The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
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FALL CHALLENGE 2009
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FALL CHALLENGE 2009 COMPLETED TASKS
For 10.8, my tenth word was narrative so I read The Chinese in America: A Narrative History by Iris Chang. It was really good if somewhat biased in my opinion. I am saddened by the news that she committed suicide as I was looking into if she wrote anymore books. (She has written 2 more)
I enjoyed my day free of labor (Happy Labor Day to my fellow U.S. players) by finishing another book for part of a task today. I read The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte by Syrie James and I LOVED it. It was every bit as good as her other book The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen. Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books of all time so I was eager to read the story of the author's life. The facts of her life are illustrated so well through this fictional account that you almost forget that it is a work of fiction and feel as if you are actually reading her words.
Bronte's life was just so tragically sad (as these are facts that are well know I don't hesitate to state them as they are not really spoilers) - she lost both her mother and two older sisters at a very young age; then later her beloved brother became a drunken opium addict that was involved in an elicit affair with a much older married woman; she herself fell in love with a married man and pined after him for many years; a brief bright spot occurred when she and her sisters found some success in their literary pursuits (she more than the others at that time); then within months of each other her brother and two sisters died; and lastly she found love again later in life but sadly died within less than a year of their marriage. If these incidents were not actually fact and were part of a book made up entirely from an author's imagination we would think him or her too cruel by far to inflict so much tragedy in one character's life so it makes it all the more awful that these things did actually happen to one person. In any case I highly recommend the book for those who enjoy historical fiction, biographical fiction, and fans of Jane Eyre.
I read this book as my S book for the ABC task - I still need to read my T book which I'm waiting on from the library before I can claim points.
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4 TASK COMPLETE - 2 PARTIALLY DONE
9 BOOK READ
2,618 PAGES READ
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. (Examples: Atonement, Twilight, The Time Traveler's Wife, Angels & Demons, Harry Potter (5& 6).The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards Movie 2008
The Memory Keeper's Daughter is a novel by American author Kim Edwards that tells the story of a man who abandons his newborn baby, who has Down syndrome. The lies and deceit ruin Paul’s relationships with everyone. The book was adapted into a sweet Lifetime movie. Both the book and the movie are unrealistic. It was a tie.
25 points
total 95
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.
Rain Gods by James Lee Burke on treadmill (lost 4 Pounds)
15 points
110 total
I read Kiss of Midnight by Lara Adrian for the first part of task 15.1 (prepositions). No points for today though :(
5.7 Giving Thanks 100 Cupboards by ND Wilson I give thanks to the imagination and creativity in the world. Because without it we wouldn't have all these wonderful books that take us to worlds beyond our own. :)
10.1 Published 1936-1959: Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis (1951) Sept. 715.3 Addition: 17 letters: Elizabeth Thornton: The Runaway McBride
Division: 27: 2nd in series: Throne of Jade Temeraire #2 by Naomi Novik Sept. 5
25.2 Donna Jo's Task: Related by Blood or Marriage: Charles Dickens is father-in-law to brother of Wilkie Collins
Hard Times by Charles Dickens Sept. 7
AND The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins Sept. 3
Total Pages = 3039
Total Points = 115
5 more points!I read Literacy and Longing in L.A. by Jennifer Kaufman and Karen Mack.
I originally read it because I thought I remembered a part where she gets addicted to self-help books, so I was going to read it for the Self-Help task. But apparently that was a different book altogether.
So, I'll just use it for the Two Heads task.
Wendy wrote: "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 Parti..."
Gosh Wendy that's almost 4 points a pound. I'm wishing I could do as well.
Finished:10.2 (Addiction) Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
Not my favorite book so far, but okay and tremendously quick.
CURRENT TOTALS:
50 points
4 complete tasks
2 partial tasks
10 books read
1,707 pages read
Completed two tasks this weekend:10.3--Berenstain Bears: The Violent Bear It Away A Novel by Flannery O'Connor
25.4: Book/movie: Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer.
****Spoilers****
The book has three-ish story lines woven together, only one of which was compelling. First, J.F.S., a writer, has gone to the Ukraine to find a woman that helped his Jewish grandfather survive WWII. He engages a tour agency to provide him with a translator and a driver: Alex & his grandfather. The search is mostly unsuccessful, but Jonathan and Alex continue to correspond & exchange manuscripts--Alex writing about the events surrounding the fruitless search and Jonathan enclosing a fictionalized account of his family's story. So, Jonathan's "novel" is somewhat "poorly" written & we are only presented with fragments. Alex's letters, especially at first before his English improves, are virtually unintelligible (he supposedly was too dependent on a thesaurus). However, Alex's narrative of the search is rather compelling, if also frustratingly fragmented. Overall, I'm not sure this book was written for readers.
The movie was less fragmented and mainly focused on Jonathan's search. The storyline was more clear and the characterization of Alex was well-done. But it somehow made the story less compelling. In the movie Jonathan wasn't a writer, and the search was narrated in present time rather than after the fact. Worst of all, the outcome of the search and the Alex's Grandfather's story were completely different, possibly destroying the what little emotional heart the novel possessed.
While I didn't particularly care about either the book or the movie, I am glad I experienced both as they were mutually illuminating.
Pages read: 423
Books read: 2
Tasks completed: 2
Total Points: 35
Liz (Bklyn)
Finally, finished a task! I finished task 10.3 with Bear Daughter by Judith Berman. It was a chance find while I was scanning the fantasy shelves at the library, and I'm really glad I made it. I completely enjoyed this book. 5 stars. Total points: 10
1 task complete - 3 tasks in progress
1 book read
422 pages read
30.1 Roseann's Task - Your Job/Dream Job Challenge - The Choice by Nicholas Sparks (current profession). One of the main characters works in a hospital ER and even received her fictionalized training where I had much of my actual training. The other main character worked in one of my childhood dreams jobs (a veterinarian) as did the main character in my second book, Tell Me Where It Hurts A Day of Humor, Healing and Hope in My Life as an Animal Surgeon by Nick Trout.Total Points: 100/690
Books Read: 15 (+ 7 Berenstain Bears books)
Tasks Completed: 7/45
Tasks in Progress: 7
Cynthia wrote: "Nicole NC wrote: "Finished 15.9 A Home at the End of the World A Novel, which I did on audio. Interestingly in was done by Colin Farrell (who I totally dig) and three other people, giv..."Sorry Cynthia, I keep posting off of my plans instead of my actual word doc with the full task.
In this book they leave NYC for upstate New York, to live in a farm house in the country. The homework assignment is, that if you were to move from your current residence to a farm, research the places potential places you might choose and the type of crops that grow there. Tell the place you would live, the type of crops you would grow, and why you made that selection based on your research.
Also, over the weekend I read One Thousand White Women The Journals of May Dodd for 10.6 the Native American task. This was tough to get through in certain sections, but really interesting, and overall a great read. I know the Journals themselves were fiction, but I'm curious how much of the story of the White conquest of the West was fact or fiction.
I think I have all my requirements done now and that gives me 40 points.
Finished 10.1 with Dewey The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World, which was cute but extremely repetitive.Total points: 15
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.
After the Apple Women in the Bible Timeless Stories of Love, Lust, and Longing by Naomi Harris Rosenblatt
A good commentary on women in the Bible from a Jewish perspective.
COMPLETED TASKS:
10.3 BEARS - The Fourth Bear by Jasper Fforde (pp 378) READ 9.7.09
A clever, tongue-in-cheek nursery rhyme mystery involving "People of Dubious Reality." I loved the Gingerbread man portrayed as a homicidal maniac. This is the first book I've read by Fforde and I'm sure to try another.
TASKS COMPLETED: 3
TASKS IN PROGRESS: 4
BOOKS READ: 6
PAGES READ: 1594
TOTAL POINTS EARNED: 45
I have finished:5.1 - The Memory Keeper's Daughter
5.2 - Botany of Desire
10.3 - The Berenstain Bears and the Galloping Ghost
10.10 - The Cat in the Hat
Nikki in OR
Cynthia wrote: "Erin wrote: "Finished:15.4 - READ: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins & WATCHED: I Am Legend
TOTAL POINTS = 15"This was a mix and match task - because you read a science fiction ..."
I wouldn't even consider "Hunger Games" a science fiction novel...there's nothing futuristic in it. I see it as more of an alternative reality as to what could happen after war.
I am claiming my first 25 points (sorry Cynthia...I was posting each of the parts to the task separately before, but will put all of them in this post to get the points.)Finished "CINDY'S TASK: One, Two, Three..."
One word title: "Meridian" by Amber Kizer
Two word title: "Chronic City" by Jonathan Lethem
Three word title: "City of Souls" by Vicki Pettersson
Nikki wrote: "I have finished:5.1 - The Memory Keeper's Daughter
5.2 - Botany of Desire
10.3 - The Berenstain Bears and the Galloping Ghost
10.10 - The Cat in the Hat
Nikki in OR
Books that are worth more than 5 need to be at least 100 pages in length so The Cat In The Hat at 72 pages does not qualify for that task.
"
I just finished Diane's task by reading Hungry Girl 200 Under 200 200 Recipes Under 200 Calories by Lisa Lillien for the self-help portion - this is a cookbook with lots of really yummy sounding low-cal recipes & Beat the Reaper A Novel by Josh Bazell for the self-improvement bit - it's about a guy that goes from being a hit man for the mafia to a doctor who saves (or at least attempts to) save lives...I'd say that's a pretty significant improvement (some elements of his behavior may lend itself to believing he hasn't really changed at all but I think the improvement he's made is really illustrated in a choice he makes near the end of the book - I don't want to give anything away but I think those of you who have read it will understand what I'm talking about). I really enjoyed BTR but it's definitely not for those bothered by strong language/violence/basically anything r-rated so if that's you don't bother picking it up - but if none of that bothers you then I highly recommend it. It is a really compelling story that I just couldn't seem to put down - and the ending is such that (I hope) the author could definitely continue the story of the main character in a second book.
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5 TASK COMPLETE - 2 PARTIALLY DONE
11 BOOK READ
3,246 PAGES READ
I have finally finished my first book for the task! I have read a couple of others but they need another book to complete the points so I'll just post the first full pointed one for now!5.4 Adoption - Digging to America by Anne Tyler
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10.1 This Year Labor Day Falls On September 7th - Rock And Roll Pioneer Buddy Holly Was Born On That Day In 1936 - Read A Book First Published During His Lifetime (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959). I read Cannery Row by John Steinbeck. It was published in 1945. I have to say that I really didn't like this book. I have liked every other Steinbeck book that I read but this one really didn't have much of a plot.
TASKS COMPLETED: 1
TASKS IN PROGRESS: 2
BOOKS READ: 3
PAGES READ: 910
TOTAL POINTS EARNED: 10
I finally finished a task!25.8 Portnoy's Complaint by Philip Roth.
Caroline wrote: "I finally finished a task!25.8 Portnoy's Complaint by Philip Roth."Hi - actually task 25.8 requires that you read 3 books - one with a person, one with a place, and one with a thing - so you need to read two more books before I could give you credit on that one.
Finished:25.4: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
(such an amazing book) and watched the movie last night (utterly disappointing). Maybe I just liked the book too much, and the movie couldn't live up to my expectations.
10.3: The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein (52 pages)
Happy Birthday to You! by Dr. Seuss (51 pages)
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (48 pages)
Total Points: 35
Finished some more tasks this weekend:5.1: One Bad Apple
10.7: Jinx
15.10: Student Portion-Evernight AND Teacher Portion-Quick Study A Murder 101 Mystery(main character is a college professor)
25.8: Person-The Other Boleyn Girl AND Place-Bastard Out of Carolina AND Thing-The Graveyard Book
Total Points 105/690
Total Books 13/59
Total Tasks Completed 8/45
Total Pages 3919
5 point tasks1)Things I want my daughter to know
4)A child called it. [Is this counted?:]
8)Into the wild[warrior cats:] by Erin Hunter-> three people wrote it. Erin Hunter is three people.
10 points
1)The Hobbit
10)Into the wild - Warrior cats
20 points
1)The Shack
25 points
4) Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. The book was a lot better, it was the favorite of my series. It shows a lot more of the wizarding school life. The movie was not that good, it was a bit too much romance. They missed out a lot good bits.
30 points
1) Malory Towers and School Story
That seems pathetic to you all, but I did what I could. I might modify it a bit later. Total:110 points.
Cutebabys wrote: "5 point tasks1)Things I want my daughter to know
4)A child called it. [Is this counted?:]
8)Into the wild[warrior cats:] by Erin Hunter-> three people wrote it. Erin Hunter is three people.
10 po..." First - as I haven't read it and can't tell from any of the descriptions of A Child Called It whether he actually gets adopted during the course of the book I'm not going to credit it to you yet - just let me know if he does then I'll add the points; Second the same book can not be used for 2 categories so I will credit you for Into The Wild for 10.10 now but if you would rather it be for 5.8 let me know, and I need to know the professions your talking about for task 30.1 before I award the points...so as of now I have you at 60 points.
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 out of the whole series. Is that counted? I'm a student and I want to be an author.
Completed Catch Me When I Fall by Nicci French for the 5 point task 'read a book written by two authors'The second half of this book was better than the first ... I really disliked the main character in the beginning, and even at the end I didn't really like her, but I did feel something for her ...
Total points: 70
Whew, finally I get on the board. I've been working on multi-book tasks, and we went OOT this weekend, so, I just completed my first task!!!20.1 MOST IMPROVED PLAYER – JULIE KS - Read A Christian Fiction Book. A Sister's Hope read 9/7/2009, 304 pp.
A little formulaic, but I feel that way about a lot of books.
Total points: 20/690
Tasks completed: 1/45
Books read: 3/59
Total pages: 938
Finally on the board! Finished:5.6-Read All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris
5.8-Read On Becoming Babywise by Gary Ezzo and Robert Buckham
Total points as of 9/8/09-10
I finished another task - 15.4 - Science vs. Sci-Fi - Read That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles 65 All-New Commentaries on the Fascinating Chemistry of Everyday Life by Dr. Joe Schwarcz AND watched the second X-Files movie, X-Files: I Want To Believe (theatrical release 2008).
The movie's main story line had to do with stem-cell research, and it's applications. Even though I'm a huge fan of the X-files, I really didn't care for the movie. I kept putting off watching the movie because I didn't hear very good reviews and finally watched it this weekend. In the end, I think this would have made a better TV episode than full-length movie.
Total Books Read = 7
Tasks Completed = 5
Tasks In Progress = 5
15.3. Discover The Equation For Good Books (Math):• Addition: Secrets from the Vinyl Cafe by Stuart McLean (12 letters)
• Division: Castle of Wizardry by David Eddings (book 4 in the Belgariad)
Cindy in Canada
10 POINT TASK3. 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 Title.
The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears, Dinaw Mengestu.
Finished task 10.10, where I read Life of Pi by [Author: Yann Martel]. 
Once I got past the pretty slow start I quite liked this book. I guess it's not really the kind of book I would usually enjoy, but I found myself liking it enough to give it 3 stars (I would give it 3.5 stars if that was possible).
Books Read: 2
Tasks Completed: 2
Pages Read: 850
Total Points: 35
Really? I've got the book but I never got down to reading it. I'll do it tomorrow then...
Completed Task 25.5 with The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper.
Books Read: 2
Tasks Completed: 2
Total Points: 10+25=35
Total Pages: 224+272=496
No additional points, but for half of 15.1, I finished Something from the Nightside by Simon R. Green I loved this book! It is like Stephen King except less wordy and more action. It was recommended to me by an employee at my local Barnes & Noble store. I can't believe I hadn't heard of this series till now!5 POINTS
1. Children:
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
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:
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 -
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
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:
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: 583
NUMBER OF BOOKS READ: 6
NUMBER OF TASKS COMPLETED: 1
NUMBER OF TASKS IN PROGRESS: 2
Finished I Capture the Castle over the weekend. I liked it a lot, but didn't love it like so many other people have mentioned here on Goodreads. I read it for task 10.1
New Total: 50 points
Cynthia wrote: "Nikki wrote: "I have finished:5.1 - The Memory Keeper's Daughter
5.2 - Botany of Desire
10.3 - The Berenstain Bears and the Galloping Ghost
10.10 - The Cat in the Hat
Nikki in OR
Books that are w..."
whoops...sorry...I'll read something else!
Finished for25.10 Halloween Part III
Lore of the Witch World by Andre Norton. Seven short stories of various groups who people the Witch World. My favorite is "Falcon Blood".
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 book. Although a novel, it is broken into sections, almost like connected short stories, and each section focuses on a different character. It is a bit of a statement about love, marriage, fidelity and trust. Some uncomfortable subjects (for some) are addressed and assessed. I feel it is one of those books that people will love or hate with no in between. I quite liked it and gave it 4 stars.
Completed Task: 5.4 - Adoption. I read "The English American" by Alison Larkin.
Total Tasks Completed: 5
Total Books Read: 7
Total Pages Read: 2265
Total Points Accrued: 75
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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)
More...
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)
More...
Finished:
15.3. Discover The Equation For Good Books (Math) - Pick 2 Of The Following...
- Addition - Add Up Th..."If you want your points to be reflected on the leaderboard you do actually have to post new posts - I don't go back to the old ones unless there is a discrepancy - generally this thread gets to be over 100 pages long by the end so it would be to hard to try to go back looking through pages for points.