You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

October 2017 Challenge - Grocery Wars Checkout Counter

Report your completion of your book in this thread. Link to the book you read and score as noted below. Tell us how your book fit the criteria of the challenge.

Scoring:

5 pts - If your selection is in the YLTO Bookshelf.
5 pts - If there is a cookbook used in the story. Add 2 bonus points if there's a recipe included in the story.
5 pts - If the book is a new release in October 2017

4 pts - If there is a ghost, vampire, or witch in the story.
4 pts - If the book is shelved as GLBT. (In honour of LGBT History Month)
4 pts - If there is food on the cover. Add 2 bonus points if it's a pumpkin.

3 pts - Any junk food consumed in the story? Count the points.
3 pts- October Fest anyone? Count the points if beer is consumed.
3 pts - National School Lunch Week. Count the points if school (up to Grade 12) is part of the story.

Had to finish this book to get ready for the toppler :)
I decided to go with fresh vs frozen and chose Same Beach, Next Year for fresh air.

Scoring:
5 pts - Eliza is writing a cookbook (no recipe)
4 pts - food on the cover - if you squint your eyes and look in the lower left corner of the cover, there is a pineapple slice and cherry on the cocktail glass.
3 pts - Adam drinks beer

12 total points

Great score, Jayme. I was concerned that people would have a hard time finding points in their reads.

Fruits/Vegetables - the title contains the name of a fruit or vegetable (apple, carrot, etc)

Orange: The Complete Collection, Vol. 2

Scoring:

3 pts - National School Lunch Week. Count the points if school (up to Grade 12) is part of the story.

3 pts Total

You'll be a contender for the gluestick, Lynn

The Peacock Spring by Rumer Godden
set in India
Bread vs Butter: historical fiction set in India

3 points- National School Lunch Week. Count the points if school (up to grade 12) is part of the story.

total= 3 points

I read The Children's Blizzard for bread vs. butter. It was a non-fiction account of a horrific blizzard in 1888.

3 pts - National School Lunch Week. Count the points if school (up to Grade 12) is part of the story. School played a big part of the story as a lot of children were trapped in the blizzard walking home from school.

Total = 3 points. Looks like quite a few of us are going for the glue stick, lol.

October challenge - Grocery Wars.

I read Annabel , for this challenge. Fresh or frozen - cover represents frozen landscape.

4 pts - If the book is shelved as GLBT. Yes. MC is a hermaphrodite.
3 pts - Any junk food consumed in the story? Lots, especially chocolate bars.
3 pts- October Fest anyone? Count the points if beer is consumed. Beer is consumed occasionally throughout the book.
3 pts - National School Lunch Week. Count the points if school (up to Grade 12) is part of the story. School is a significant setting in part of the book.

Total 13 points

We have a 3 way bid for the gluestick with 3 points each.

What did you think if Annabel, TrudyAn? I don't remember it all that well and I see I have it on my snoozefest shelf.

Janice wrote: "What did you think if Annabel, TrudyAn? I don't remember it all that well and I see I have it on my snoozefest shelf."

I think I liked it more than you did. I spent quite a bit of time wondering what I might have done, as a parent, had my child been born with ambiguous gender, and questioning the characters’ choices. I didn’t feel I had a comprehensive understanding of what life must really have been like for the MC as he reached puberty. The Labrador setting was a terrific background.

I kept comparing it to Middlesex which I enjoyed more. Maybe if I had read it first, I might have enjoyed it more.

Janice wrote: "I kept comparing it to Middlesex which I enjoyed more. Maybe if I had read it first, I might have enjoyed it more."
Yes, I enjoyed Middlesex too. Even though they shared a theme, I found the books very different from one another.

I ready The Hungry Tide and really loved it and rated it 5 stars. Here's my review:

This book showed me a heart-wrenching history, frustrating politics, was tragic yet hopeful, and had wonderfully crafted characters and story. I know a lot now about a real place and its people, mythology, and its amazing dolphins, and so much more. I was thoroughly engrossed in an amazingly real piece of historical fiction! A must read.

Scoring:

3 pts - Any junk food consumed in the story? I
3 pts- October Fest anyone? Count the points if beer is consumed.
3 pts - National School Lunch Week. Count the points if school (up to Grade 12) is part of the story.

9 points

Debra wrote: "I ready The Hungry Tide and really loved it and rated it 5 stars. Here's my review:

This book showed me a heart-wrenching history, frustrating politics, was tragic yet hopeful, and ha..."

How did the book fit the challenge, Debra?

Bread vs Butter ~ India

The God of Small Things
5 pts - If there is a cookbook used in the story.
3 pts- October Fest anyone? Count the points if beer is consumed.
3 pts - National School Lunch Week. Count the points if school (up to Grade 12) is part of the story.

A Whopping 11 points!

Bread vs Butter was the choice I picked and read The Gentle Tamers: Women of the Old Wild West for Bread / 1800s Pioneers.

0 points is my score. There was no criteria that I could apply to for points.

The book was definitely about the women pioneers of the 1800s. Much of the information was gathered from diary entries and newspaper articles and was very interesting, but dry, dry, dry. One of my very few 2 star books, so far this year.

Cherie wrote: "Bread vs Butter was the choice I picked and read The Gentle Tamers: Women of the Old Wild West for Bread / 1800s Pioneers.

0 points is my score. There was no criteria that I could ..."

Surprised you went for pioneers, based on your rejection of my 1800s list. I did read The Crack in the Lens, which only came up with 3 points.

So used something else. Didn't do much better for "India/butter.

Almeta wrote: "Surprised you went for pioneers, based on your rejection of my 1800s list. I did read The Crack in the Lens, which only came up with 3 points."

After choosing the category and gophering for any books that I owned, the book I reported with was the only one that fit. Now, it is off of my TBR list, off of my "owned books spread sheet", and out of mind.

There were a few interesting comments from the author and as near any kind of humor as there was. "Most women readily adapted themselves to the problem of preparing meals in the open." Mountain man James Clyman was impressed by a young lady he saw at work beside a wagon train in 1844.
He said she "... showed herself worthy of the bravest undaunted pioneer of the west, for after having kneaded her dough she watched and nursed the fire and held an umbrella over the fire and her skillet with the greatest composure for near 2 hours and baked bread enough to give us a verry plentiful supper."

From the chapter on A Home in the West:
A woman who occupied a zinc-sheet house in Marysville, California, declared that in summer "the sides of the house were so hot that she had only to place her dough, when she was going to bake bread, in close proximity to the wall, where the heat was sufficient to cook it".

Another entry in the same chapter:
Our fare is very plain, consisting of meat & bread, & bread & meat, with some stewed fruit, either apples or peaches, now and then (as a great delicacy) some rancid butter that has been put up in the Land of Goshen and sent around a six months cruise by Cape Horn, for which we at times have given the moderate sum of $2 per pound ... I have not seen an egg or a drop of milk since I have been in this country.

LOL! That whopping 11 points is one of the higher scores so far, Almeta. And Cherie, you are assured the gluestick with 0 points. Have we ever had a zero pointer before?

Cherie wrote: "Almeta wrote: "....There were a few interesting comments from the author and as near any kind of humor as there was. "Most women readily adapted themselves to the problem of preparing meals in the open." ..."

Sounds pretty harsh, but informative.☻

Janice wrote: "LOL! That whopping 11 points is one of the higher scores so far, Almeta. ....."

No way! ?☻

I have too laugh, I got for free this book today:Smoking Fish vs Meat: The Best Recipes Of Smoked Food: Unique Smoking Meat Cookbook, Top Delicious Smoked Meat Recipes, A Barbecue Cookbook, A Unique Barbecue Guide, Best Recipes of Smoked Fish , only because I was thinking in this challenge

Janice wrote: "LOL! That whopping 11 points is one of the higher scores so far, Almeta. And Cherie, you are assured the gluestick with 0 points. Have we ever had a zero pointer before?"

Maybe, but I have never intentionally tried for one, so I have never noticed. I knew it was going to be a pretty low score, but I was hoping for something go show up. No luck though. I can remember, when I first started doing monthly challenges, I would search for hours and hours for the highest scoring book I could find and never won a challenge. Now, I am down to the "find a book that fits the challenge criteria and worry about the score later" mentality. o_O

Almeta wrote: "No way! ?☻"

LOL! TrudyAn has you beat by 2 points. And you beat your sister by 2 points.

I read Gray Wolf Island for Fresh/Frozen. The cover looks like it's either snow covered mountains, or mist covered so it could be either fresh or frozen.

My score:
5 pts - new Oct release, released Oct 10, 2017
3 pts - School, all the characters are teens and there are scenes set at school.

Total - 8 pts.

I read The Graveyard Book

Scoring:

5 pts - it is on YLTO Bookshelf.
4 pts - there are ghosts
3 pts - Any junk food consumed in the story? Bod eats chips
3 pts - National School Lunch Week. Count the points if school (up to Grade 12) is part of the story - Bod attends school for a while.

Total points: 15

Super, Margo! You've got the top spot for now. The Graveyard Book is such a delightful book. Makes me want to read it again.

Oh, which category did you read it for?

Sorry Janice, I read it for Fresh vs Frozen - lots of fresh air on that cover! I enjoyed it too.

It was a breath of fresh air to read too. :)

I chose Fruits/Vegetables and read The Bean Trees and got points for there being food on the cover (4), junk food was consumed (3), and beer was consumed (3).
So, it's not huge but it's one off of the TBR, and 10 points in total. And, it was a great read :)

I thought it was a good read too, Jenn. I read it last year. I have the second book but no time to read it yet.

Bread/Butter - set in 1800's pioneer days North America (homemade bread... yum!), or historic fiction set in India (top world wide butter producer).

| Oct 22 | Historic fiction set in India

3 pts- October Fest anyone? Count the points if beer is consumed.

Total : 3 points

I believe that will be adding the second book to my TBR as well Cherie

I chose fresh/frozen and read What Alice Forgot . The cover represents fresh air - dandelion fluff blowing in a breeze against a blue sky.

Scoring:
5 pts - Main character uses a cookbook
3 pts - Junk food consumed
3 pts - A good bit of the book takes place at a school

Total : 11 points

I chose fresh/ frozen and read The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy - wind blowing the lady's hair on the beach is fresh air.

Total Points: 0

There were some cakes and pastries donated to St. Beradine's Hospice, but the residents could eat any of it. The nuns didn't either.

Looks like we have a tie for the gluestick.

I very much enjoyed reading Delicious! for fresh vs. frozen.

5 pts - cookbook used in story
3 pts - junk food consumed
3 pts - school up to grade 12 is part of the story

11 points total

That's a perfect title for the challenge, TJ.

I went with Fruits/Vegetables

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson

4 pts - If the book is shelved as GLBT (In honour of LGBT History Month)
3 pts - National School Lunch Week. Count the points if school (up to Grade 12) is part of the story.

Total Points: 7

I agree, Janice. lt was perfect. Thanks for the challenge : )

I chose for Fresh/Frozen

Scoring:

5 pts - If there is a cookbook used in the story. - 1 cookbook is given as Christmas present and another one used by one of the MCs

3 pts - Any junk food consumed in the story? - those guys and girls were almost all the time eating something or another. Just reading the book made me hungry more than once.

3 pts- October Fest anyone? Count the points if beer is consumed. - beer was drank by men and women alike, and even poured on the head of a tough rancher guy while he was trying to hit on a little lady.

Total score - 11
and I really enjoyed the book.

Montana Sky sounds good. It's a lot light than The Vagrant for sure!

Chose Bread/Butter - historic fiction set in India (top world wide butter producer) and read A Rising Man.

3 pts - beer was consumed (and whiskey in copious amounts - if pts were awarded for no. of times whiskey was consumed, I'd be the winner :-) - oh, and visits to opium dens)

Total = 3 pts

At least there was the beverage of choice that put you on the scoreboard, Lilisa.

Janice wrote: "At least there was the beverage of choice that put you on the scoreboard, Lilisa."

Lol, Janice!

I decided to read Ella Minnow Pea for Fruits/Vegetables - the title contains the name of a fruit or vegetable. I love this story. It's entertaining, stretches my vocabulary, all the while being an interesting example of government.

Here's my scoring:
5 pts - If your selection is in the YLTO Bookshelf (read by YLTO July 2009)
4 pts - If there is food on the cover (peas and a fish)
3 pts - Any junk food consumed in the story? (cookies and hot dogs)
3 pts- October Fest anyone? (stout lager)
3 pts - National School Lunch Week? (Yes, there is a teacher at a school)
Total: 18 points

I finished for fresh/frozen. It has frozen water on the cover and fresh air.

Scoring:

4 pts - Book is shelved as GLBT. - it is not shelved as such, but one of the main characters is gay. Would this work?
3 pts - Junk food consumed in the story (club president ate chips)
3 pts- Beer is consumed.
3 pts - School (up to Grade 12) is part of the story.

Total: 13

Favorite quote:
"When I was little, my dad used to hit me if I spilled my milk, Leo. It didn't teach me not to spill things. It just made me afraid of milk. Remember that."

Great quote, Kristie!

Thanks!

Do you want to hear a sad story? I have all my badge ingredients on my old laptop that my employee uses when she's here. There's a stress crack on both sides of the monitor hinges, so I have her turn off the laptop but leave it open so that it doesn't make the cracks worse.

On Sunday, I went downstairs and found my laptop flat open on the concrete floor! The calculator was keeping it company. The power cord was way under my desk. I suspect Cleo got tangled up in the cord, panicked and then bolted, dragging the laptop and calculator with her. The calculator is dead. The laptop still works, but the power cord can't plug in. That part is all warped. That means that I won't be able to recharge the battery. The monitor won't stay up - it lays flat.

I bought a new laptop, but I don't have time to take it out of the box, set it up, transfer the files over so that I can make BADGES.

Compounding that problem is that I am going to a quilt retreat first thing tomorrow morning. I'm not going to get around to doing badges until next week.

If I forget, would someone remind me? November wasn't supposed to be so busy.