The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah. Kwaanza. Festivus. Two more tasks completed.

5.7 I was born in 1981, Year of the Rooster. I chose Mary Janice Davidson because she was born in 1969. I read Dead and Loving It. If you like paranormal romance I suggest you stay away from this. It was poorly written cliche porn. Also, it had a romantic rape fantasy segment that left me angry and disgusted. I can't understand how this woman is a popular author. I think this is the worst book I've read in all of the challenges we have done. Read Charlaine Harris or Kelley Armstrong instead.

Also, for 10.3 I read Upstate A Novel by Kalisha Buckhanon. Now this book I can recommend. It is the story of a young black man who is in prison for killing his abusive father, and his relationship with his girlfriend, who dreams of getting out of Harlem and making something out of herself. The story is told in the form of letters. This book was raw, real bittersweet yet still full of hope. I look forward to reading her book Conception

Previous score: 165
Current score: 180

Just finished 30.1 read A. Hush, Hush and B. He's Just Not That Into You (The Newly Expanded Edition) The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys

Finished task 10.7: The Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith - it relates to the TV show No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. I'd read the first book, then watched the whole series while visiting my daughter in London, and loved it - the casting of the characters was spot on, and made reading this latest book even more enjoyable, as I could picture the characters.

Finished task 30.7: New York by Edward Rutherfurd. I was disappointed in this book. I loved London by ER, and as soon as I saw NY was out, I bought it, and couldn't wait to start. But I never got to know or feel for the characters, and he never seemed to relate the story in the "present", kept writing "Five years ago ..." so it felt more like an impersonal history, no emotion. (This book also fits tasks 25.9, 30.1, 30.3 and 30.6)

This book also gives me a ticket in the draw by being 100+ pages (1016 pages).

TOTAL POINTS = 65

I finished 10.9, Remembering Pearl Harbor with
House of Many Gods A Novel

A beautifully written, complicated love story with a great sense of place.

+10
total 435

I completed 35.3 by reading Day After Night A Novel.

My total is now 135.

For task 15.8 I read A Cedar Cove Christmas by Debbie Macomber and I took advantage of all the Christmas movies on Lifetime My two favorites were "Comfort and Joy" about a woman who was transported 10 years into her future after she crashed her car and "If You Believe" about woman whose "inner child" visits her to help her get her spirit back.

Vicki wrote: "For task 15.8 I read A Cedar Cove Christmas by Debbie Macomber and I took advantage of all the Christmas movies on Lifetime My two favorites were "Comfort and Joy" ab..."

I love "Comfort and Joy". I been watching that for two or three years. I haven't seen "IF You Believe".

20.3 Group Reads -- The Princess Bride a delightful re-visit of a very well known story.

Pages read: 1601
Books read: 8+
Tasks completed: 7
Total Points: 170
Liz (Bklyn)

Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays!

I finished three more tasks:

5.1 The Wonderful World of Disney: Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley. Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite Disney films and I really enjoyed this book as well. I liked that it was a more traditional telling and setting, and I liked all of the characters. There was precious little of the Beast, and I would have liked a little more development of his character, but I still enjoyed it.

5.4 A Winning Decade: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (ALA Notable Book for 2005, SLJ Best Book of the Year, YALSA Best Books for Young Adults 2005) - I finally read this book that my kids have been raving about for a couple of years now. My youngest is almost as caught up with Percy Jackson as he is with Harry Potter. I enjoyed the book and I thought it was more well written than a lot of things aimed at middle-schoolers, but I am not sure it really makes the crossover to good adult fiction. (Although I am not snobbish about reading YA, some books seem to cross over better than others.)

30.9 Newberry Award: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler (winner) and The Egypt Game (honor) from 1968. I liked the Egypt Game better... I thought the characters were more sympathetic and more imaginative, and the story was more interesting to me. I didn't care for the narration of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler, she seemed to keep inserting her opinions into the narrative randomly and that was a little distracting. I think the Egypt Game also stands the test of time better; the world of the Kincaid children seems much more dated than April's, but that may be more noticable to an adult than a child. My own kids read the Egypt Game only a year or two ago and loved it - for about a month all I heard from them was clamoring to find the sequel, the Gypsy Game. I don't think either of them have read The Mixed-up Files.

40 more points

FINISHED

15.2 - Adventures with Alice & Lewis

Breaking Dawn - Stephanie Meyer
Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins

TOTAL POINTS = 80

Two more tasks down:

10.5 Popularity Contest - Catching Fire
15.8 Silver Screen Holiday Celebrations - A Christmas Carol and I watched A Christmas Story and It's A Wonderful Life.

I finally finished my first couple tasks.

15.9 OUT WITH THE OLD & IN WITH THE NEW BOOKS
a) A Gift Upon the Shore by MK Wren--I don't know why I waited so long to read this book, it was fantastic, definitely a 5 star book for me.
b) Non-Stop by Brian Aldiss

35.3 DLM ROSE'S TASK - IT'S ABOUT TIME
Golden Days by Carolyn See

Total tasks completed-2
Total points-50

30.6 - Dream Vacation: Deadline in Athens. An intriguing murder-mystery. It was fascinating to read foreign detective novel and see the differences and similarities in the justice system and how they shaped the mystery. I have never been to Greece and lately have been wanting to go -- the food, the blue water, the history.


Pages read: 1894
Books read: 9+
Tasks completed: 8
Total Points: 200
Liz (Bklyn)

Hello all! I'm ready to claim another task completion:

15.5 READERS OF THE WORLD UNITE - My initials are DH, so for "D" I picked Dominica and chose a five star from the #1 guy on that list (Ebu) -
Country: D: DOMINICA Person: EBU
The Shadow Riders (1982) by Louis L'Amour (Paperback, 192 pages)

Louis L'Amour writes the perfect Western stories, when men were either honorable or despicable - no in-between; and women were victims (except, in this novel, one feisty female).

And for “H” I picked Hungary and chose a five star from the #1 person on that list (Mollie)
Country: H: HUNGARY Person: Mollie
Mother Night (1961) by Kurt Vonnegut (Paperback 192 pages)



Mother Night is a satirical novel written in 1961 that takes as its subject a German-American man who worked for the Nazis in Berlin as a radio broadcaster who seeks to undermine American soldier's morale. By 1961, he is despised by almost everyone on earth as an American Nazi traitor; however, the truth is that he was actually an agent working for the American government during the war. He cannot prove this, however, which is why he is in an Israeli jail awaiting trial. The primary moral of Mother Night, Vonnegut tells us in his introduction, is that "we are what we pretend to be" and should thus be pretty darned careful about what we are pretending to be. I think this novel succeeds as a satirical/life is absurd novel; it also pokes fun at the "go along to get along" morality (is that what the 1940s Germans did?)

145 + 15 = 160





Tasks Completed: 9
Points for this task: 15
Points thus far: 160/1100
Books read: 10
Pages Read: 3226

5.5 A LIBRARIANS JOB IS NEVER DONE -- Main character is librarian Real Murders the 1st Aurora Teagarden mystery

Books read: 13
Pages Read: 3790
Tasks Completed: 11

Finished:
15.5 Readers around the world:
My initials are DA so I Read from Ebu's 5 * list in Dominica The Perfect Storm by Sebastuan Junger (I read this during our big snow storm from Christmas Eve on through today--still snowing.)
and for A I read from Asal Sepassi's list in Antigua and Barbuda the same book Deedee did--Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut.
I agree that both were worth 5*.

25.4 Lisa MD - Turn Back Time
Book 1: The Man Who Invented Christmas How Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol Rescued His Career and Revived Our Holiday Spirits by Les Standiford

A pretty good book about the life of Charles Dickens (mid-1800's). The emphasis of the book was on the writing of the Christmas Carol and the attendant historical events that coincided with its publication. Very interesting and well worth reading. 3 stars

Book 2: When Christmas Comes Again The World War I Diary of Simone Spencer, New York City to the Western Front, 1917 by Beth Seidel Levine

A very interesting story of the "hello girls" - French-speaking American ladies who were enlisted by the Signal Corps to act as telephone operators during WWI. These ladies were the only communications vehicles for Allied troops to communicate with each other during battles. Well worth reading. 3 stars

I really wouldn't like to have lived in either of these eras. Mid 1800's England was too underdeveloped with very short life spans for most of the citizenry. Early 1900's during WWI was pretty brutal for the infrantrymen. With all its warts, I still think the 21st century is the best place to be.

Points 365
Tasks 19
Books 25
Pages 5376

Holiday Books 19

I finished 25.8, Michelle US's Answering Machine with
a. 7 word+ title Bad Mother A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moments of Grace and
b. 1 word title Jump

Tim Maleeny is a GR author

+25
total 460

I finished task 25.10 - Emily's Task.

For the first part, I read , which I think has a gorgeous cover. I love the shades of purple and the detail in the wings and the tattoo. (Also, Melissa Marr is a Goodreads author.)

Then, for the second part, I read Naruto 44 as part of my quest to finally catch up on that series.

Total points: 60
3 tasks complete - 4 tasks in progress
6 books read
1,705 pages read

I finished STEPHANIE US' TASK - ISLAND DREAMS tonight by reading A Great and Terrible Beauty which was set in London (United Kingdom). I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it! It is also the first in a series and I will look forward to reading the others.

I just finished task 5.5 A librarian's task is never done. I read Lethal Legacy.
This brings me to

155/1100

I read another book for task 20.1 Eyes on the Prize America's Civil Rights Years, 1954-1965. I generally don't like history books but I have been meaning to read this one in forever, and I actually REALLY enjoyed it! Just the way it was written was really good! (5*)

New Point Total: 205
Task Completed: 10
Tasks in Progress: 3
Books Read: 18
Pages Read: 5535

My first completed task:

10.7 - 7. SMALL SCREEN STORIES
I read The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by L. J. Smith. (The show Vampire Diaries is based on this series)

Pages read: 250
Books read: 1
Tasks completed: 1
Total Points: 10/1100

The tasks I completed this week include:

5.6 Two for the Dough I wouldn't want to be a bounty hunter and I like a steady paycheck!

10.2 The Tailor's Daughter A Novel The protagonist becomes deaf after an illness in her teen years.

10.4 The Scarecrow chosen by Wendy and Lisa

25.8 Fragment and Waiting for Daisy A Tale of Two Continents, Three Religions, Five Infertility Doctors, an Oscar, an Atomic Bomb, a Rom

This should bring my total to:

25.5. ABIGAIL'S TASK - ODD MAN OUT
I read "Comfort Food" by Kate Jacobs - this books didn't qualify for any of the 5/10/15 tasks for me.

Pages read: 586
Books read: 2
Tasks completed: 2
Total Points: 35/1100

20.3 - group read - read a book and post to the board.

Read - The PRINCESS BRIDE - posted to the board tonight.

Total Points = 20

Dee wrote: "Just completed:
10.7. How I Met Your Mother: The Bro Code by Barney Stinson

Previously completed tasks
5.1: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
5.4: 2008 winner of the Agatha Award for Best ..."

The Bro Code by Barney Stinson? That is legen...wait for it...dary! I didn't even know that was out and I might have to copy you for that task. Because I heart How I Met Your Mother and especially the always entertaining, often offensive, rarely suitless Barney Stinson.

15 Points

7. Novel w/Recipes OR Cookbook: Kitchen Princess, Volume 6 by Kobayashi Miyuki.

Cute series and each volume has recipes that the main character made in each chapter. The recipes are always pretty simple but look tasty. I made the Cafe au Chocolat (coffee and cocoa) which was quite good.

8. Holiday Book: Skipping Christmas by John Grisham.

Worst. Book. Ever. Hate, hate, hate. I somehow owned a copy and if it weren't for that and this challenge I would never have read it and been better for it. I watched Love, Actually for the movie part. I really just like that movie for the Hugh Grant as PM plot, although Liam Neeson helping his son is pretty cute too.

Total Points: 30

5.4 A Winning Decade
Read What the Dead Know A Novel by Laura Lippman which won the Anthony Award for Best Novel in 2008. I gave this 3 stars because even though the book kept me interested I found the ending unbelievable and irritating.

5.8 Baby It's Cold Outside
Read Murder Takes The Cake by Gayle Trent. This was a really quick and cute read, 4 stars.

15.9 Out With the Old and In With the New Books
Read The Giver for the book on my TBR list
AND
How I Live Now for the new book. Both were 4 stars for me, very enjoyable.

25.4 If I Could Turn Back Time
Read The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein which is set in the 19th century. I really liked this retelling of Frankenstein until I got to the end. It was so sudden I didn't really know what was going on, so it gets 3 stars.
AND
The Maltese Falcon which is set in the 30s. I've seen the movie before so I was familiar with the story but it was a good read anyhow, 4 stars.
I guess I'd prefer to live in the 30s than the 19th century, mainly for hygiene and quality of life reasons.

Total Points: 375
Total Pages: 8613
Total Books: 31
Total Tasks: 22

I completed 5.8 with The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie.

Total points: 85.

10.1 Under the big top - read Blood and Circuses Phryne Fisher

20.3 Group reads - read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass and posted on the board.

5.1. THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY
The Tao of Pooh (The Wisdom of Pooh) by Benjamin Hoff


5.7. EYING THE YEAR OF THE TIGER Read A Book Written By An Author Who Shares Your Chinese Zodiac Sign.
Back Spin (Myron Bolitar, #4) by Harlan Coben


5.8. BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE - A Cozy Mystery.
Tears of the Giraffe (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, #2) by Alexander McCall Smith


15.8. SILVER SCREEN CELEBRATIONS
A. Read A Book That Relates To Any Holiday That Occurs During This Challenge (Christmas) AND
B. Watch A Film That Involves That Same Holiday.

A. Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder
B. FRED CLAUS. The movie is about Fred Claus, Santa's bitter older brother, is forced to move to the North Pole. And all happens during a christmas.


Previous points 65
New points 30
Total points 95

I finished two tasks while I was home for Christmas!

5.1 I read Beauty A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast. I was a bit disapointed. This is my favorite traditional story by far, I love the disney version, I love the other versions I have read. I liked this one a lot up until about the last ten pages, then it felt rushed and out of touch. It wrecked the whole book for me.

5.5 My librarian (who was very surprised by me walking up and asking her favorite book, and insisting she tell me and not find something that would be suitable for me instead of her), recommended
House of Leaves. I have to admit I was not excited when I saw it was a 700 page tome for a 5 point task, especially when there is so many longer books on my list for this season. But, once I started it, I loved it. It is incredibly creepy. I can see both why people love it and hate it.

I will also claim my 500 page ticket for the long book draw (this book was 24 pages short of reaching the 750 mark!!)


Point Total: 55
Page Total: 1853
Book Total: 6

20.1 - Revisiting The Past:
I'm not sure which Challenge the task is from because I chose it from the list on the Help Thread (which didn't seem to be broken out by challenge). However, the task I chose was:
Former 25 Point Tasks: 2. Ann From S.C.'S Task - Read A Book That You Have Started But Never Finished.

I read Mistaken Identity by the Ceraks and Van Ryns. I started this book back in September when I first got it, but then hit Busy Season at work and didn't pick it back up until this month. I had only read the Prologue and Chapter 1.

Pages read: 874
Books read: 3
Tasks completed: 3
Total Points: 55/1100

Task 10.5
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

4.5 Stars - fantastic characters (the kind you will miss once the book has been read), unusual format, lovely writing.

Points for this Task 10
Total Points to date 15

Bonus Day for me, I was busy!
15.8 Holiday Reading: Christmas!
A. Matchless: Gregory Maguire, 173 pages
B. Watched The Bishop's Wife

30.6 Wanda's Winter Vacation Dream
Vintage Caper: Peter Mayle
I took my Dream Vacation last year with my husband to Tuscany and I spent all year reading Italy books in anticipation of that trip. Wine was a HUGE part of our trip and in honor of that and my love of Mayle I read his newest novel. Begins in LA, a thought of sun and warmth on the cold and rainy night I was reading and the action moves first to Paris (I love Paris in the springtime!) and then down to the Bordeaux and Marseille. I love the Med, wine, The Count of Monte Cristo, food and capers! Perfect "dream vacation" for me!

5.8 "Cozy" Mystery - #1 Ladies Detective Agency 6, In the Company of Cheerful Ladies: Alexander McCall Smith, 223 pages

Books Completed: 10
Pages Read: 2946
Tasks Completed: 8
Points: 125/1100

I completed Bonnie's task (30.1 - book and book made into movie 2000-2009).

I read The Pawn which was written in 2007 and read The Reader which was made into a movie in 2008.

That should bring me up to 95 points

Also, Steven James is a Goodreads author so I believe that gets me a ticket.

15.9 Out With the Old In With The New Books
A. I Thought My Father Was God, Edited and Introduced by Paul Auster.(longer on TBR shelf) My husband bought this book for me about 8 years ago. Never finished it. I went back and reread and finished. 4 stars. I loved these true life short stories, proving once again that truth is not only stranger, but more entertaining than fiction.
B. The Pursuit of Other Interests by Jim Kokoris (author I never read). I won this book from good reads. I loved this story of a workaholic who loses his job and the what happens to him as a result of his unemployment. Definately recommend and I want to read more from this author.
Tasks completed - 3
Total points- 60
Books Read - 4

B.

10.8 OH CANADA! Heartstopper A Novel by Joy Fielding from Toronto
Books Read: 14
Pages Read: 4177
Tasks Completed: 12

I just finished Three Weeks to Say Goodbye for DLM ROSE'S TASK - IT'S ABOUT TIME. It was fast paced and hard to put down. I will definitely read more from this author.

I'm back! I hope everyone had (or is still having) a wonderful holiday!

As for the few books I managed to finish over the past week or so...

5.5 Librarian's Pick: Small Steps The Year I Got Polio

15.5 5-Star Countries: (Pete daPixie from Micronesia)
Wild Swans Three Daughters of China and (Sophiene from Aruba) Inkheart

15.8 Silver Screen Celebrations: (book) Jingle Boy and (movie) Family Man
Great movie. Book...not so much.

Total: 35 + 610 (from earlier) = 645 points

I finished 15.10, We Will Remember You, with
a. author Lyn Hamilton died Sept. 10, 2009 The Xibalba Murders An Archeological Mystery and
b. movie starring Natasha Richardson- Blow Dry http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0212380/s...

+15
total 475

15.8

The Christmas Promise
Donna VanLier
and
Movie: Christmas in Connecticut

30pt/#9

2007 Newbery Winner: The Higher Power of Lucky written by Susan Patron; Rules, by Cynthia Lord (Honor)

I actually liked Rules by Cynthia Lord better than The Higher Power of Lucky. I really liked "Lucky" until I got about 3/4 of the way through and stopped believing the story. I thought Rules was better written and more believable, and in the end, I cared about the characters more. I was disappointed it ended when it did. I would have loved for the story to continue!


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25.6: Island Challenge

His Lady Mistress, by Elizabeth Rolls

(Takes place in the UK)

Total Points: 25
Total Pages: 304

This is my first challenge and I'm really excited about it. My first three books so far:

5.9 Isn't It Romantic: A Hard Man to Love by Kathleen Lawless 212 pages

10.2 Louis Louis: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski 576 pages

10.9 Remember Pearl Harbor: Moloka'i by Alan Brennert 384 pages


Tasks Completed: 3
Points for this task: 25
Points thus far: 25/1100
Books read: 3
Pages read:1172

5.1 Favorite Disney film = Fantasia - An Introduction to Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring"
& An Introduction to... Beethoven The 'Pastoral' Symphony

10.6 Local Literature = Karee - Carry On, Jeeves

30.8 Lewis & Clark - From Sea to Shining Sea
(Kari* [msg 51:] okayed this 896 page book to count for the two required)

Tasks completed = 11
Tasks started = 3
Books read = 36
Pages read = 11,057
Points = 545

Cynthia - I forgot to note in my last post (#973) that Breaking Dawn counts toward "Big Books" (754 pages)

Thanks!
Erin MN

I finally finished 30-8, I read 'Thomas Jefferson: Architect of Freedom' by Rita Thievon Mullin and 'The Pioneers' by James Fenimore Cooper.

270 points

I forgot to add that I completed 30-4 'Angel Agnes or the Heroine of the Yellow Fever Plague in Shreveport' by Wesley Bradshaw.

300 points