Grab a Book & Play Booktivity! discussion

I'm so sorry this is late. I'm a volunteer for LPB and I've been working pledge drive, plus it's the normal crazy time at work.

Welcome to the December birthstone challenge. This month is a Three-fer! The December birthstone can be either tanzanite, zircon or turquoise. So Happy Holidays, whatever holiday you celebrate, and Happy Reading!

Tanzanite
Discovered in the late 1960s in Tanzania, and found exclusively in this tiny area of the world, tanzanite exhibits a rich violet-blue color for which the gemstone is treasured; often it is heat-treated to achieve this color. Colors range from blue to purple, and tanzanites that are medium dark in tone, vivid in saturation, and slightly violet blue command premium prices. As tanzanite can be less expensive than sapphire, it often was purchased as an alternative. However, it has increased in popularity and now is valued more for its own beauty and brilliance than as a sapphire substitute.

Zircon
The name is derived from the Arabic words zar and gun, meaning gold and color. Colorless zircon is known for its brilliance and flashes of multicolored light, called fire. These zircon properties are close enough to the properties of diamond to account for centuries of confusion between the two gems.
Zircon occurs in an array of colors. Its varied palette of yellow, green, red, reddish brown, and blue hues makes it a favorite among collectors and consumers.
Folk wisdom grants zircon the power to relieve pain, whet the appetite, protect travelers from disease and injury, to ensure a warm welcome, and to prevent nightmares guaranteeing a deep, tranquil sleep. Major sources of zircon are the Chanthaburi area of Thailand, the Palin area of Cambodia, and the southern part of Vietnam. Zircon found in Australia is the oldest mineral on earth: 4.4 billion years old.

Turquoise
This substance has been known by many names, but the word turquoise dates to the 17th century and is derived from the French turques for "Turks" because the mineral was first brought to Europe from Turkey, from mines in the historical Khorasan Province of Persia. Pliny the Elder referred to the mineral as callais and the Aztecs knew it as chalchihuitl.
Turquoise varies in color from greenish blue, through robin's egg-blue, to sky blue shades and its transparency ranges from translucent to opaque. Turquoise is plentiful and is most often used for beads, cabochons, carvings, and inlays. Although its popularity fluctuates in fashion, it is a perennial favorite in the American Southwest.

1. Read a book whose cover is a shade of blue or violet
2. Read a book with a character who is very old, or with a plot involving fire.
3. Read a book at least partially set in, or involving a character from, Turkey or the American Southwest.

Participants:

Jaret
Connie
Book Concierge
Carol
Olivermagnus
Koren
JennH
Marilyn

Completed (2/3)

1. Read a book whose cover is a shade of blue or violet Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly 4 stars 12/3/2016
2. Read a book with a character who is very old, or with a plot involving fire. Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat by David Dosa 3 stars 12/26/2016
3. Read a book at least partially set in, or involving a character from, Turkey or the American Southwest.

2/3 Completed

1. Read a book whose cover is a shade of blue or violet 4 stars. 12/18/16
2. Read a book with a character who is very old, or with a plot involving fire. The One-in-a-Million Boy 12/24/16. 5 stars
3. Read a book at least partially set in, or involving a character from, Turkey or the American Southwest.

December Birthstone Challenge
Begins: 01Dec16 / Ends: 31Dec16

1/3 completed

1. Read a book whose cover is a shade of blue or violet - ✔ - 02Dec16

2. Read a book with a character who is very old, or with a plot involving fire.

3. Read a book at least partially set in, or involving a character from, Turkey or the American Southwest.

December Birthstone Challenge

✔ 1.Read a book whose cover is a shade of blue or violet
The Graveyard Apartment by Mariko Koike - 10/2/16

✔ 2. Read a book with a character who is very old, or with a plot involving fire. The Wrong Side of Goodbye by Michael Connelly - 10/5/16

3. Read a book at least partially set in, or involving a character from, Turkey or the American Southwest.

December Birthstone Challenge
3/3 - Challenge Completed

1. Read a book whose cover is a shade of blue or violet:
Our First Christmas by Lisa Jackson, Mary Burton, Mary Carter, Cathy Lamb (12/5/16)

2. Read a book with a character who is very old, or with a plot involving fire: Frostborn: The Eightfold Knife by Jonathan Moeller (12/12/16) She was the oldest woman in the village, at least a century of age...

3. Read a book at least partially set in, or involving a character from Turkey or the American Southwest: set in American Southwest (Texas)
The Season (12/20/16)

Carol wrote: "December Birthstone Challenge

1. Read a book whose cover is a shade of blue or violet
The Graveyard Apartment by Mariko Koike ..."

I think this year might be moving a little too fast for you, Carol....you wrote 10/2 and 10/5 instead of 12/2 and 12/5.... :-)

December Birthstone Challenge
December 1 - 31, 2016

3 of 3 Complete

✔ 1. Read a book whose cover is a shade of blue or violet
Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith - 4 Stars - 12/14/16


✔ 2. Read a book with a character who is very old, or with a plot involving fire.
The Venetian Betrayal by Steve Berry - 4 Stars - 12/21/16 - plot involving Greek fire

✔ 3. Read a book at least partially set in, or involving a character from, Turkey or the American Southwest.
Track of the Cat by Nevada Barr - 4 Stars - 12/16/16 - set in Texas

1. Read a book whose cover is a shade of blue or violet Mennonite in a Little Black Dress: A Memoir of Going Home by Rhoda Janzen 12/13/16 (My cover is blue but I cant get the blue cover to show up here.)

2. Read a book with a character who is very old, or with a plot involving fire. It's a Long Story: My Life by Willie Nelson. Willie is 82 at the time he wrote this book. 12/4/16

3. Read a book at least partially set in, or involving a character from, Turkey or the American Southwest. A Strong West Wind by Gail Caldwell 12/9/16 Takes place in Texas.

December Birthstone Challenge

✔1. Read a book whose cover is a shade of blue or violet
Under the Dome by Stephen King 12/20/16


✔2. Read a book with a character who is very old, or with a plot involving fire.
As Gouda as Dead by Avery Aames 12/5/16 - Grandmère Bernadette and Grandpère Etienne are very old

✔3. Read a book at least partially set in, or involving a character from, Turkey or the American Southwest.
Sweet Masterpiece by Connie Shelton 12/28/16 - set in New Mexico

December Birthstone Challenge

✔1. Read a book whose cover is a shade of blue or violet
The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman--12/13/16

✔2. Read a book with a character who is very old, or with a plot involving fire.
It's a Long Story: My Life by Willie Nelson--12/5/16--Can't believe Koren read this, too--mine was for a nonfiction book club at a local library, and indeed, Willie wrote this at age 82!

3. Read a book at least partially set in, or involving a character from, Turkey or the American Southwest.

Marilyn wrote: "December Birthstone Challenge

1. Read a book whose cover is a shade of blue or violet

✔2. Read a book with a character who is very old, or with a plot involving fire.
[book:It's a Long Story: My ..."

As the saying goes, great minds think alike. I wonder if Willie would think he was very old.

Completed

December Birthstone Challenge
December 1 - 31, 2016

3 of 3 Complete

✔ 1. Read a book whose cover is a shade of blue or violet
Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith - 4 Stars - 12/14/16


✔ 2. Read a book with a character who is very old, or with a plot involving fire.
The Venetian Betrayal by Steve Berry - 4 Stars - 12/21/16 - plot involving Greek fire

✔ 3. Read a book at least partially set in, or involving a character from, Turkey or the American Southwest.
Track of the Cat by Nevada Barr - 4 Stars - 12/16/16 - set in Texas

You're on a roll. Great job.