As A Main Character.

The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield

I know there must have been someone out there with whom this book struck a chord. I am obviously not ready to start vibrating on a higher level. Sorry, Mrs. Thies, I couldn't even fathom the Seven Planes of Existance.

Running total: 17 books - 19 tasks

kiki wrote: "just finished Philip Roth's The Dying Animal for half of task 30.1. another cheery book. i think it's time to pick up some Sedaris, i need a laugh!!!
"

LOL, Kiki. I read that book a few years ago and remember running back to the library to look for something to get the taste out of my mouth. I chose Vonnegut, but I definitely think Sedaris would work.

Janice wrote: "I know there must have been someone out there with whom this book struck a chord. I am obviously not ready to start vibrating on a higher level. Sorry, Mrs. Thies, I couldn't even fathom the Seven Planes of Existance."

I'm with ya, lady! (I read CP for this task, too.)

15.2. Rewriting History - Read an Alternative Historical Novel. Afterwards, Post A Review Where You State Whether You Think The World (Or A Particular) Country Would Be Better Today If The Author's Version Of History Is What Really Happened. Give Reasons Why.
The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
The author’s premise about a Jewish settlement in Sitka Alaska instead of Jerusalem is preposterous. Israel is an imperfect situation, but Alaska is ridiculous.
15 points
190 Total

Finally finished another task. I did finish another book, but I'm using it for a multiple book task and haven't figured out what else to put with it.

Finished the 5 pt task 8. Let's Find Out If Two Heads Really Better Than One - Read A Book That Has More Than One Author.

Read Citizen Girl on my book it shows it's by Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus. In this case 2 heads weren't better then 1. I really didn't like it.

ETA: That should bring me to 10 points.

I finished task 15.2 Alternative History.

I read The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde.

I can't say whether the world would actually be a better place if the ending of Jane Eyre was different. I think that this book runs true in that many who have read Jane Eyre would prefer an alternate ending.

In any case, I did not like this book. I don't think it was because of the fantasy portion of it. I just can't pin point why exactly I didn't like it since so many people love this book.




Tasks Completed: 9
Tasks Started: 3
Books Read: 13 (plus 3 childrens picture books)
Pages Read: 4,326
Points Earned: 210
# of Books from "owned and unread" shelf: 10

10 POINT TASK
9. Summer Has Gone With The Wind- On November 5, 2009, The Actress Vivien Leigh, Who Portrayed Scarlett O'Hara In The Film Adaptation Of GWTW, Would Have Been 96 Years Old - In Honor Of Her Most Famous Role - Read A Novel Set During The U.S. Civil War.
None Shall Look Back, Caroline Gordon.

Report #5

Completed Tasks
10.2 Addiction - Rachel's Holiday 592pp 3 stars
15.4 Science Fiction Novel - Light 320pp 3 stars
Science Fact Film - Music Instinct: Science and Song
25.4 Book 2005 - Q & A 336pp 3 stars
Movie 2008 - Slumdog Millionaire

The book Q & A and the movie Slumdog Millionaire are both average. The movie is helped because the actors, visuals and music cover some of the fault lines in the story. The basic story is the same – in both versions a young man (Ram in the book; Jamal in the movie) wins millions on a TV quiz show because he has inadvertently encountered the answers through episodes of suffering and abuse growing up poor in India. The movie changes relationships, events, questions, motivations and combines several girls to create a focused love relationship.

I almost stopped reading the book on page 15 when Ram appears unscathed after the graphic and ghastly tortures in the preceding pages. Another flaw in the book is that Ram’s motive for being on the quiz show is hidden until near the end.

The movie ill-advisedly changes Salim from a faithful friend to a betraying brother and inserts additional explicit violence including the killing of the boys’ mother.

25.5 Fortune title - The House on Fortune Street A Novel 320pp 3 stars
30.1 Current profession = retired - Retirement Homes Are Murder 291 pp 2 stars
Dream job = author - Reading Like a Writer A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them 273pp 4 stars

Partially Completed Tasks
15.10 Teacher - The Piano Teacher 328pp 3 stars




Completed tasks - 26
Partially completed tasks - 3
Books read - 35
Pages read - 11,497
Total points - 360

Completed two more tasks:

5.8 Co-Authors: Sundays at Tiffanys by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet

Two heads are better than one on this novel. It is a sweet, easy read love story with a fantasy flair. Not a typical Patterson -reads more like Nicholas Sparks. But it was delightful and would recommend for a cozy-type reading experience.

5.10 Time Travel: The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Had to get this one read so I could see the movie. I had started it three times previously and was interupted by needing to read library books with short deadlines. Not a book you can leave for any period of time and pick back up. So finally just committed to restarting from the beginning and reading it through until completed. It was a good book (3.5 of 5 stars) but one in which you had to suspend reality and just let it flow. Not the best book I have ever read but it was fun to compare to the movie.

Total Points 75
Books Read 6
Pages read 2035
Tasks Comp 6
In Process 5

15.7. Let's Get Physical (P.E.)
• Listen To An Audiobook While Walking/Jogging/Running Or Exercising In Some Way.
Or
• Read A Book Written By Or About An Athlete (Fictional Or Non-Fiction) And Participate In Or Watch That Same Type Of Sporting Event. Example If You Read A Book About An Ice Skater You Could Go Ice Skating Or Watch It On Television/Live.

Read: Santa Olivia by Jacqueline Carey (boxers/fiction)
Watched: Video of WBC Heavyweight Title Match: Mike Tyson vs. Trevor Berbick

Total points 70