The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

Finished 15.1

Read Strip Tease by Carl Hiaasen and watched Gremlins.

30.10 Color by numbers
for colour read The Scarlet Pimpernel
for number read Tau Zero

Just need to secure a place for myself now, or I would be too ashamed of my meager points to post at the end.

5.6. IT'S A DIRTY JOB BUT… - In The Fall Challenge We Read About Our Current And Dream Job So For This Task...
A. Read A Novel Where The Main Character Does A Job You Could Never Imagine Doing.

Measuring the World A Novel by Daniel Kehlmann

One of the the main character is an explorer. The other one is a mathematician. Yuck!


5.9. ISN'T IT ROMANTIC - Read A Book With The Words: Love, Romance, Cupid, Sweetheart, Valentine, Heart, Kiss, Chocolate, Roses, Or Jewelry In The Title. (Alternate Forms Of These Words Are Acceptable I.E. Romantic Or Kissing Would Be Fine.)

First Love by Samuel Beckett

I think I just slashed the spirit of this task completely! :P


10.10. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE - Read A Novel Written By A Russian Author, Set In Russia, Or A Non-Fiction Book About Russia.

The Shooting Party by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

Good as a novel, so-so as a mystery.


25.6. STEPHANIE US' TASK - ISLAND DREAMS
Read A Book That Takes Place On An Island Country Listed On The Page Link Below. The Only Condition Is If You Choose A Historical Island The Book Must Take Place When The Island Was An Independent State. For Example You Can Use Hawaii Before It Became A State In 1959.

Parallel World Love Story (パラレルワールド・ラブストーリー) by Hagashino Keigo

The book takes place in Japan


Points: 45/550
Books: 4
Tasks: 4/58
Pages: 1,046

Finished 15.8 (Silver Screen Celebrations)

Read Dickens' A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings, and I've watched a ton of Christmas movies this month, including Jim Carrey's new version of A Christmas Carol, which was an impressively accurate portrayal of the book.

Total: 70 points

Finished 5-7, Both Hermann Hesse and I are Ox(es), (en)? I read 'Steppenwolf', it was really boring.

190 points

For 35.2, I read Gone with the Groom by Janice Thompson (per Donna Jo's list, a "Cozy" mystery) and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins So: Cozy Fire).

I really didn't enjoy "Gone with the Groom" -- totally predictable and just blah.

I loved "Catching Fire" and can't wait for the 3rd one. I'm a big fan of post-apoco-lit, and of reality shows, so this series was made just for me!

For 5.9 I read Valentine Princess by Meg Cabot and Sweet Hearts by Jan Carr (a favorite of my kids).

My new total is 325.

10.5 Popularity Contest:
Fragile Eternity - This is a Goodreads Author

Tasks: 6
Books: 7
Total Pages: 1907
Total Points: 55/1100

Jessica wrote: "Finished 15.8 (Silver Screen Celebrations)

Read Dickens' A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings, and I've watched a ton of Christmas movies this month, including Jim Carrey's n..."

I saw that movie too.

Jayme wrote: "Jessica wrote: "Finished 15.8 (Silver Screen Celebrations)

Read Dickens' A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings, and I've watched a ton of Christmas movies this month, includin..."

What did you think? Once I got over the fact that it was Jim Carrey being almost entirely serious, I really liked it.

5pt/#2 The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne.


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Jessica wrote: "Jayme wrote: "Jessica wrote: "Finished 15.8 (Silver Screen Celebrations)

Read Dickens' A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings, and I've watched a ton of Christmas movies this m..."

Well it was strange. I don't think we were in the 3-D theater. I didn't see anything 3-D and I had the glasses on. I went with my students. It was a school field trip. We had to take one of the students out of the movie because he started having a seizure attack.

Two more tasks. I read for 5.2 Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. I really enjoyed it.

Also, 5.4 I read What I Saw And How I Lied by Judy Blundell, which won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2008. That was an interesting noir-style mystery set in the 40s.

Previous Score: 155
Current Score: 165

A late start, but I'm here.

5.1. Once upon a Time a Glass Shoe by Kay Hooper (Exactly what you'd expect from a thin romance. Pleasant.)

5.6 Just Trust Me by Judy Markey about a talk-radio host. I would be too self-conscious to host talk radio. (The book left me cold. Hated the female protagonist...too much a vicitm.)

5.8. Truly, Madly A Novel by Heather Webber (Read an ARC and enjoyed it. Another fun, quick paranormal cozy series.)

25.4. All Quiet on the Western Front (WWI) and Charlie's War (WWII) I have always liked the WWII era...the music, the esprit de corps, the airplanes... (I am loving the Fiddimore series: Tuesday's War, Charlie's War... narrated in an easy voice to "listen" to.)

Total points: 40

I have finished 2 more tasks:

15.6 My grandfather made me a dollhouse made out of steel and my grandmother gave me all kinds of furniture. I made rugs and curtains for it and had until I was about 30 years old. I miss it terribly--I like to still play with that kind of stuff!!

15.6A The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright
15.6B I give to the Tarrant County Foodbank every month and this was no exception. It makes me feel good to help others when I can

15.10A Suspicion of Betryal by Barbara Parker
15.10B Kill Bill a movie with David Carradine in it

finished 25.5 by reading I Love You, Ronnie The Letters of Ronald Reagan to Nancy Reagan by Nancy Reagan.


Task completed:4
Total Points: 95

20.3 Group read - The Stupidest Angel A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror, Version 2.0
+ posted comment

25.9 World of Books: Map - The Map Thief A Novel
Glossary - The Red Thread A Chinese tale of love and fate in 1830s Singapore

Tasks completed: 18
Tasks started: 3
Books read: 30
Pages read: 9,114
Points: 475

I finished 15.9 Out With the Old and In With the New Books. The book that had been on my TBR pile the longest was The Gunslinger. The book by an author I had never read before was The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

Pages in book(s): The Gunslinger-300
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle-576 (I would like to claim a chance for this book for the I Like Big Books challenge)

Tasks Completed: 3
Books Read: 4
Total Pages Read: 1,453
Total Points: 45

Two more down--

5.1--BE A DOG WITH A BONE:ALWAYS GO FOR YOUR DREAMS
by Peggy McColl

This is actually a self-help book that I might recommend (if you love and understand dogs). It focuses on how dogs look at life and asks the reader to try to live their lives that way. I can actually see this plan as working.

and

10.5--WINTERGIRLS by Laurie H. Anderson (Full list:December baby)

A look at a teen girl battling growing up, the loss and her best friend and anorexia. Well written and not as much of a downer as you might think.

This brings me to 805 points!!

10.7 Small Screen Stories: Heat Wave by Richard Castle

If you're not watching Castle, you should be. It's about a mystery writer who shadows a NYPD homicide detective, and helps her solve cases. She's the inspiration for his new series of novels about "Nikki Heat." They have cute flirty banter, and it's just generally awesome.

Books Read: 7
Tasks Completed: 6
Pages Read: 2131
Total Points: 90

Completed task 10.7 Small Screen Stories - Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay. I loved the book just as much as I love the show!!

135/1100 points
Tasks Completed: 6/60
Tasks In Progress: 4
Books Read: 9
Pages Read: 2,309

I finished 25.5 - a book that doesn't fit into any other categories: Night of Many Dreams A Novel by Gail Tsukiyama. It was okay, but kind of dull at times. It took me a while to get through, I kept putting it aside to read other things.

New Point Total: 160
Task Completed: 8
Tasks in Progress: 4
Books Read: 16
Pages Read: 4777

Here are some of mine so far:

5.1. THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY - Sleeping Beauty is the movie and the book is The Kingdom Keepers (Audio CD) by Ridley Pearson and narrated by Gary Littma

5.8. BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE - The Cat Who Went Underground (Audio CD) by Lilian Jackson Braun and narrated by George Guidall

10.3. RENAISSANCE READING - Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

25.9. BRIDGIT'S TASK - THE WORLD OF BOOKS
A. Any Book That Has A Map Included - The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
B. Any Book That Has Extra Content - The Spiderwick Chronicles (1-5) by by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

Bringing my total to 45 points! Thanks!

My reading opportunities have practically vanished this Christmas season! Hope to get back on track the first of the year.

30.6 WENDY'S TASK - WINTER VACATION DREAMS -
The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera. Takes place in my dream vacation spot, New Zealand. New Zealand seems to have the best of everything I love in a vacation destination - ocean, mountains, lush greenery, rich culture, and exotic flora and fauna. It truly looks like one of the most amazing places on earth.

Total Points: 165/1100
Tasks Completed: 10/58
Tasks in Progress: 4


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Completed Task 30.1

Addition by Toni Jordan (published 2008)
Animal Husbandry by Laura Zigman was made into Someone Like You in 2001 starring Ashley Judd & Hugh Jackman.

5 POINT TASKS
1. THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY -

Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers

Total Books Read: 7
Total Pages Read: 1409
Total Points: 60

Completed task 30.1 (Bonnie's Task)

1. Book: Last Night in Twisted River A Novel (published 2009) This book was 576 pages.

2. Book turned into a movie: Julie and Julia (book was published in 2005, movie came out in 2009)

Total: 100 points

25.9 The World of Books
Read a Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin which has a number of maps and dragonquest by Anne McCaffrey which includes a map, list of characters and a 'dragondex'.

I just posted in the appropriate group read thread. I hope I don't get lynched as although I liked this I certainly didn't love it. Just 3 stars for me.

20.3 Group read – The Princess Bride by William Goldman

TOTALS:
95 points
10 books
7 tasks
3741 pages
2 tasks in progress

I finished 10.2, Louis Louis with
Deafening

Thanks to Jennifer for recommending this book- very moving. 4* Grania's parts were outstanding.

+10
total 380

This is also a multi-tasker- Canadian author, Influenza epidemic of 1918, deaf character, one word title

Finished 30-1 with I, Alex Cross by James Patterson and Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.

220 points.

I finished 15.10 by reading Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings and watching Sixteen Candles.

That makes my total 190 points.

I completed 25.6 by reading The Pillars of the Earth which takes place in the 12th century on what was then the island state of the Kingdom of England. Also this book was 976 pages.

My total is now 100 points.

For 5.5 I read Real Murders by Charlaine Harris (about a librarian). I didn't love it, and I expected to love it. But it was cute and an easy read.

I'm at 330.

Completed 15.8 by Listening to The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck on audiobook. Very touching story, a tear jerker... and watching Debbie Macomber's Mrs. Miracle. That brings me to 70 Points.

Completed one more:

5.10 THE ALLURE OF ALLITERATION Vegan Virgin Valentine by Carolyn Mackler

Previously Completed Tasks
10.9 Swimsuit by James Patterson

25.5 This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

20.3 The Stupidest Angel A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror, Version 2.0 by Christopher Moore.

25.6 Behaving Badly by Isabel Wolff

Total Points: 85
Tasks Completed: 5 (and 2 half tasks)
Books Read: 7

FINISHED:

5.8 - Strawberry Shortcake Murder - Joanne Fluke

I love these books!

TOTAL POINTS = 65

Well, it has been quite a while since I posted.

Finished:

15.4 Blue Diablo-my favorite computer game is diablo which I started playing with the idea of playing for an hour and ended up playing for 6. That is why I don't start it very often.

15.5 Initials are RC
Delia from Romania - Wizard's First Rule (750+ pages)
Iv from Columbia - The Little Prince

15.6 Garden Spells-
My favorite gift I received was from my mom when I graduated from high school. She had the senior/graduation pictures of my maternal great-grandmother, maternal grandmother, mother, and me framed with our graduation years underneath (with the exception of my mom we graduated in 30 year increments (my mom was 31 from my grandma and 29 from me)
My giving back was through adopt-a-family through my work. I was the person in charge of shopping so I spent a weekend plus a few nights buying things for 8 kids. It was a lot of fun and I was able to stretch our money to get the kids a lot of cool clothes and toys.
**Sarah Addison Allen is a Goodreads author**

15.8 Let Them Eat Fruitcake and watched a bunch of made-for-tv holiday movies
--"Santa Baby 2", "Prep and Landing" and a bunch of Lifetime holiday movies (I LOVE THESE TYPE OF MOVIES)

25.2 Spring Broke-
Friendship is so important is this book. This group of roommates are supporting each other through some tough times, but their friendship continues to get stronger. My friends are so important in keeping me grounded and supporting me when I need it. It really hit how important they were when one of my friends lost her nephew and how we all gathered around her to support her in her loss. My group of girlfriends are going on a weekend trip to Vegas in a month or so and I can't wait to spend some quality time with them which has been hard to do since we graduated from college.

Total Points 220/1100
Total Books 24/82
Total Tasks Completed 14/58
Total Pages 7643

First task finished! 20.2 The Autobiography of Santa Claus using the previous task of reading a book with Santa in the title.

20 points total
Heather in KS

Looks like I have the number wrong and it was task 20.1.

Heather in KS

Roseann wrote: "Two more down--

5.1--BE A DOG WITH A BONE:ALWAYS GO FOR YOUR DREAMS
by Peggy McColl

This is actually a self-help book that I might recommend (if you love and understand dogs). It fo..."

For any of the Goodreads Librarians out there, I went to take a look at this book and the HTML for the description is all wacky. If anyone has a mind to fix it that would be lovely. :)

For 25.8 - Long title- The Art of Racing in the Rain and Short title - Shadowland

Task Points:25
Total Points:95
Tasks:5
Books:7

Nicki - STL

I just finished Her Fearful Symmetry for 25.6 Stephanie's Island Dreams task. Time Traveler's Wife was one of my favorite books so I couldn't wait for her new one, and I wasn't disappointed, but at the same time I didn't love the book or the characters as I did with Time Traveler. The book explores the relationship of twins, as well as if there is life after death. It's definitely worth a read.

Total points: 170

I finished 20.3, group read with
Oxford World Classics Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass Reader

+20
total 400

Nicole NC wrote: "Roseann wrote: "Two more down--

5.1--BE A DOG WITH A BONE:ALWAYS GO FOR YOUR DREAMS
by Peggy McColl

This is actually a self-help book that I might recommend (if you love and understand d..."

I noticed that too. There are actually two listing for the book. If you look up under the author's name you will find the listing with the correct title "Be A Dog With A Bone" ranther than "On Being A Dog With A Bone".

15.1 Make Me Laugh

Lamb The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore. I really enjoyed this 'alternate' gospel. In a lot of ways it is a road story about two best buddies, one of whom happens to be the Messiah, but it was funny and not as heretical as it might have been, certainly. In keeping with the theme, I watched one of my favorite movies, Dogma. I love Alan Rickman!

I think that should bring me to 250 points.

One more down--

25.4--Lisa MD/THE ASH GARDEN by Dennis Bock (WWII)

A sad story chronicaling three people who live through the Hiroshima bombing, including one who helped drop the bomb. Very well written, I enjoyed it very much, although it did have me in tears at time (I just hate that this had to happen to so many people).
&

WOMEN OF THE RENAISSANCE by Melissa Thompson

A non-fiction synopsis of what it was like to be a woman in the time of wonders (actually not so wonderful for us gals). While there were some women who were able to write, paint (look up Sofonisba Anguissola--I think she rivals Raphael), and perform, most women were expected to be the "Good Wife" and if she was poor and unmarried she could not run a business as a man had to be in charge.

Which time would I want to live in, hmmmm! I wouldn't mind the Renaissance as long as I was wealthy and had an understanding husband who would allow (yes allow) my reading and working in some form. Otherwise, I'd have to say the 1940's would be better to be a woman albeit, not August 1945 in Hiroshima.

I really don't think that there is a "good" time to live in as every era has its good and bad points (admittedly, most earlier eras--not so good for women).

This brings me to 830 points!!

Finished:
15.6 Season of Gifting:
A. The Bride's Necklace by Kat Martin a highly improbable historical romance. I read it for my gift of a heart-shaped locket and chain given to me when I married. It had been worn by my grandmother for her wedding in 1903 (married 63 years); by my mother for her wedding on Easter Sunday 1941 (married 49 years); by myself at my wedding (married 27 years); and by my daughter when she married in 2000.
and
B. One day a week (usually Tuesday or Wednesday) I bake between 12 and 20 loaves of bread and sell it. The money goes to our library's Relay for Life team for the American Cancer Society.

Also, just read for the heck of it Ivy and Bean Doomed to Dance
- Book 6 by Annie Barrows. Absolutely hilarious.

I just finished listening to Love, Stargirl on audio for 5.9. I also finished reading Hush, Hush off the popular books list for 2009 for task 10.5.

Total Points 205

2 more completed:

5.10 Alliteration: The Christmas Candle by Max Lucado. Very good and inspiring work. Typical of this author. 4 stars

15.7 Food and Family/Friends:

A. A Redbird Christmas A Novel by Fannie Flagg.

Terrific book about the powerful effects of believing. Fannie Flagg always has such eccentric characters, well-defined and humorous, in very interesting, out-of-the-way settings - with a great meaning thrown in just for the fun of it. 4 stars

B. Also baked a Southern Pecan Pie from the recipes in the book. Wonderful - not for the waistline but a great treat anyway.

Points 340
Tasks 18
Books 23
Pages 4948

Holiday Books 17

5.10 The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

Points: 5
Total Points: 40