The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
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WINTER CHALLENGE 2009-2010
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WINTER CHALLENGE 2009-2010 COMPLETED TASKS
A couple more down--THE BOTTOMS by Joe R Lansdale (Edgar A. Poe Award 2001)
I was a little disappointed in this one. I expect horror from Lansdale and while there was murder and a weird character, it was more of a coming of age tale. It was well written, just not what I was expecting.
and
10.10--OLGA’S STORY by Stephanie Williams
I had high hopes for this biography of a woman who lived in many lands, through a few wars; unfortunately, it was not as good as it could have been. While the author was very good at getting documentation right, her storytelling was not quite there. It was very dry and not as exciting as its premise. One thing I know, I will not complain as much about my life after reading this story about a women who loses everything she has, more than once.
This brings me to 1005--broke the 1000 mark!!!!
Mod
A. Warm: The Winter Vegetarian: A Warm and Versatile Bounty and
B. Beach: Orchid Beach
I really enjoyed The Winter Vegetarian. Darra Goldstein, a Russian prof at Williams, has a true appreciation for cold-climate cuisines. Interesting chapters on buckwheat, rutabagas, Tolstoy and vegetarians, and winter religious celebration foods. The book now looks like a porcupine with post-it flags marking the recipes I want to try.
Orchid Beach was dated and predictable.
+35
total 660
45 points to go, roseann! then you'll get to pick our 50 pointer! :)
I finished 5.2 She's A Grand Old Flag MakerI read "A Touch of Dead" By Charlaine Harris
Tasks Completed 14
Books Read 18
Total Points 225
Task 20.3 Group Read: The Princess Bride
Just finished Letter to My Daughter by George Bishop for 25.2(Friendship task). I recommend it! While this book largely is about the mother/daughter relationship it is also about friendship that can come out of that relationship and her friendships really play a HUGE part of her time in Catholic school when her genuine kindness and friendship with people on the "outside" comes through in a huge way. The lengths her friends went to support her was amazing at the end!Friendship to me is so important. It is a lifeline. I've gone through times where I had a ton of friends and then I've gone through times were friends were scarce. I've gone through hard times in my life where I learned who my true friends were. The biggest lessons that I've learned about friendship are that they take work to cultivate and maintain, they come and go and that is ok, and a friendship can be found where you least expect it.
New Total:
Jamie (24)--135 points
I'm finally adding a few more points - moving pretty slowly this challenge...15.8 Silver Screen Celebrations
I read A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings for my holiday read and saw several of the movie renditions over the holiday scene, but the one that I will call out is "Scrooged" staring Bill Murray.
This should bring me to 45 points
30.5 Posthumously Speaking: (narrator) The Everafter and (publication date) Octopussy and The Living Daylights35.2 Winter Vacation: The Sound of Sleigh Bells and Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment.
Total: 65 + 765 (from earlier) = 830 points
Finished task 25.6: The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry (the island setting is Ireland). I loved this book, so well written, I would go back and re-read sentences just for the beauty of them. The story was gripping, the characters real and evoked emotions, not always good ones! I'm so glad to have started the year off with a 5* read!TOTAL POINTS = 160
15.3 A:The Hunger GamesB:Still Standing: The Untold Story of My Fight Against Gossip, Hate, and Political Attacks. I admire Carrie Prejean because she spoke her mind, even through all of the attacks that she has been through. She has made mistakes, but who hasn't. I admire her for speaking her mind and sticking to her rights as a U.S. citizen. Just because you don't agree with the media and the politically correct opinion, doesn't mean that you lose the right to your voice. What she did was a hard thing, and I admire her for standing by what she believes.
Total Points:60
Total Tasks Complete:5
Total Books Read:8
Total Pages Read:2321
Completed 15.10 We will remember you by reading Unsafe Hands by Jane Aiken Hodge and watched Al Martino in The Godfather.
5-10 THE ALLURE OF ALLITERATIONI read Tartan Tragedy aka The Wild Island by Antonia Fraser.
It's the second installment of Jemina Shore Mystery. I liked everything in the book except the protagonist. Well, she was likeable enough for me to keep reading, but I just couldn't accept her misbehaviour in this book.
+5
Total poings: 110
For 25.10 don't judge a book by its cover task I have read The Househunter by Henry Sutton
I loved the frontcover for all the colours on it and the doors reminded me of beach huts! When I picked up the book to find out a bit more about it turned out to be by an author who wrote a book called Gorleston which is the tiny town on the norfolk coast where I grew up! Unfortunately The Househunter was not a great read! I also read Gear by Doug Tennapel as the graphic book and I have to say I didn't like this one either!Previous Reads
5.2 She was a Grand Old Flag Maker - The Little White Car by Danuta de Rhodes
5.4 A Winning Decade - The Road by Cormac McCarthy
5.5 A Librarians Job is Never Done - Mr Dixon Disappears by Ian Sansom
5.8 Baby It's Cold Outside - Chords and Discords by Roz Southey
5.9 Isn't it Romantic - Flights of Love by Bernhard Shlink
10.1 Under the Big Top - Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen
10.4 The Winners Choice - PJReads list Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin
10.7 Small Screen Stories - My Favourite People and Me by Alan Davies
15.8 Silver Screen Celebrations - A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg and ELF
20.3 Group Reads - The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore
25.5 Odd Task Out - American Tabloid by James Ellroy
25.7 The Lost Generations - The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald and Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut
25.9 The World of Books - The Principessa by Christie Dickason and The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larrson
30.7 Multitasking - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carrol
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Finished 30.1 the decade task with Remember Me? and Persepolis 1: The Story of a Childhood and enjoyed both.Total points: 290
5.8 – Baby It’s Cold Outside-I read "Baker Street Letters" by Michael Robertson
10.7 – Small Screen Stories
I love the Sarah Connor Chronicles show, which I have been watching through netflix.
I read "T2: Infilatrator" by S.M. Stirling
15.7 – Food + Family
A. Cookbook or book with recipes – I read "The Pioneer Woman Cooks"
B. Prepare food from the book – Made Pico de gallo, guacamole
15.8 – Silver Screen Celebrations
A. Christmas
Read 100+ pages of Christmas books
The Nutcracker
The Penguin Who Wanted to be Different
Moosetache’s Christmas
Polar Express
B. Watch movie related to that – We watched
Polar Express (and a million other movies)
30.1 – End of a Decade
A. One book published in last decade – Masquerade: Blue Bloods (2) - 2007
B. One Book made into a movie in the last decade – Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – 2009
New points: 75
Previous points: 50
New total: 125
We are truly snowed in here, although many of you would laugh to know the cause is a whopping 1/4" of snow here in north Georgia. But I'm hoping between helping the kids scrape snowballs together and making hot cocoa I can get a few more tasks underway. Meanwhile...Cynthia, I would like to move a couple of books around. Previously I claimed Prince Caspian for 15.2A (Alice and Lewis). I would like to move that to 30.1B (movie made in this decade). To make up for it, I have read The Magician's Nephew for 15.2A. This should not change my points, just moving the books around. Please let me know if there is any problem with this; this lets me fit one more Narnia book into the challenge.
Also, I finished 35.2 Winter Vacation (Northern Lights) with:
A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly. Fantastic - 4.5 stars. A great, unsentimental story of a young girl in 1906 having to choose between her country life and the chance to go to college and be a writer. You can look at my review, but it is the first book I've read in a while that lived up to the quotes on the cover. Loved it.
Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name: A Novel by Vendela Vida - A quick read but did not love it so much. Thought the main character was whiny and selfish. Also had trouble getting past the phrase "unthawed frozen strawberries" on page 5.
So, 35 more points for a balance of 485
15.7Food+Family=Reading Fun
Confections of a Closet Master Baker by Gesine Bullock-Prado. (Don't ask me to pronounce her name, I will screw it up and tick her off.)
It took me probably a chapter or so to realize that this is Sandra Bullock's sister. She went from running her sister's production company in LA to running a small bakery in the middle of Vermont. Interesting stories on both sides, though more about the people in her Vermont home. Plus she has a recipe or two for each chapter. I picked the Focaccia. Part because I was baking several sweets today and also because of the really funny and bittersweet story about her mother's bread.
Will be shared with my hubby for supper. (Though I should have made it yesterday for the pasta.) Leftovers most likely will be shared with co-workers.
Just realized that I am over half way to my goal for this challenge AND I still have several books lined up to read.
10.4~~I finished reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins a few nights ago. I got it from Sara Nicole's shelf.Can I just say WOW!!!!! This was a great book. 4 1/2 stars for sure. Suzanne Collins is an amazing writer. Katniss is a wonderful character. And Haymitch is quite a character. And I just love Peeta. WOW...just WOW.....
30.7~~I finished reading Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins last night about 1:30 a.m. It would fit 10.4 (Sara Nicole) and 30.2b.
This follow up to The Hunger Games is just as good as the first book. Definitely 4 1/2 stars. The characters are just as wonderful and the storyline is fabulous. I can't wait for the next book.
5.6~~I finished listening to Gregor and the Code of Claw by Suzanne Collins this morning on the way to work. I can never imagine being a Warrior or a Soldier or whatever you want to call it.
Great book. I can't believe it is the last one in the series. I could keep reading about Gregor and Luxa and Boots and Ripred forever.
So this brings my grand total to 120 points. I finally broke the 100 mark. LOL
finished task 25.7 by reading:A) Of Mice and Men and
B) Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
i was happy that my "newer" version of Margaret still alluded to TeenageSofties and belts. i've heard they've edited the book now to have no mention of menstrual belts. boo!
Total Points: 465/1100
Books Read: 27/79+
Tasks Completed: 18/58
Tasks in Progress: 1
Finished:5.10 Alliteration The Cadillac Cowboy by Michael Collins.
Noirish mystery, with a side of genealogy. Odd book.
15.8 Silver Screen Holiday: New Year's Eve
A. Kiss and Tell by Suzanne Brockman
B. After the Thin Man
I finished task 30.9 by reading the winner: The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread and the honor book: Olive's Ocean. I read both of them to my 7 year old brother, and we both enjoyed The Tale of Despereaux a lot more. It just had a more interesting story.New Point Total: 250
Task Completed: 12
Tasks in Progress: 6
Books Read: 23
Pages Read: 7034
Mod
A. Mrs.Peacock's blue cover:
B. weapon: Fist Stick Knife Gun
C. Library: both books came from my public library- I usually only buy books after I've read them- as true keepers or to support authors I love.
+25
total 685
Finished:DIANE'S TASK - POSTHUMOUSLY SPEAKING
A. Read A Fiction Book Told By A Narrator Who Is Deceased While Telling The Story
AND
B. Read Either Fiction Or Non-Fiction Book That Was First Published After The Death Of The Author
Read:
A. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
B. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
New Point Total: 90
Tasks Completed: 4
Books Read: 5
Pages Read: 2065
Just finished 20:3 - Group ReadThe Princess Bride
posted comment today on Group Read subject.
New Total Points - 40
Jen MO:10.5 Asteros Polyp by David Mazzucchelli
25.1 Emma by Jane Austen (500+), Vanity Fair by William Thackery (750+)
30.3 Orson Scott Card: Enchantment (432 pages), Ender in Exile (380 pages), Spaceboy (97); total 909!
30.7 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime (tasks 15.9 and 25.8)
New: 95
Previous: 25
New total: 120
Just finished task 30.8 -- took a trip to 1968, when E.L. Koenigsburg won both the Newberry Medal (for The Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler) and the Honor Book (Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley and me, Elizabeth) for a total of
280/1100 points
total pages: 5254
total books: 17
Both were rereads for me and I have always loved both. However, Jennifer, Hecate, etc will always hold a special place in my heart. My best friend growing up and still is named Jennifer. While she never claimed to be a witch, she is certainly magical
Dlmrose wrote: "I finished 25.3, Sara Nicole's Clue task withA. Mrs.Peacock's blue cover:
B. weapon..."
how was FistStickKnifeGun??? that's what i'm going to read for the weapons part also. it looks interesting, i'd love to hear your take! :)
Another update! I just finished 15.9: The Memory Keeper's Daughter for the book longest on my TBR shelf and Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History for the author I have never read.Maus was amazing! I thought it was great and worked really well as a graphic novel. Memory Keeper's Daughter was not that great. I had a hard time getting through it.
New Point Total: 265
Task Completed: 13
Tasks in Progress: 5
Books Read: 24
Pages Read: 7435
Two more to post:15.4 Games: Jigsaw Guilt by Jeffrey Ashford
I love jigsaw puzzles and always have one in state of being worked. Just finished one to go along with this post. The book however was really not well written. Plot was clever - putting pieces together (aka jigsaw puzzle) to prove a crime was committed and to solve it. 2 stars
25.6 Stephanie - Island Dreams: The Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick
This was a really fun read. It mixed so many fun settings, characters and plot. 1800's England, mystery, cozy, fantasy, parapsychology, love interests, secret societies, etc. 4 stars
Points: 600
Tasks: 30
Books: 45
Pages: 10428
Holiday Books: 30
5.4 Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson won a Thumbs Up! teen book award in Michigan in 2008.TOTAL = 110 POINTS
Mod
Fist Stick Knife Gun was really interesting. I respect Geoffrey Canada. Through personal experience he describes the escalation of violence in the South Bronx. I think it was worth reading. It is not the kind of book you can like- the violence is too real. The only drawback is that the book is 15 years old- and some things have changed and way too many things have stayed the same.
i'm back at it, after a loooonnnggg break.10.8. The Blue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery
total - 275
I read Revolutionary Road for task 5.10 (alliteration).That was one of the worst books I've ever read. Really, who cares? Glad to have that piece of [poopy:] done with.
That should bring me up to 130 points
Completed tasks: 20.3 A and 1A: I loved Through the looking Glass. I play chess a lot and its awesome that Lewis Caroll played off of that in his book. It actually requires some thought to follow the plotline. I couldn't believe it. My favorite part in this book is when Alice reads Jabberwocky. I can now recite that poem word for word because I've read it soo many times.
Task points: 20
1. Beauty by Robin Mckinley
Task points: 5
Total points: 25
Tasks: 2
Books: 2
Erin wrote: "Another update! I just finished 15.9: The Memory Keeper's Daughter for the book longest on my TBR shelf and Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History for the aut..."I read Memory Keeper's Daughter and I had a hard time getting through it as well. You are not alone Erin.
15.10. WE WILL REMEMBER YOU A. Read A Book Written By An Author Who Died In 2009. (http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/years/...)
Too Much Money -Dominick Dunne
AND B. Watch A Film Starring An Actor/Actress Or That Was Directed By A Director Who Died In 2009. Ex. Kill Bill w/David Carradine or The Handmaids Tale w/Natasha Richardson.
Saw Kill Bill for the third time!! I love that movie-it’s so sick…
15 points
305 points
15.9 Oldest on TBR - Anything We Love Can Be Saved
Absolutely marvelous!
New Author - Drinking Coffee Elsewhere by Z.Z. Packer
795 points
Jayme wrote: "Erin wrote: "Another update! I just finished 15.9: The Memory Keeper's Daughter for the book longest on my TBR shelf and [book:Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History|15196..."I could not get through it. I found it a disappointing experience..
Finished:15.9 OUT WITH THE OLD
A. Feels Like Family by Sherryl Woods. Routine romance, 3rd book of trilogy, set in South Carolina
B. The Bolter: Edwardian Heartbreak and High Society Scandal in Kenya by Frances Osborne.
Biography of author's great grandmother Idina Sackville and her scandalous life. The woman was a character.
25.6 ISLAND DREAMS Muddling through in Madagascar by Dervla Murphy. A travel book by a woman who likes the places on earth not cluttered by the usual tourist.
Jayme wrote: "Erin wrote: "Another update! I just finished 15.9: The Memory Keeper's Daughter for the book longest on my TBR shelf and [book:Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History|15196..."I could not get through it. I found it a disappointing experience....."
I'll join that line, too. I wasn't fond of Memory Keeper's Daughter either.
I really wanted to like it because I work with down syndrome kids and they are so lovable but that doctor/father is such a jackass.
Mod
A. The Girl Who Played with Fire (503 pages) and
B. Mind's Eye
Both translated from Swedish
A. was excellent,but I liked The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo more. Salander is a fabulous character.
Mind's Eye was OK- Inspector "VV" is an interesting character, but most of this mystery was solved via hunches and feelings- I don't have too much patience for that. Later books in the series were translated and released before this debut novel- I am hoping that the series improves. I did like it enough to give the series another try.
+20
total 705
Completed 4 more tasks:#10.1 - Under the Big Top: Burning Bright: A Play in Story Form by John Steinbeck Jan 7
#10.4 - Winner's Choice: 5* book from PJRead's shelf: Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams Jan 8
#10.6 - Local Literature Lovers: 5* book from Kristan Reed's shelf: Club Dead by Charlaine Harris Jan 3
#15.6 - The Season of Gifting: Round Robin by Jennifer Chiaverini Jan 6
This book is about the women in a quilting club who make a 'round robin' quilt for the woman who taught them quilting. A cherished memento for me is the crazy quilt my mother made for me almost 30 years ago. It has a place of honor on the bed in our guest room.
For Giving Back, I donated to our church, to our city homeless mission, and to the Salvation Army.
Total Pages = 7,675
Total Points = 300
Completed task 15.4 - It's All About Fun & Games - read The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn and played well over an hour of Cooking Dash, a computer game where you're serving up food in a restaurant. The book was a great read. It's the story of one woman's journey from losing her job, to graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who's ever considered going to cooking school, becoming a chef or just loves to cook. Brings me to:
185/1100 points
Tasks Completed: 8/60
Tasks In Progress: 5
Books Read: 14/79
Pages Read: 3,746
I finished up Cheryl ME's Civil Rights task with Kathryn Stockett's The Help, which I really enjoyed. Normally fiction about the inner lives of women doesn't do much for me (I live in my own head enough as it is!), but this is really well done and I appreciate that Stockett avoids easy answers.Current Total: 385 points
Task 30.5 - Posthumously Speaking - The Lovely Bones and Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie SocietyTask Points:30
Total Points:145
Tasks:8
Books:11
Nicki - STL
Jayme wrote: "Erin wrote: "Another update! I just finished 15.9: The Memory Keeper's Daughter for the book longest on my TBR shelf and [book:Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History|15196..."I didn't love it either and thought I was the only one!
the movie is SOOOOO much better
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The Seasonal Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Bloodshed Of The Betrayed (other topics)Winter's Child (other topics)
The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears at the World's Most Famous Cooking School (other topics)
Don't Try This At Home: Culinary Catastrophes from the World's Greatest Chefs (other topics)
Magic Study (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Kate Mosse (other topics)Louise Rennison (other topics)
Robert Louis Stevenson (other topics)
William Golding (other topics)
Laura Childs (other topics)
More...
5.2 Grand Old Flag Maker
When The Stars Went To War -Hollywood and World War II. by Roy Hoopes.
Helpful if you are familiar with the movie stars from the "Golden Age" Some names were not familiar, but had stories of those who served in the armed forces like Jimmy Stewart who was a decorated war hero, the USO tours, and even those who did not serve. And speculations of those in intelligence and even if Errol Flynn was a Nazi. Best is the story on Marlene Dietrich who was on Hitler's hit list. She toured in Europe for the troops anyway. Really enjoyed most of it.
35.2 Donna Jo's Task (Hi Mom!!)
Northern Lights.
North of Montana by April Smith. Sort of a hard boiled gumshoe in modern day with a female cop. Some humor, but not like Stephanie Plum books. More like a LA version of Prime Suspect series. Didn't try hard enough to enjoy it. Gave it a 2 out of 5.
Watch For The Light - Readings for Advent and Christmas. A collections of readings for Advent and Christmastime to get ready for the season and be reminded of what Christmas means to me. Authors like CS Lewis, Philip Yancey and Madeleine L'Engle are included with many others. Probably will become a yearly read for me.
30.9 Rachel Lee's Task Newberry Award Books
I picked the year I graduated
That year the winner was Sarah Plain and Tall by MacLachlan and the runner up I read was Dogsong by Paulsen.
I enjoyed both books. Surprisingly, I did enjoy Dogsong more than I thought I would. The story of native traditions that are being lost in the Eskimo community.
But for simple story, I still love the young girl trying to see if Sarah will stay with her family in far from the ocean that she loves. (And yes, Hallmark's presentation stretched the story out a bit.)
Now if I can just remember to post when I have read stuff...