The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

Adding another one to the list:

The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes for task 25.5

New total:635

Ok maybe my post got lost.
I completed
5.2 Twilight By Stephanie Meyers
15.3 Multiplication Magician Apprentice by Raymond E. Feist (pp477)
Division- Dead As A Doornail(5), Dead and Gone(9), by Charlaine Harris
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.
I read and saw the movie "New Moon" by Stephanie Meyers. I was entranced by the movie. I liked that the movie was a little longer than Twilight and this movie flowed a little more smoothly than Twilight. I liked the special effects on the werewolves. I really liked Jacob's werewolf. As always though the book was better.

Total: 45 points
Tasks Completed 3

Sam and Bridgit, I hope you both are able to finish. You are both so close.

Great job sandra!!!!

8. Geography Lessons - Read Two Books That Take Place Countries That Correspond To Your Initials.
Afghanistan:Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil by Deborah Rodriguez-11/22 (270 pgs)
France:The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby-10/14 (132 pgs)

New Total: 500

Another task done!

15.2-Rewriting History
I read His Majesty's Dragon. In this book, tamed dragons provide air power for England and France as they fight the Napoleonic Wars. The author does not change the outcome of the Napoleonic Wars, but having dragons instead of fighter planes and bombers would certainly change WWI and WWII. WWI seems like it would have been less deadly, which would be a point in favor of the author's alternative history. On the down side, we probably would not have space exploration without having first developed airplanes. Overall, I liked the friendly, intelligent nature of the dragons in this book and think they would be a fun alternative horses. So, I vote for the author's version of history.

Congratulations to Sandra for finishing the Fall Challenge!

My Newly Completed Tasks:

15.5 - Time To Study Abroad -- Read 2 Books That Were Originally Published In The Same Foreign Language: Both of my chosen books were translated from Spanish

1) The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
I listened to this book quite early in the challenge. I then intended to read Zafon’s “Shadow of the Wind” for the 20 point task. (It looks like I’ll run out of time before finishing Shadow of the Wind though.) My impressions of the book have changed since I first finished it. Initially I didn’t care for it much. It seemed so overwrought and grimly dark. Now I see that as more of the intended style of the book, and have come to appreciate it more. I just wish I’d had time to finish Shadow of the Wind so I could compare the two. Ah well, there’s always the Winter Challenge. I think I initially gave this book 2 stars, but I’m going to change that to 4 stars.

2) My Invented Country A Nostalgic Journey Through Chile by Isabelle Allende
I’ve been meaning to read some of Allende’s books but haven’t gotten around to it yet, so this might seem like a strange choice for a first peek into her writing. I enjoyed it. It was a mix of travelogue and history of Chile and her personal memoir. I’m more inclined to read her works of fiction now. I gave it 3 stars.

25.7 - CINDY'S TASK - One, Two, Three
1) Gilead A Novel by Marilynne Robinson
I just finished this book today. I’m going to let it settle a bit in my mind before I give it my final ‘star’ rating. It isn’t a book that you want to speed through as there is a lot of philosophical ruminations about different aspects of the Christian religion. (And just about life in general.) The story is slow to unfold, but it’s really poignant at some points, and frustrating at others. I was hoping to read the follow-up book to this titled, ‘Home’ for the Homework task. Sadly once again I have run out of time to complete that task. I’m wavering between 3 and 4 stars for this book. I’ll probably go with 4 stars.

2) Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K Hamilton
This is book 1 in the vampire hunter series featuring Anita Blake. It was my first foray into Hamilton’s work. I read it REALLY early in the challenge so I’m a bit fuzzy about my initial reaction to it. I didn’t fall in love with the series, but I’ll probably try the second book just to see if it gets any better. I gave it 3 stars. I prefer the Sookie Stackhouse series which is just a bit lighter in tone.

3) The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
This was a so-so historical fiction book about Elizabeth Woodville. Her sons were the princes that mysteriously disappeared (Killed by their uncle?) while staying in the Tower of London. I listened to this book on audio, and the narrator was REALLY annoying to me. She was way too theatrical and over the top in her reading of the text. That may have influenced my opinion of the book so beware.  I gave it 2 stars.

Total Points: 400
Completed Tasks: 24/45
Books Read for Completed Tasks: 36/62
Pages Read for Completed Tasks: 13,131
Other Tasks in Process: 2

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As usual, I'm making a strong push at the end to rack up as many points as possible even though finishing is probably not an option. I wrapped up 25.7 with Rory Clements's Martyr, Jan Burke's The Messenger, and Chuck Palahniuk's Fugitives and Refugees.

Current Total: 495 points

Finished 15.4 with The Host. I watched several episodes of Mystery Diagnosis with my daughter. It's amazing how they use medical science to diagnose the most "out there" things!

New total: 155

Heather in KS

Way to go, Sandra!!

Cynthia, per your note, here are my updates to complete the posting requirements:

50 pointer - The School of Essential Ingredients is focused around eating and the senses of taste and smell, while Fear of Flying covers a whole range of emotions but the overwhelming one is Isadora's indecision and fear of making choices.

15.2 - Harris's view of life after a Nazi victory in WWII is definitely not preferable to what actually happened! It's pretty grim to think about what would have happened if they'd gotten Western Europe and America to capitulate.

Finished 15.7
read The Art of Racing in the Rain and watched The Homestead Sprint Cup Race today.

Great race and even better book!

Total points: 400

Thanks everybody!

I finished task 15.7 by reading In These Girls, Hope is a Muscle by Madeleine Blais. I play in a women's basketball league so my weekly games fulfill the second portion of the task.

Total points = 170

Tara wrote: "Finished 15.7
read The Art of Racing in the Rain and watched The Homestead Sprint Cup Race today.

Great race and even better book!

Total points: 400"
Who's your driver? I've been a Jimmie fan for years (pre-champion days)

Wow, it's been nice to spend the weekend mostly just reading...at some point I have to return to the habit of working all weekend but hopefully not any time soon! But I did finish two more tasks...

5.7 I read We Had Sneakers, They Had Guns The Kids Who Fought for Civil Rights in Mississippi - I am VERY thankful for all the people who fought (and still fight) for civil rights of all kinds in our world.

20.3 I read Julie and Julia My Year of Cooking Dangerously in a whirlwind one-day span. I really liked it, way more than I expected to - I found her pretty funny.

15.3
Addition - I have 9 letters in my first and last name and read Camelback Falls A David Mapstone Mystery by Jon Talton.

Subtraction - My age (43) less letters in name (13) = 30. I read The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

Camelback Falls is the second in a mystery series set in Phoenix. The writing is good, the books are fast reads and the author does a very good job of using Phoenix as a setting - if you're interested in Phoenix I would recommend these books.

Oscar Wao - I enjoyed most of the book but the ending left me cold - I felt the author moved Oscar too far out of character in too short of a time frame, like he wanted to get the book wrapped up. This book moves back and forth in time and may feel disjointed to some readers but I felt the changes in time period and location worked.

I'm finally at 200 with this posting. 3 books to finish before the 30th.

Sick, so spent the weekend in bed reading. Three more tasks completed:

5.2 Apple - I read Devoured by Amanda Marrone. Besides the apple being held by the girl on the front cover there is also a blood (or candy) soaked apple on the back cover. The book is a YA thriller/horror book that is a modern day spin on Snow White. I def. enjoyed it.

25.5 Fortune - I read On Fortune's Wheel by Cynthia Voigt. Very good YA fantasy. I enjoyed it a lot. It is the first of Voigt's books that I have ever read, and I look forward to reading more by her, as well as the rest of the books in this series.

Last but not least the 50 point challenge. For my book about the senses, I read Blindness by Jose Saramago. The novel is about a plague of blindness that strikes an unnamed country. In the book, the first victims are quarantined in a former asylum, along with a sighted woman (a doctor's wife) who feigns blindness in order to stay with her husband. This book is so scary. I could imagine that the fabric of society would definitely fall apart pretty quickly if everyone lost their ability to see.

For my emotion book, I read Hate List by Jennifer Brown. This book is about a girl whose boyfriend was a school shooter that killed several students, who must recover (she was shot trying to protect a victim) both physically and emotionally. The girl had created a "Hate List," which her boyfriend added to, writing down people who she & he "hated" for whatever reasons. This book is so incredibly powerful. It is one of the best that I have read this year, and I highly recommend it. Everything rings so true and you get a perspective of a school shooting from the point of view of someone who loved the shooter as well as egged him own without realizing how serious it was. The main character must come to terms with her past as the "girl that hated," heal, help her classmates and the survivors heal as well. Read this book!

For my keepsake book, I read Cringe Teenage Diaries, Journals, Notes, Letters, Poems, and Abandoned Rock Operas by Sarah Brown. As you can guess my keepsake is my high school memory book. I call it that because it is more than a journal; it has pictures, ticket stubs, scraps, notes, poems, musings, drawings, etc. Every once in a while I pull it out and look at it, but I'm never really embarrassed by it. This book is a collection of what I just described; actual diary/journal entries/poems/notes/etc. written by people who were teens in the 80s and 90s (I am 28 so I was laughing at the pop culture references). I have to say that this was an incredibly fun and funny read, and I am amazed at the amount of terrible poetry inspired by Eddie Vedder. Also, I love Fox Mulder, too! (The 50 point challenge, I must say is the one I have enjoyed the most. It was very creative and I really enjoyed the books I picked for the task)

Previous score: 520
Current score: 600

Tammy wrote: "Tara wrote: "Finished 15.7
read The Art of Racing in the Rain and watched The Homestead Sprint Cup Race today.

Great race and even better book!

Total points: 400"
Who's your dri..."

I have always liked Ryan Newman (from Indy where my mom is from), but my husband likes Jimmie Johnson. We have not watched it regularly for a few years now, but we turned it on today... plus I was running out of time for the task.

Tammy wrote: "Tara wrote: "Finished 15.7
read The Art of Racing in the Rain and watched The Homestead Sprint Cup Race today.

Great race and even better book!

Total points: 400"
Who's your dri..."

I have always liked Ryan Newman (from Indy where my mom is from), but my husband likes Jimmie Johnson. We have not watched it regularly for a few years now, but we turned it on today... plus I was running out of time for the task.

Time to claim points for another task :0)
25.8 CAIT'S TASK - Nouns - A Person, Place, Or Thing.
Person: [Judy Garland:] Rainbow The Stormy Life Of Judy Garland by Christopher Finch
Place: [America:] Julian Comstock A Story of 22nd-Century America by Robert Charles Wilson
Thing: [Map:] Map of Dreams by M. Rickert

I'd highly recommend Julian Comstock A Story of 22nd-Century America by Robert Charles Wilson -- one of the best science fiction novels of the decade. Rainbow The Stormy Life Of Judy Garland by Christopher Finch was informative about Judy Garland's career, complete with lots of photos. I found it interesting but not everyone would. Finally, there is Map of Dreams by M. Rickert, a book containing a short (100 page) novel Map of Dreams, plus 16 short stories. It's well-told science fantasy with the over-riding theme of a mother dealing with the untimely death of her child (usually her daughter). The first couple of sentences set the tone: "My six-year-old daughter was shot and killed by a sniper while we were visiting New York City in the summer of 1992. She bled from a head wound onto my flowered sundress ...."

325 + 25 = 350





I'm almost done with 15.3. I'm not sure yet if 15.3 will be my last task completed for the Fall; I might get one or two more books read before the end of the month.

First, Congrats to everyone who is finished!! I am hoping to join you guys....(Probably at 11:59 next Monday night!)

Finished 10-4 with The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende-great book!

and 25-10 with The Devils by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

485 points.

Finished 50.1:

Senses:
[image error] T4 by Ann Clare LeZotte
Senses: The main character is a deaf girl in Nazi Germany who hides, away from her family, to escape Action T4 (abandoned in 1941), the program that supported euthanasia of any "disabled" citizens. Obviously, this book couldn't exist without her deafness.

Emotions:
No One You Know by Michelle Richmond
This book is all about feelings of loss and betrayal, as a sister searches to find out the truth behind her sister's murder. I wasn't sure if it would count when I started, in case it ended up being a thriller, but it actually is more of an emotional journey as the main character deals with emotions about not just her sister but herself.

Memory:
Beowulf, Illustrated/Retold by Gareth Hinds
The keepsake is the actual book, which was a gift from the illustrator. The event is actually an ongoing one, an annual volunteer "Adventure Weekend" in the woods of Connecticut on whose staff I serve. It's consistently one of the most special weekends of every year, and I have a lot of special memories from it.

As long as all of those fit the task, then my totals are:
(drum roll please) ;)

TOTALS
Points: 690
Books: 66
Pages: 16,860
Tasks: 45

I have completed the adoption task (#5.4) by reading The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. I also completed the Labor Day task (#10.1) by reading I, Robot by Isaac Asimov, published in 1950. Good reads both!

I stayed up late last night finishing another task. I read Spa Vacation for 10.4 - it takes place mostly in Mexico. It was nice chick lit about three college girlfriends having a reunion/bachelorette party at a spa. The reminiscing they did of their college years reminded me of me and my college friends. I enjoyed the book a lot.

35/45 TASKS COMPLETED
51/62 BOOKS FINISHED
18,113 PAGES READ


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I have changed my points up a little. For task 25.2 (Related Authors) I read The Sorrows of an American A Novel by Siri Hustvedt and Travels in the Scriptorium A Novel by Paul Auster (related by marriage). Also, I completed task 25.8 by reading Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach for the Proper Noun - Name, Timbuktu A Novel by Paul Auster for the Proper Noun- Place, and Diaryby Chuck Palaniuk for the Thing/Object.

That brings me to 360 points.

Abigail wrote: "Finished 50.1:

Senses:
[image error] T4 by Ann Clare LeZotte
Senses: The main character is a deaf girl in Nazi Germany who hides, away from her family, to escape Action T4 (aband..."

Hooray, Abigail!!

I completed task 25.4 by going to see New Moon this weekend, I had read it back in September.

Ok. I admit it. I went to see it twice.

I love both the book and the movie. I liked the book much better this second time around, and the movie follows it very closely. Of course, there are always some key scenes that end up being cut so I guess I still prefer the book.

Point Total: 365
Page Total: 8439

I am not going to have time to finish any more books since we are getting ready to head out of town for Thanksgiving (YEAH!!!), so I am going to make an adjustment so I can make my (amended :) ) goal for this challenge.

I am going to take Where Angels Fall off of 5.7 and use it for 25.7 instead.

So for 25.7 I read Wings, Storm Glass, and Where Angels Fall.

That gives me 405 points!

Congratulations, Abigail!!! That's terrific!!!

Leora wrote: "First, Congrats to everyone who is finished!! I am hoping to join you guys....(Probably at 11:59 next Monday night!)

Finished 10-4 with The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende-great book!
..."

Remeber, that is 11:59 EASTERN (?) time zone. (Not sure of the time zone exactly, but I know it's not Pacific Time Zone because that's my zone and I had to get my final points posted before 11:59 last challenge.) :-)

Abigail wrote: "Finished 50.1:

Senses:
[image error] T4 by Ann Clare LeZotte
Senses: The main character is a deaf girl in Nazi Germany who hides, away from her family, to escape Action T4 (aband..."

Hey Abigail -- CONGRATS on finishing the the Fall Challenge! Now...be kind to us when selecting a task. *sigh* You figure out whatever kind if task you want! Cheers to you!!

Hi Cynthia: I just checked the Leaderboard and I think the points I posted in message 3616 have been overlooked.

I should be at 400 points not the 360 still shown on the Leaderboard. Thanks for checking this for me!

-Krista

WOW! Congratulations to all the finishers so far.
1. PJREADS
2. DONNA JO
3. DLM ROSE
4. ROSEANN
5. DIANE
6. WENDY
7. JAN (THE GRYPHON)
8. KARI ♪
9. RACHEL LEE
10. TERESA IN OHIO
11. BONNIE
12. HELEN
13. BJ ROSE
14. SANDRA
15. ABIGAIL

Winter Challenge is going to be SOOooo fun.

Jan (the Gryphon) wrote: "WOW! Congratulations to all the finishers so far.

Winter Challenge is going to be SOOooo fun. ..."

"Fun" will be one word for it!! :-)

Jan (the Gryphon) wrote: "WOW! Congratulations to all the finishers so far.
1. PJREADS
2. DONNA JO
3. DLM ROSE
4. ROSEANN
5. DIANE
6. WENDY
7. JAN (THE GRYPHON)
8. KARI ♪
9. RACHEL LEE
10. TERESA IN OHIO
11. BON..."


I am super excited. CONGRATULATIONS SANDRA & ABIGAIL!

Congratulations Sandra and Abigail!!

First of all: congratulations Sandra and Abigail!

I've just completed task 15.5 (two books written in a foreign language, in this case, Portuguese):
Sleepwalking Land and Every Man Is a Race both by Mia Couto.

Total Points: 55
I should be ashamed of my total, but I'm quite happy: I'm such a slow reader, as much as I love it!

Task 30.1
a) Doomed to Dance by ANnie Barrows and Sophie Blackall--When I was growing up I wanted to be a ballerina. The main characters are ballerinas.
b) Plain Truth by Jodi Piccoult--I am an attorney and the main character is an attorney

Krista wrote: "Hi Cynthia: I just checked the Leaderboard and I think the points I posted in message 3616 have been overlooked.

I should be at 400 points not the 360 still shown on the Leaderboard. Thanks ..."Don't know how that happened but it's fixed!

Cynthia wrote: "Krista wrote: "Hi Cynthia: I just checked the Leaderboard and I think the points I posted in message 3616 have been overlooked.

I should be at 400 points not the 360 still shown on the Leaderbo..."


Great! Thanks Cynthia -- as usual, you're doing an amazing job. I don't know how you keep it all straight.

@ Abigail

Here's a high five for a job well done!

yeay, abigail! awesome! :)

being sick has it's advantages....like being able to tell my boyfriend all weekend, "i'm sick, i don't want to go here/there/anywhere. i'll just lay on your couch and read." :)

finished task 25.8 by reading:

person: MatisseThe Matisse Stories

place: Portland, OregonFugitives and Refugees A Walk in Portland, Oregon

thing: birdsBirds in Fall A Novel




Total Points: 430/690
Books Read: 35/62
Tasks Completed: 24/45
Tasks in Progress: 1

COMPLETED TASKS:

30.1 CURRENT JOB (40+yr old mother and wife)- *Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler (pp 326) READ 11.23.09
Anne Tyler really knows how to write about family dynamics and drama. This time around she tells the story of a 40+ woman, who walks away from her family while on a beach vacation. Delia's kids are grown, with only one left in high school, and she is suddenly faced with the realization she only exists through her relationships with her family. No one sees her as an individual. Would anyone really miss her or even care if she was gone?

Although a little far-fetched at times, I couldn't help but relate to some of the emotions Delia felt. At times, I've wished and threatened to walk away from my family. Maybe they wouldn't take me for granted. Maybe they'd appreciate me if I was gone or maybe not. Reading this book was like indulging in a secret fantasy, where I could shuck away all familial responsibilities and exist for me. I had to laugh though, because Delia escaped from one of my beach getaways to a place described as right outside of my small hometown of Salisbury, MD.

I had no idea when I picked up this book that the action would be happening at my backdoor. I picked it because as a wife and mother with kids in college and almost off to college I could relate to Delia's situation. I didn't realize we had even more in common, like our physical location. If I was Delia, I could've chose some place better to end up! LOL!

30.1 CHILDHOOD DREAM JOB (own a restaurant) - The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister (pp 256) READ 11.21.09
I considered it providence that Kate Jacobs, author of Comfort Food and Sarah Addison Allen, author of Garden Spells and The Sugar Queen praised this novel on its back cover, since I've read and loved all three books for this challenge. I was further delighted to find it was worthy of their endorsement.

Lillian, a restaurant owner, teaches a cooking class one night a month. She truly has a divine relationship with food. Like in Garden Spells, food ingredients take on an almost magical quality, and Lillian makes the taste, texture and aroma of her meals a sensory experience. I like how the stories of the cooking students were woven into each meal and its preparation. This was such a pleasant book to read. It made me want to slow down and savor every morsel Bauermeister had to offer.




TASKS COMPLETED: 34
TASKS IN PROGRESS: 3
BOOKS READ: 50/62
PAGES READ: 15,222
TOTAL POINTS EARNED: 560
*Books I Own

I have completed task 25.8 by reading

Orlando
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
The Eye

Point Total: 390
Page Total: 9274

Way to go, Abigail! I can't wait to see the new tasks.

Abigail wrote: "Finished 50.1:

Senses:
[image error] T4 by Ann Clare LeZotte
Senses: The main character is a deaf girl in Nazi Germany who hides, away from her family, to escape Action T4 (aband..."

Drums, trumpets ... the whole band! Hooray, Abigail!

Kim L wrote: "I am not going to have time to finish any more books since we are getting ready to head out of town for Thanksgiving (YEAH!!!), so I am going to make an adjustment so I can make my (amended :) ) go..."

Congratulations on meeting your goal, Kim!

Another task done...

Task 25.7
One word: Loverboy
Two word: The Postmistress
Three word: Amy and Isabelle A Novel

I enjoyed all three of these! Great task! Now, two more books to go and I will be done for this challenge for what is going to be finished...then onto winter. I can't wait to do some of the next tasks!

Total points for this task: 25

Total points for challenge thus far: 395

Congratulations, Abigail!!
Looking forward(?!) to seeing the task you choose for us!