The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

I think my question got overlooked. Can I use Trailside Guide Hiking and Backpacking, New Edition? My reasoning is in post 136.

Kristina wrote: "I've just given my two weeks notice at my horrible retail job so I can go back to school for cosmetology. Can I do Kabul Beauty School An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil instead ..."

Hi Kristina,

Glad you love the last, but hope I didn't make you quit your job ;-).

The book looks really interesting and would be fine for the challenge. Good luck in school, and I'd like to know if the book is as interesting as it sounds.

Oh yipee! I found a book that works perfectly for my current situation. (Unemployed business analyst in the software development arena.)

Hard Day's Knight blurb reads, "An unemployed and unattached software engineer, Pepper has had enough of the computer geeks in her dating pool..."

It may be 'chick-lit' but it sounds like a fun read for what could be a dreary subject. I'm so excited!

If anyone works retail..I'm reading Retail Hell How I Sold My Soul to the Store Confessions of a Tortured Sales Associate and I'm finding it HILARIOUS so far! :)

Well my question never got answered, but that's ok because I think I'm going to go for a different book, since it was just given to me to read for work. I'm going to read Cinnamon Above the Clouds on the Pacific Crest Trail (I work for a nonprofit group that exists to protect, preserve and promote the Pacific Crest Trail). If that is not OK then please let me know, but otherwise I'm going to use it.

Leslie wrote: "Well my question never got answered, but that's ok because I think I'm going to go for a different book, since it was just given to me to read for work. I'm going to read [book:Cinnamon Above the C..."

Hi Leslie,

Sorry about missing your post, either of those books would be fine.

No problem, it's hard to keep these threads straight!

And who knew Julia & Julia started off as a secretary. ARG! Well I already read my secretary novel. Guess I'll tuck Julia & Julia elsewhere, perhaps.

Can anyone recommend a good book written about an archeologist? I've got a book for my current job (Police Dispatcher), but I'm stumped about this one... I just can't bring myself to read Jurassic Park again.

Or maybe something about someone in an orchestra?

thanks!

Solargalaxy_6 wrote: "Can anyone recommend a good book written about an archeologist? ..."

Have you read any of the Amelia Peabody books by Elizabeth Peters? She's an Egyptologist, but she meets Radcliffe Emerson, who is an archaeologist, in the first book Crocodile on the Sandbank, and I think they're the main characters in most (all?) of the books - I've only read two so far, so can't swear to the last bit. More fun than reading Jurassic Park, IMO!

Solargalaxy_6 wrote: "Can anyone recommend a good book written about an archeologist? I've got a book for my current job (Police Dispatcher), but I'm stumped about this one... I just can't bring myself to read Jurassic..."

Willa Cather's The Professor's House has a sort of story within a story, where there is an archaeological discovery. I don't think there are any archaeologists in it--just amateurs. I highly recommend the book, but I'm not sure if it's an exact enough match for what you need.

Also, as a hint: scholars such as archaeologists, who, frankly, have a lot of bad fiction written about their discipline, often publish lists of "good" books. You might just google "fiction + archaeology" or something like that.

Edit: I found an interesting bibliography written by a professor at Arizona State. Check out this entry, LOL:

Arkham, Candace. _Ancient Evil_. New York: Popular Library, 1977. [Archaeology student as zombie in Yucatan jungle.:]

Roseann, I'm having trouble finding books available for my 1st Dream Job so am moving on to my 2nd Dream Job of archeology.
Would Amelia Peabody's Egypt be acceptable?

Solargalaxy_6 wrote: "Can anyone recommend a good book written about an archeologist? I've got a book for my current job (Police Dispatcher), but I'm stumped about this one... I just can't bring myself to read Jurassic..."

If you're looking for something in the mystery genre, I second the suggestion for the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters.

Aaron Elkins also has a mystery series archealogy fairly prominently. My favorite titles from that series are:
Old Bones
Curses!
Icy Clutches
and
Make No Bones

I also read Irving Stone's biographic novel about the archeologists (the Schlielmanns) that discovered the ancient city of Troy. I thought it was an interesting read, and it did talk about early archeological methods, etc. Book Title:The Greek Treasure

Petra wrote: "Roseann, I'm having trouble finding books available for my 1st Dream Job so am moving on to my 2nd Dream Job of archeology.
Would Amelia Peabody's Egypt be acceptable? "

That would be fine!

Roseann wrote: "Petra wrote: "Would Amelia Peabody's Egypt be acceptable? "

That would be fine!"..."

Thanks, Roseann!

Tanja wrote: "And who knew Julia & Julia started off as a secretary. ARG! Well I already read my secretary novel. Guess I'll tuck Julia & Julia elsewhere, perhaps."

Hi Tanja, what book did you read for "secretary"? I've only found "Then we came to the end" by Joshua Ferris, and I don't know that I'm keen on that one.

If you enjoy mysteries, try stopyourekillingme.com

on the side it has occupations and a whole list of various jobs will come up hth

Shannon wrote: "Tanja wrote: "And who knew Julia & Julia started off as a secretary. ARG! Well I already read my secretary novel. Guess I'll tuck Julia & Julia elsewhere, perhaps."

Hi Tanja, what book did you r..."

And then we came to the end is quite funny Shannon especially if you work in an office as you can see which people are charicatures of the people you work with!

Tanja you can fit Julie and Julia in the one where you're to read a book and watch the film as the film has just come out or is about to.

Thanks Tanja, I'll see which one I find first then take it from there!

Jessica wrote: "Anyone have any good suggestions for books with veterinarians in them? I wanted to be one as a kid, until I realized that part of your training involves putting your arm inside a cow. "

Both books I used for this task have veterinarians as main characters: The Choice by Nicholas Sparks and Tell Me Where It Hurts A Day of Humor, Healing and Hope in My Life as an Animal Surgeon by Nick Trout.

Oh the book I read for secretary was a Harlequinn novel. BLEEEEAAAAHHHH. Nothing against HQNs. I like some but this one I was glad to finally put down. Oddly enough it was the first book I finished for the Fall Challenge.

I just realized that the book I was going to use for the current job part of this task also has a time travel element! So I'm going back to the drawing board on this one...

Roseann, I work at an art museum (in visitor services) and I was thinking of using The Art Thief. It seems like this book doesn't have a clear setting, but art is stolen from a church, a vault, and an art museum, so I assume part of it takes place in the museum. Do you think that is too much of a stretch?

Also, I was looking at The Smithsonian Institution A Novel by Gore Vidal, which definitely takes place at a museum (seems like the American History museum) but not specifically at an art museum. Would that be acceptable?

I don't want to distort your task too much. If you don't think these are close enough, I know I can find something that is. :-)

Lori (BNPL) wrote: "Does anyone know some good books about authors or the publishing business?"

The Helphas a character that is writing a book, and has interactions with a publisher. It's a great read! :)

thanks for the links, liz, the "teacher" link helped a lot!

i teach elementary school...could i read about a university/college professor?

Katie wrote: "I just realized that the book I was going to use for the current job part of this task also has a time travel element! So I'm going back to the drawing board on this one...

Roseann, I work at an a..."

Hi Katie,

Seems like the Smithsonian book would fit better. If the gallery plays a major part in the other one it would be ok, but if it's just a bit player I'd say go with Vidal.

Thanks, Roseann!

Anybody know a good engineering book?

Matthew wrote: "Anybody know a good engineering book?"

I just posted over in your other thread, but I'll reiterate here... I'm a Civil Engineer, so I'm in the boat with you! A couple of historical fiction novels:

I read Pompeii by Robert Harris for a similar task during the Spring Challenge, and it was really good—really suspenseful, actually. It was about the (civil) engineer who's in charge of the aqueducts in the region around Pompeii just before it is destroyed by Mt. Vesuvius (in 79 AD) and how he realizes what's going on before everyone else, because of his engineering know-how.

I think this time I'm going to read The Sand-Reckoner by Gillian Bradshaw, which is about Archimedes, one of the most famous (and kick-ass) early engineers we know about. He supposedly used huge parabolic shields to reflect the sun's light at ships who were attacking Syracuse and set their sails, etc. on fire. Apparently MythBusters busted this theory, but it's still pretty sweet to think about! He's also the guy who's famous for saying, "Eureka!" and running around the city naked after "discovering" how he could measure volume of an object by measuring the amount of water it displaces. It really was unfortunate he discovered that while in the bath... ;)

I'm a student. Would Mort work? Or is being Death's Apprentice more of a job? ^___^

If it doesn't work, it's fine. Just another reason for me to re-read Harry Potter >w<

I think re-reading HP would be better than Mort. I don't get the student connection????

Well he's..kind of..learning how to be Death..Never mind! ^____^ Harry Potter here I come!

Britta wrote: "Well he's..kind of..learning how to be Death..Never mind! ^____^ Harry Potter here I come!"

Britta, I figured Mort was in more of an apprenticeship situation than a classroom. Not too much call for multiple Deaths. (I loved the book--who knew that Death rides a horse called Binky.)

Yush! The idea just.. hit me on the head when I was looking at my bookshelf >w<

For the second part of the challenge ( dream job) I am trying to think of a good book where the main character is a writer. As a child that was always my dream job. I thought of the Thirteenth Tale, but I already read that one and I had hoped not to re read unless that was part of a challenge.

Hi Roseann! I'm a teacher. For my "real job" book, can I use Results Now How We Can Achieve Unprecedented Improvements in Teaching And Learning?

Thanks!

Heather in KS

Heather wrote: "Hi Roseann! I'm a teacher. For my "real job" book, can I use Results Now How We Can Achieve Unprecedented Improvements in Teaching And Learning?

Thanks!

Heather in KS"

Sure, that would be fine.

L wrote: "For the second part of the challenge ( dream job) I am trying to think of a good book where the main character is a writer. As a child that was always my dream job. I thought of the Thirteenth Tale..."

Some off the top of my head...

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - main character is a writer
Little Women - Jo wants to be a writer
Good in Bed - main character is a newspaper reporter and her boyfriend writes a magazine article
Certain Girls - Sequel to Good In Bed and main character writes novels
The Wednesday Sisters A Novel- the main characters form a writing group

Any suggestions for someone who works in an art gallery?

I wonder...Would The Da Vinci Code suffice? The woman worked in an art gallery.

Umm...why not read about an art gallery? Or read about the history of an art gallery/musuem? I know there's some mysteries which involve art galleries.


Just by searching here's a mystery - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60...

Since I am a teller manager at a bank and deal with customer service on a regular basis (which is really more of what I do on a daily basis then anything), would a non-fic book on dealing with customer service work for this task?
I tried reading a book with the main character as a teller but it is horrible!! Thanks.

It's getting close to crunch time, and I think the book I picked out is (1) way too long, (2) is too "heavy" a book, and (3) has a TEENY TINY FONT.

I'm currently unemployed... stay-at-home wife. Could I read some historical romance novel where the main character is essentially a housewife?

I was thinking maybe Brighter Than the Sun, where they get married in like... chapter 3 or 4, and are married for the great majority of the book. (As opposed to one where they get married at the end, you know?) Or maybe The Marriage Bargain, where they get married RIGHT at the beginning of the book, and then he leaves (war), and she's taking care of all the household issues and having to be SUPER frugal, as money is tight (like me right now)...