The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

Congrats Roseann! Must be the week for migraines...hope yours stays away!

Four more tasks:

10.8 = Oh Canada!: The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong Jan. 11
Armstrong is a Canadian author - she is also a GoodReads author!

15.5 = Readers Round the World
A) First Initial: Brazil: Dina: Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare Jan 12
B) Last Initial: Fiji: Simon: Carry On, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse Jan 6

35.2 = Going On a Winter Vacation *Donna Jo's Task* I chose Cozy Fire
A) Creature Cozies by Jill Morgan Dec 12
B) Fire Study by Maria Snyder Jan 14 - Snyder is also a Goodreads author

30.2 = Science Fiction, Past and Present *Helen's Task*
A) Past: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury *won the 1954 Hugo Award* Jan 13
B) Present: Sir Thursday by Garth Nix

These 2 books are very different - in style, in topic, and in tone - but similar in that they both take place on Earth.

Fahrenheit takes place in a (then) future setting with censorship run amok. The obvious censorship is that of reading books, but other types are both apparent and implied. There are no aliens, but there are mechanical hounds, etc.

Sir Thursday is part of a series about a young man who can move between the real world/earth and a parallel universe (accessed through the House) to 'undo' catastrophic events or to prevent them from happening in the real world, and it's loaded with non-human creatures. This work is lighter in tone because you know the 'hero' and his friends will ultimately prevail.

Total Pages = 11,279

Total Points = 475

Two Goodreads Authors to claim: Maria Snyder & Kelley Armstrong

THE ALLURE OF ALLITERATION
Beautiful Boy by David Sheff

Task Points: 5
Tasks Completed: 1

Task 10.7 Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs--TV Show= Bones

Finished:

20.2
The Help - Kathryn Stockett

Total Points = 130

I finished 5.6 by reading True Colors by Kristin Hannah. The job I could never imagine doing is being an attorney and one of the main characters is an attorney. The sad thing is that's my DH's job!

That makes my total 275 points.

Another one down....

10.1 UNDER THE BIG TOP - In Honor Of Charles Ringling (Born December 2, 1863 – Died December 3, 1926) One Of Seven Brothers Who Formed Ringling Brothers Circus - Read A Book About The Circus, Circus Performers, or Circus Animals.

I read A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan, which is the first book of the Cirque Du Freak series.


Total Points: 390/1100
Books Read: 31
Tasks Completed: 23/58

Finished 25-2 with 'Five Little Peppers and Their Friends' by Margaret Sidney.

I am a big believer in the quality versus quantity view of friendship and I have some wonderful people in my life. I often joke with my friends that a big test of a friendship is whether or not I would feel ok to call them in the middle of the night if my car broke down. I feel very fortunate to have the close friends that I do!

570 points.

10.10 From Russia With Love - The Black Circle by Patrick Carman

TOTAL = 120 POINTS

35.3 DLM ROSE'S TASK - IT'S ABOUT TIME - Read A Book With One Of These Words In The Title: Second(S), Minute(S), Hour(S), Day(S), Week(s) Month(S), Season(S), Year(S). - A Year in Marrakesh by Peter Mayne

Total Points: 305/1100
Tasks Completed: 18/58
Tasks in Progress: 8

8. MICHELLE US' TASK - JANUARY 30TH IS INANE ANSWERING MACHINE DAY
The Day Where We Try To Bring An End To All Of Those Mindless, Endlessly Long, Beeping And Otherwise Inane Answering Machine Messages That Annoy, Waste Time And Try The Patience Of Poor Unfortunate Callers.

In Honor Of This Silly Holiday...

A. Read A Book With An Unnecessarily Long Title (At Least 7 Words)
And To Make Up For It...
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steve D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner-12/20

B. Read A Book With A Very Short Title (1 Word).
After by Amy Efaw-1/14

Amy Efaw- GR author

New Total: 140

30.10 Color - The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop
Numbers - Twenties Girl: A Novel

950 points

5.5 A Librarians Job is Never Done
Contest by Matthew Reilly

Total points: 310

Finished (for now)...

5.2--JIMMY’S STARS by Mary Ann Rodman
Coming of age story of a young girl who's brother is drafted during WWII. It was refreshing to read about what life was like for those who were left behind during the war. I would recommend this one.

This brings me to 1050 points!!
I will make my 50-point challenge decision tonight and message it to Cynthia tomorrow afternoon.

I have actually finished 25-4 for real this time and I even think I did it correctly!

'The Diary of Samuel Pepys' by Samuel Pepys and;

'The Villa, The Lake, The Meeting: Wannsee and the Final Solution' by Mark Roseman.

Samuel Pepys wrote his diary in the mid 1600's when the plague was raging and a huge fire destroyed London. The Villa etc. was written about the Holocaust. As for which time period I would rather have lived in, geez, tough call! But, WWII history is a huge interest of mine, so I would rather have lived in that time period then in the 1600's and have to dodge the plague!

595 points

After finishing up the tail ends of two books, plus a movie last night, I've completed the following tasks:

15.8 - SILVER SCREEN CELEBRATIONS

a) I read "Skipping Christmas"
b) I watched 4 Christmases

I wasn't thrilled about the book, but I really, really enjoyed Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon in 4 Christmases!

24.6 - ISLAND DREAMS

I read "Sherwood" by Parke Goodwin - This is one of my favourite Robin Hood books. The author set the tale in England during the 1000's vs. the 1200's like we usually see.

30.6 WINTER VACATION DREAMS

I read "Definitely Dead" by Charlaine Harris. This book is set 30% in rural Louisiana and 70% in New Orleans. My dream vacation would be a culinary vacation New Orleans/Louisiana. I can just imagine eating all sorts of Cajun and Creole delicacies that I can't have at home... crawfish etouffee anyone?!?

This brings my new totals to:

70 new points
195 total points
12 books read

I completed tasks 10.3 Renaissance Reading by reading Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler and 15.6 Gifting & Giving by reading Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut - my favorite gifts have been kittens (Oliver when I was in Middle School and Huli this past summer) so Cat's Cradle (implying a bed for a baby cat) seemed appropriate (even though there are not cats in the story - no cat, no cradle). In terms of personal giving, I made $$ donations to a local animal sanctuary, a non-profit food and farming organization, and to a local community radio project. I volunteer for the latter two groups but haven't done so yet in the new season. I'm also donating some used electronics to the non-profit that I work for in the coming week when I return to work after a very nice and long vacation.

Total points: 90
Total pages: 2210

25.8 MICHELLE US' TASK - JANUARY 30TH IS INANE ANSWERING MACHINE DAY A: Whatever Happened to Tanganyika?: The Place Names That History Left Behind B: Fortune
Books Read: 31
Pages Read: 9991
Tasks Completed: 24
Tasks in Progress: 6

Completed 25.2 - Friendship by listening to Grace: A Novel by Richard Paul Evans. This is a touching, heartwrenching story about a 14 year old boy, Eric, who helps a runaway girl hideout in his clubhouse. Although he feels guilty for "breaking the rules", he does it because he knows that it's the right thing to do by keeping Grace safe as long as he can. To Grace, her friendship with Eric is the most important relationship of her life and it changes both of them forever.

I feel there are all types of friendships. The true, meaningful friendships last a lifetime, even if it's just in our memories and hearts. A true friend can tell you the truth even when it hurts, they can laugh with you, cry with you, and tell you that you're being crazy, stupid, rediculous when you are. They understand when you're upset when others may say you're being petty. They're the ones you call when you have a bad, good, or even strange day. My best friend is Jane and I hope that we remain close, although she has recently moved out of state, for the rest of our lives.

My total - 175 points

Finished 30.1 Celebrate the end of a decade
A. Only Child - published 2006. This is a book a short stories written by writers who are only children about their sibling-less experiences. 3*
B. Derby Girl by Shauna Cross which was made into the movie Whip It last year. 4*
Total books - 9
Tasks completed - 7
Total points - 145
Pages Read - 3,284

I finally finished a couple more tasks.
5-10. THE ALLURE OF ALLITERATION--Blindman's Bluff by Faye Kellerman

30-4. SANDRA'S TASK - WORLD AIDS DAY--The Strain by Del Toro and Hogan

Total tasks-5
Total points-95

10.3 Renaissance Reading - A Renaissance in Harlem: Lost Essays of the WPA, by Ralph Ellison, Dorothy West, and Other Voices of a Generation

960 points

For Task 35.2

Cold Hands, Warm Heart by Jill Wolfson

And

Beaches by Iris R. Dart

I haven't posted in a bit, but I HAVE been busy reading!

10.7 Small Screen Stories
Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter
From the BEST TV show ever - Wonderful World of Color
Saw this in the early 60's the first time it was on TV, in 3 installments. This show was the Lost and Idol of its day. Too bad Disney seems to have forgotten all the enjoyment it brought families.

10.8 Oh, Canada
Anne of Green Gables - Lucy M Montgomery
Loved the mini series from the early 90's that I watched on Disney with my teen age daughter while she was reading all the books.

15.7 Food and Family
Good Eats: The Early Years - Alton Brown
This is my current favorite TV show and reading this book was like having a personal conversation with Mr Brown. I an from the North, married to a southerner, and I am a great cook but never had the chops for some of the true southern dishes. I made Biscuits from Mr Brown's grandmother's recipe and my family tells me that they were the best biscuits that they have ever eaten.

15.10 We will Remember You
Too Much Money - Dominick Dunne
This one took a while for me to read because it was the sequal to a book I had read years before (Another City; Not My Own) and I could not see how the story could possible flow from reading the endpapers without rereading. Will miss Mr Dunne.

Watched Madame Bovary with Jennifer Jones (Dec 17, 2009), one of my favorite actresses. This is not my personal favorite of hers, I much prefer Portrait of Jenny, Cluny Brown, SInce You Went Away and Love Is A Many Splendored Thing, but I had to wait for TCM.

So that brings my totals to:
Books Completed - 13
Pages Read - 4242
Tasks - 12
Points - 175/1100

As I set my goal to 350 points for my first challenge, I am half done!!!

I finished 25.6, Stephanie's Island Dreams with
In the Time of the Butterflies set in the Dominican Republic

+25
total 850

25.8 Michelle US' Task:Inane Answering Machine
-A.The Secret Lives of the Kudzu Debutantes by Kathy Holton (GOODREADS AUTHOR)
-B.Covet by JR Ward

points this task: 25
tasks completed: 10
total points: 185

10.7 Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris. Related to the True Blood TV show.

And with that, I have completed my first Seasonal Reading Challenge text ever. Yay!

+10
total: 10

25.10 Garth Stein
I was drawn to the book by the Enzo's noble head on the cover

and

Bayou
Jeremy Love

My resolution for the year is Organization. And while I have not read any books for the task yet, I am doing a lot of organizing in the house. I have unpacked years worth of boxes and bags of books that we have moved countless times and have them all out and on book cases so I can see what I have, rather than wonder where a book I want to read or even worse, reread is. Anyway long story, short, I found a wonderful Alliterative titled book that is an alliterative ABC while putting away the books I just posted about and had a wonderful time with an autographed book given to my son years ago with fantastically colorful illustrations.

5.10 Allure of Alliteration
Alligators Arrived With Applesauce - Crescent Dragonwagon, Pictures by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey
A Potluck Alphabet (for Thanksgiving)
Favorite letter: U Avoiding unpleasantness with the use of an umbrella, Uncle Umberto unwrapped upside-down cake.

Books Completed 14
Pages Read 4278
Tasks 13
Points 180/1100

Finished another task!

25.8 JANUARY 30TH IS INANE ANSWERING MACHINE DAY
25.8 (A). Read A Book With An Unnecessarily Long Title (At Least 7 Words)
Hungry Monkey: A Food-Loving Father's Quest to Raise an Adventurous Eater by Matthew Amster-Burton (Goodreads author) (Hardcover, 256 pages)

From Cindy on Jan 05, 2010 03:55AM: “[Hungry Monkey:] …is a laugh out loud funny book that I recommend to anyone who loves to cook, eat or who has small children…”
I agree with Cindy's comment!!

and
25.8 (B) Read A Book With A Very Short Title (1 Word) Leviathan written by Scott Westerfeld, Illustrated by Keith Thompson (Hardcover, 440 pages)

Good adventure tale; the illustrations really add to the storyline.


Matthew Amster-Burton is a Goodreads author.

My total now is: 315 + 25 = 340

For task 30.3, I read:

“Missing in Death” by JD Robb (96 pages)
“Fairy Dust” Charlaine Harris (34 pages) 130 total
“Princess Mia” Meg Cabot (274 pages) 404 total
“Forever Blue” Suzanne Brockman (250 pg) 654 total
“Frisco’s Kid” Suzanne Brockman (249pp) 903 total

For task 10.7 I read The Bro Code by Barney Stinson. I listened to this on cd and think I might have liked it better in book form. But I LOVE "How I Met Your Mother" and thought this was a lot of fun!

This brings me to 710 points.

I forgot to put The Window by Jeanette Ingold for task 10-2 on post #1697.

Total tasks-5
Total points-95

Just finished task 15.6 -- The best gift I ever received was my dear, late Pomeranian Chloe. SHe was a gift from my husband and she was with us for 16 years. I truly feel she was (one of) my soul mate. I miss her every day. But it was in honor of her that I read "Fifty Acres and a Poodle."

For giving back, the latest thing was a donation to an organization that is helping the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.

points: 380/1100
pages: 6687

Task:10
Points:25
Part A:
Book:Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters.
Author: Rick Riordan
What I like about this cover is the way it incorperates many parts of the book into the cover.
Part B:Coraline-Graphic Novel
Author: Neil Gaiman (Goodreads author), P. Craig Russell

Total Points:90

25.5. A Book that Fits No 5, 10, or 15 points tasks.

Looking for Alaska by John Green. It was awesome!

TOTAL = 145 POINTS

I finished 15.3, What Women Want with
a. 5th outing in the Demon Hunter series Demon Ex Machina by GR author Julia Kenner and
b. bio Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat's Jewel Box by Madeleine Albright

+15
total 865

For the Lost Generation task 25.7 I read This Side of Paradise and Heart of Darkness, and really wasn't a big fan of either.

Total points: 370

Finished task 10.5 (popularity contest, read Her Fearful Symmetry

total points: 20

Ashley wrote: "For task 30.3, I read:

“Missing in Death” by JD Robb (96 pages)
“Fairy Dust” Charlaine Harris (34 pages) 130 total
“Princess Mia” Meg Cabot (274 pages) 404 total
“Forever Blue” Suzanne Brockman (2..."

Does Fairy Dust count as a whole story?

Finished 10.4 winners challenge. I read City of Bones by Cassandra Clare which was a 5 star book of Sarah Nicoles. I gave it 4 stars. I have now found a new series to enjoy. Thank you Sarah Nicole.

5.1 Disney: Peter Pan
Note: You wouldn't believe how long it took me to get through Peter Pan. For it being one of my favorite stories of all time, actually reading it is like stabbing toothpicks into my face.

15.2 Lewis Carroll: The Poison Apples ("Alice" is one of the three protagonists) and The Naked Sun (made-up world)

30.1 Celebrate the End of the Decade: I Kiss Girls (published 2007) and The Princess Diaries (movie made in 2001)

Total: 50 + 835 (from earlier) = 885 points

My first post for this season's challenge - just plugging away slowly here like my snail in the ticker below.

30 point tasks
Number 4: World AIDs Day - read a book about a worldwide epidemic: The Things That Keep Us Here by Carla Buckley (completed 12/15/09 480 pages )

Number 7: Multi-Tasking - read a book that will fit into two tasks in this winter challenge: The Magic Warble by Victoria Simcox fits into tasks 25 point # 10 and 15 point # 2 (completed 12/09 pages 276)

Other books that I have completed and reviewed but are still within uncompleted tasks are:

Defining Twilight by Brian Leaf which may fit for task numbers 20-1 or 25-3

The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore which may fit for 35-2 or 15-8

Total Points: 60 /1100
Tasks in Progress: 16
Completed Tasks: 2/58 (30-4; 30-7)
Books Completed for tasks in progress and completed: 5
Books Read for Completed Tasks: 2
Pages Read for Completed Tasks: 756
Pages Read for completed books in Tasks in Progress: 679

This challenge is also posted on my blog Layers of Thought




I hope you all are having fun!

For task 5.6--Dirty Job I read:

The Naked Nun

The main character ends up in a witness protection program posing as a nun. I could NEVER be a nun, for so many reasons. #1: I would have to give up 24 hour access and need to be on the internet. #2: I would not enjoy wearing a habit on my head. #3: I think it would be absolutely boring and primitive to live in the manner that these women lived. #4: I could never dedicate my life to religion, and act as if I am married to the church.

ETA: I gave this book 1*. I absolutely hated it, for so many reasons that mostly don't even have to do with nuns.

20.1 Cheryl ME's Task - Civil Rights
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Total points: 330

I just finished task 30.4 Sandra's Task-World AIDS day by reading Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic-and How It Changed Science, Cities and the Modern World by Steven Johnson, 299 pages. This was a fascinating telling of the Cholera outbreak in London in 1854. Though it was based on scientific history, it was a very interesting read, I gave it 4*.

245/1100 points
Tasks Completed: 11/60
Tasks In Progress: 6
Books Read: 17/79
Pages Read: 4,725

Leigh wrote: "Finished task 5.5 by reading Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs by Molly Harper. The main character, Jane Jameson, is a librarian who's turned into a vampire. Such a funny read, I can't wait to read the..."

In my post 1578 I forgot to mention that Molly Harper is a Goodreads author. Thanks Cynthia!

I finished task 25.1. LEORA'S TASK - 1001 BOOKS by reading Disgrace bj J.M. Coetzee and Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton.

Total Points = 160

I just completed task 25.6 by reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Point Total: 110
Page Total: 4140
Book Total: 12

I finished two tasks:

10.3 (Harlem Renaissance) Dear Senator: A Memoir by the Daughter of Strom Thurmond by Essie Mae Washington Williams

and

25.5 (Doesn't fit 5/10/15pt task) The Lost Diary of Don Juan by Douglass Carlton Abrams

New total: 75 pts

Time to catch up with a few that I have just wrapped up...

15.3 What Women Want

Female character/female author: The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie King (a Goodreads Author) - A very entertaining Holmes derivative. I am not a huge fan of Holmes but I really enjoyed this one.

Female biography: Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her by Melanie Rehak - it's kind of like Carolyn Keene's biography, understanding of course that Carolyn Keene was, for the most part, two different women. A really interesting look at how Nancy Drew came to be, how all those books got written, and who wrote them. If you are or ever were a Nancy Drew fan I would definitely recommend this. Nancy's authors were such accomplished women I felt thoroughly ashamed of myself for managing only to raise my family with my life so far, and not also having written best-selling books and invented cultural icons and role models to girls all over the world.

15.4 Fun and Games: Nancy Drew #7: The Clue in the Diary - In keeping with the Nancy Drew thing I've got going on. I read the version that was revised in the 50s/60s, but having read Girl Sleuth I want to get my hands on an old or unrevised copy to compare now. We have played one of my favorite games, Clue, but we have been very 21st century and played the DVD version.

30.4 World AIDS Day: The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World by Steven Johnson - this book tells the tale of the 1854 cholera epidemic in London, and how a number of social, economic, physical, and geographic forces came together to cause the epidemic, and how a similer convergence of science, medicine, and personality inspired the discovery of the epidemic's cause. It was a really fascinating story for most of the book, but the last couple of chapters really dragged for me, and it probably didn't help that I don't necessarily agree with some of the author's conclusions.

60 more points, for 605 total. More than halfway there!

congrats Roseann - wow I can't believe you are finished! mostly anyway!