The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

Felina wrote: "I'm currently reading Misery by Stephen King. Any ideas for what challenge this would fit under?"

Most obvious one is part of #25.7 - for the one-word title in Cindy's Task

If that's already claimed, any chance you'd be lucky enough to have 'misery' show up as one of your Random Word Generator choices?! #10.8

You don't happen to have the same # of letters in your first & last names as Stephen King? #15.3 (addition) Or check out possibilities for the subtraction or multiplication rules in that same task

Or part of #20.2 - Erin's ABC task, if you're using M as one of your 3 consecutive letters

Or maybe part of #25.2 - authors related by blood or marriage

Ha ha BJ you rock!

I'm done with 25.7. The Random Word Generator doesn't work on my computer for some reason. The first and last name won't work for th '-' & '+' thing.

I'm already doing B,C,D for Erin's.

My last chance is the relative. Who is he related to?

Felina wrote: "Ha ha BJ you rock!

I'm done with 25.7. The Random Word Generator doesn't work on my computer for some reason. The first and last name won't work for th '-' & '+' thing.

I'm already doing B,C..."

I think if you check the Help thread for Donna Jo's task you'll see a list of authors he is related to. His wife, father-in-law, and son (?) all have books published I believe. I don't remember their names off the top of my head. Wait, I think his wife's name is Tabitha. But I do remember some discussion of this on the Help page for Donna Jo's task.

Link to Donna Jo's Task Help:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...

Thanks Krista

Felina wrote: "Thanks Krista"

Just did a little more digging and found that two of his sons are published authors;

Joe Hill and Owen King

I just picked up the new Mercedes Lackey Gwenhwyfar The White Spirit so I'll be busy tonight. I know I should probably wait and see if it will fit into the next challenge, but that's almost a month away and I want instant gratification.

I started reading Wuthering Heights last night for the first part of the relative challenge. I read the first 3 chapters and found the book to be interesting so far.

I've got multiple books in the works again. It seems to be my new 'M.O.'.

I'm still reading Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues A Musical Journey in the "throne room", :-) Since it's made up of short stories and recollections of the early days of the blues it's perfect for that location because it's easy to read just a few pages at a time.

I'm almost halfway through the 1,440 page mammoth of A Breath of Snow and Ashes. I'm enjoying it, but dang is it slow going sometimes. :-)

When I get tired of not posting any points for awhile I'll pause in my reading of Gabaldon and read The Alchemist which will finish up a 25 point multi-book task.

I'm listening to The White Queen in the car. I'm about 1/3 of the way through it and the narrator is just annoying to me. She is overly dramatic in some passages, but the story is fairly interesting. I'll use it for the second book done for a 3 book challenge.

Whew, that's it for me at the moment. :-)

Donna Jo wrote: "I just picked up the new Mercedes Lackey Gwenhwyfar The White Spirit so I'll be busy tonight. I know I should probably wait and see ..."

I've had the novel on my shelf for a long while. I plan to try to fit it into the next seasonal challenge though!!

Tanja wrote: "Donna Jo wrote: "I just picked up the new Mercedes Lackey Gwenhwyfar The White Spirit so I'll be busy tonight. I know I should proba..."

Well, I didn't get to it last night. I decided I'd better get some library books read before they are overdue. That's the hardest part about being a retired librarian--getting the books back on time.
Since I don't go in every day (some weeks it feels sure like I do, what with meetings and program and the bread) I don't take them back in dribs and drabs anymore.

I'm in the middle of A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander, lent to me by my sister, WHO NOW WILL HAVE TO COME UP WITH THE FIRST BOOKS IN THE SERIES.

Jan (the Gryphon) wrote: "I'm in the middle of A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander, lent to me by my sister, WHO NOW WILL HAVE TO COME UP WITH THE FIRST BOOKS IN..."

Stop whining and shouting. It's so little sister-ish. So why did you even start it if you wanted to read it in the right order? I wasn't going to buy the rest of them because I wasn't that enthralled with it. Plus it was on sale and I didn't realize when I bought it that it was part of a series.
And your Tupperware is in. You'll get it Thanksgiving. (Sorry, other readers.)

I'm reading Life of Pi for the second part of the grammar task and enjoying it so far. I've heard a lot of negative reviews from my friends, but I think it's a pretty good read.

I'm also reading Frankenstein for some unknown task - probably the Thanksgiving one.

Amy wrote: "I'm reading Life of Pi for the second part of the grammar task and enjoying it so far. I've heard a lot of negative reviews from my friends, but I think it's a pretty good read.

I'm al..."

I really liked the Life of Pi. Hang in there until the end!

Hello!

I am just digging into Last Night in Twisted River bu John Irving.

I'm reading The End of Mr. Y by Scarlett Thomas right now. The book started out a bit slow but it's getting better. There are quite a lot stuff about science in there though, and because I'm zero interested in science those parts get a bit boring. But apart from that it's a pretty good book so far.

I've been reading Pale Fire, which has a five-star first section, but the remainder may be solely three-star material.

Just finished Days of Infamy - along with Pearl Harbor A Novel of December 8th, that was some very intense/emotional reading about just 3 days of war.

My main read now is Home Song for #15.9, and just 4 chapters in, I already know what one of my homework assignments will be.

Still working on Counterpoint Tecumseh Vs. William Henry Harrison for #25.6 Curse of Tippecanoe. It's interesting but slow-going because I find myself going to the internet to help put some details in perspective, and then need to take a break from it because of 'fact overload'. What idiot created this task?! Oh, that's right - it was me!!!

I have finished a few books but all for multiple book challenges. Hopefully I will be able to report on a few soon. Currently I am reading Cold Shoulder for the 1,2,3 task. And am on the second book of the grammar task listening to Queen of the Underworld.

Just started The Tailor's Daughter A Novel and am STILL reading Team of Rivals The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, which is going on 2.5 months for me now. I think i may have started this the first or second day of the challenge...and I am only half-way through.

The problem is I think I would really enjoy Team of Rivals if I werent trying to finish this challenge. As it is, It is going too slow for me, so I dont have patience for it.

Still reading Frankenstein, and started The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society yesterday for the second part of the math task. I love it so far, and wish I could read more books that were so enjoyable.

BIRD IN HAND by Christina Baker Kline.

i'm reading olive kitteridge by elizabeth strout... but i'm rather behind, because the recently posted task list for the winter challenge is distracting me in a major way.

The new task list is distracting me, too, Bunny.
I'm currently reading Fifth Business for the ABC task.

The Opposite of Love

Julie Buxbaum

Bunny, I know what you mean about the distraction of the winter challenge task list. I had to give myself a stern talking-to about getting back to work on current challenges!

Finished Home Song and have only about 75 pages to go in The General's Daughter, which is more engaging than I thought it would be. Then on to the last 200 pp. of Counterpoint Tecumseh Vs. William Henry Harrison.

I am pushing to finish as well. I have been looking at the new challenge but have been listening to an audio book as I do so. I am almost finished with Animal Farm and am half way through The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian.

Finished Counterpoint Tecumseh Vs. William Henry Harrison - now I have to do my write-up so I can claim my 25 points!

Just have 170 pages left in This Rough Magic and I'll be done! It's a good story, so I'll probably read thru the night until I finish it.

Come on, BJ Rose. Can hardly wait for the Leaderboard to change.

Just about to begin East of Eden by John Steinbeck ~ for task 10.1 (1936-1959).

Come on, BJ Rose!!!! We're rooting for you to finish!

I'm another one who has spent far too much time looking at the Winter Challenge and neglecting reading for the Fall Challenge. I finally (tentatively) decided on books for every category, though, so I'm back to focusing full-time on Fall reading.
Just finishing reading The Master and Margarita now for the translated from a foreign language task. The first part was a bit slow for me (I thought it would be funnier than it was) but it really picked up in the second half and now I'm eager to finish it.
I'll do either Devil in the White City or Shutter Island next. I hope to read at least three more books before the challenge ends.

Asho wrote: "Just finishing reading The Master and Margarita now for the translated from a foreign language task. The first part was a bit slow for me (I thought it would be funnier than it was) but it really picked up in the second half and now I'm eager to finish it ..."

Asho, would you recommend this book? It's been coming across my path over the past few months and sounds interesting. It may wind up on my TBR list if I hear positively from someone who's read it.

Thanks, Donna Jo & Petra!!
I just posted my last two books - now to finish planning books for the Winter Challenge!!

I'm reading Gilead A Novel right now to finish up the 1, 2, 3 word title task.

I'm listening to My Invented Country A Nostalgic Journey Through Chile to finish up the foreign language task.

I'm hoping to finish the following books before the challenge ends:
Home A Novel
The Shadow of the Wind
and
Odd Thomas --or-- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
(Can't decide between these last two for the Prophecy task.)

There are so many other good books that I'm just going to have to leave on the TBR shelf for now.

The other task I was really looking forward to finishing was Donna Jo's -- Related Authors -- task. I was going to read March by Geraldine Brooks AND Confederates in the Attic Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War written by her husband Tony Horwitz

Ah well, as usual, so many books so little time. Plus I too have been spending WAY too much time pondering selections for the Winter Challenge. But sheesh, that's half the fun of the challenges so I wouldn't want to deprive myself of that since I'm not anywhere near close to completing this challenge.

Petra wrote: "Asho wrote: "Just finishing reading The Master and Margarita now for the translated from a foreign language task. The first part was a bit slow for me (I thought it would be funnier than it was) bu..."

How funny, because I read it for the exact same reason. I just kept hearing about it from various sources so I decided to give it a try.
Like I said, it moved a bit slowly for me at first. Bulgakov has a distinct, sometimes sort of choppy way of narrating so he'll tell a story from one perspective and then re-tell parts of it from another character's point of view. Sometimes that's interesting, sometimes I was like "I already know what happened, move on already!" I stuck with it, though, and for me it really paid off in the second half of the book, which I found really entertaining. The descriptive language can be really beautiful, too.
I recommend it. I haven't read much else translated from Russian, though. I've primarily just read Russian plays prior to now, so I'm not sure how Bulgakov compares to, say, Dostoevsky or Tolstoy.

Asho wrote: "Petra wrote: "Asho wrote: "Just finishing reading The Master and Margarita now for the translated from a foreign language task. The first part was a bit slow for me (I thought it would be funnier t..."

Thanks, Asho! Sounds like it's worth giving a try. I'll put it on my TBR list.

Krista - Definately go with Harry Potter. When in doubt always Harry Potter.

I'm about to finish Misery which I can't fit anywhere in the current challenge. >< *cries*

Felina wrote: "Krista - Definately go with Harry Potter. When in doubt always Harry Potter.

I'm about to finish Misery which I can't fit anywhere in the current challenge. >< *cries*"

That's a good motto! I think I'm one of three people left on the planet who haven't read any Harry Potter yet. I found a used copy (for 65 cents) at my local thrift store the other day, so now I actually have a Harry Potter book on my bookshelf. Guess I should give it a go. :-)

Krista wrote: "I'm reading Gilead A Novel right now to finish up the 1, 2, 3 word title task..."

Krista, I'd love to hear your opinion of Gilead A Novel when you're finished. I have to admit I was disappointed in it, but will wait to say more.

BJ Rose wrote: "Krista wrote: "I'm reading Gilead A Novel right now to finish up the 1, 2, 3 word title task..."

Krista, I'd love to hear your opinion of Gilead A Novel when you're fin..."

Okay will do -- I'm about 100 pages into it right now. So far some parts seem to drag, but some of the stories are really wonderful.

BJ Rose wrote: "Krista wrote: "I'm reading Gilead A Novel right now to finish up the 1, 2, 3 word title task..."

Krista, I'd love to hear your opinion of Gilead A Novel when you're fin..."

I'm interested to hear what both of you have to say about Gilead after my experience with it.

Oh an HP newbie. I am so jealous of you right now.

Felina, can't use Misery for the one word challenge or the 50 point challenge for emotion?

I'm in the middle of Traitor to His Class, The Memory of Running (on audio), Camelback Falls, and In the President's Secret Service. Not sure I'm going to make it before November 30th since I'm also trying to finish up two major papers before the end of the semester and working full time. I better get off the internet & get reading!

I'm reading Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell for Task 15.3. I'm not sure if I'll get through it by the end of the month but I'm trying.

Donna Jo wrote: "BJ Rose wrote: "Krista wrote: "I'm reading Gilead A Novel right now to finish up the 1, 2, 3 word title task..."

Krista, I'd love to hear your opinion of [book:Gilead A Novel|6821..."

Okay BJ Rose and Donna Jo, I finished Gilead today. What did you both think if it? I haven't given it a final star rating yet. I loved some parts of it. Some parts I had to stop and re-read several times to get the full meaning of the idea, and some parts just seemed to drag. It was much heavier into Christian theology than I expected. That's not a bad thing, just a different type of book than I was expecting.

I am reading "How To Ditch Your Fairy and the main character is a student at a sports high school. So I am using that book for the student task.

The first time I read Gilead I hated it. It seemed to take forever to go anywhere. Then I had to reread it when it was chosen as the United We Read book and I had to lead a book discussion. I had to read it at a slower pace and really examine what it had to say--and I loved it. This is a book that cannot and must not be rushed. The language and rhythm demands a certain slower speed.
I was interested in the story since I am living in Kansas but originally from Iowa. So often authors get it wrong--not just the geography, but the life style and the moral quality. This one got it right.

i am reading:

The Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis (20.1)
Thank You, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse (25.8)
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula LeGuin (5.3)

i'm going to read up a storm after thanksgiving. i started the challenge very late and it's the middle of finals right now... with thanksgiving coming, there's no way i'll finish, but i would like to hit 300 points, at least. :)