The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

15.4. IT'S ALL ABOUT FUN AND GAMES
A. Read A Book That Has Your Favorite Game (Card, Board, Video, Computer Etc.) In The Title Or Relates In Some Way To That Game . AND
B. Spend An Hour Or More Playing That Game.
Final Jeopardy by Linda Fairstein
Watched Jeopardy and played along two different days.
15 points
total 370

30.4. SANDRA'S TASK - WORLD AIDS DAY
December 1, 2009 Is World AIDS Day: Identified In 1981, It Is At Present Time A Worldwide Epidemic. Read A Book About An Epidemic (HIV/AIDS, Influenza, Plague, Smallpox, SARS, Superbug, Etc.) Or A Book Where The Character Is Suffering From Such A Disease.
Examples Of Books That Can Fit This Task Are: I Am Legend, Outbreak, The Plague, The Years Of Rice And Salt.
The Plague of Secrets by Lescroat
30 points
400 total

I just finished reading a book for class and realized I could count it for a task:

5.2 She Was a Grand Old Flag Maker: Shakespeare and the Problem of Adaptation by Margaret Jane Kidnie

Pages in book(s): 216

Tasks Completed: 8
Books Read: 12
Total Pages Read: 2,886
Total Points: 155

Cheryl wrote: "Ok since I don't have the answer to my question about the 50 point task I read 3 books on the winter sport thing. I hope one will be accepted.

50.1A Pot of Gold by Judith Michael

50.2B All Ab..."

CONGRATULATIONS Cheryl!!

Sorry about not answering your question--the name of the sport should be in the title for everyone else.

I am starting my online classes, so I will only be stopping by every few days or so--if you have a question feel free to send me a message and I will post the answer in this section.

Congrats Cheryl!! I clearly need some tips from you and Roseann, as I can't even finish half of the challenge by the end...I'd love to hear any suggestions from you two :)

Leigh wrote: "Congrats Cheryl!! I clearly need some tips from you and Roseann, as I can't even finish half of the challenge by the end...I'd love to hear any suggestions from you two :)"

I hate to say it, but in a challenge of this size I stay with books under 300 pages if I can. I pick a good percentage of YA titles (I'm now hooked on some of the series").

I also allocate my time differently during a challenge. I set aside an hour sometime during the day for reading and then go to bed early, reading another couple of hours. I also read while I watch tv (I'm one of THOSE people). I always keep a book with me and tend to drag my hubby to coffee houses to read during the week.

Finally, I happen to be a very fast reader and have up'd my speed with all of these challenges. It also doesn't hurt that I tend to be competitive (if you hadn't already guessed and like to be in the top 10-20% of things).

Don't know if these "hints" will help, just have fun, I know I do!

Another one down....

35.2 DONNA JO'S TASK - GOING ON A WINTER VACATION
A. Pick One Of The Following: 1)Ski Trip, 2)Warm Beach, 3)Cozy Fire, 4)Sleigh Ride, 5)Tropical Island, OR 6) Northern Lights.
B. Read Two Books For This Task; Each Must Have A Word In The Title Of The Vacation You Chose

I picked (3)Cozy Fire and read Death of a Cozy Writer: A St. Just Mystery back in December and just finished Eyes of Fire

Total Points: 470/1100
Books Read: 35
Tasks Completed: 26/58

I have two finished tasks to report - YEAH! I forgot to report that I completed Leora's 10001 Books task by reading Mansfield Park and Persuasion. And then I also finished reading This Charming Man: A Novel for The Winning Decade Task - this book won the Irish Popular Fiction Book 2009 from the Irish Book Awards.

Finished...

25.1: Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Dafoe 3* and
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley 3*
25.7: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Other Jazz Age Stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald 3* and
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle 4*

30.5: A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb 5* and
The Salmon of Doubt: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Time by Douglas Adams 3*

35.1: The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri 2* and
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher (goodreads author) 4*
(books approved by PJ READS)

25.5 SARA NICOLE'S TASK - A GAME OF CLUE


A) Professor Plum (an amethyst cover) A Precious Jewel by Mary Balogh
B) Weapon (The eponymous bolt used for the killing is a "captive bullet" handgun once used to euthanize injured race horses.) Bolt by Dick Francis, which
C) is from the Alford Branch of the Wichita Public Library.


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50.1 Winter Olympics - City of Silver: A Mystery
Ballad of the Whiskey Robber: A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives, and Broken Hearts

Julian Rubinstein is a GoodReads author.

Tasks completed = 53
Books read = 77
Pages read = 23,411
1035 points

10.4 Winner's Choice
Donna Jo gave Snow Flower and the Secret Fan 5 stars. I give it a solid 4.

25.2 And You Know You Should Be Glad
Bob Greene

For me friendship is most importantly about perserverance. It's easy to be a friend when the times are good and the wine is flowing. But to be a real friend is to be there in times of sickness and hardship and even death.

I finished two tasks this morning. Yay!

First, I completed task 10.4 - Winner's Choice by reading Fire by Kristin Cashore, which was a 5 star read from Rachel Lee's list. I am undecided as to whether I'm going to give this one 4 or 5 stars yet.

Second, I finished 25.8 - Inane Answering Machine Day.
For the long title, I read Write. 10 Days to Overcome Writer's Block. Period. by Karen E. Peterson, which has 8 words in its title. Then, for the short title, I read East by Edith Pattou.

Total points: 150
8 tasks complete - 11 tasks in progress
15 books read
4,632 pages read

ack, forgot to mention in post 1891 that lisa see is a goodreads author. Sorry!

Hope I'm doing this right since this is my first task post...
5 pointer, second task (Task 5.2?) - SHE WAS A GRAND OLD FLAG MAKER -
Book 1 - Holiday with a Vampire III by Linda Winstead Jones, Lisa Childs, Bonnie Vanak (read December 2009) - cover primarily blue with red and white accents
Pages: 282
Books read: 1
Tasks Completed: 1
Total Points: 5

MIDWAY CHALLENGE 50.1 - GO FOR THE GOLD
Book 2 - Knock Me for a Loop by Heidi Betts (read January 2010) - Hero is a star ice hockey player
Pages: 340
Books read: 2
Tasks Completed: 1.5
Total Points: 30

Task 5.3 - ROYAL READING
Book 3 - The Desert Prince by Jennifer Lewis (read January 2010) - Title makes it obvious. ;-)
Pages: ~185 (eBook so page counts different)
Books read: 3
Tasks Completed: 2.5
Total Points: 35

Task 5.5 - A LIBRARIANS JOB IS NEVER DONE
Book 4 - Smoke and Mirrors by Jayne Ann Krentz (read January 2010) - heroine is a librarian
Pages: UNK (listened to audio book)
Books read: 4
Tasks Completed: 3 and 1/2
Total Points: 40

Task 5.8 - BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE
Book 5 - Sugarplums and Scandal by Lori Avocato, Dana Cameron, Mary Daheim, Cait London, Suzanne MacPherson, Kerrelyn Sparks (read December 2009) - anthology of cozy mystery novellas
Pages: over 200 (was a library book so can't check)
Books read: 5
Tasks Completed: 4 and 1/2
Total Points: 45

Task 5.10 - THE ALLURE OF ALLITERATION
Book 6 - Haunted Holidays ed. by Martin H Greenberg and Russell Davis (read December 2009)
Pages: over 200 (no longer have book)
Books read: 6
Tasks Completed: 5 and 1/2
Total Points: 50

Task 5.9 - ISN'T IT ROMANTIC
Book 7 - Winter Kissed by Michele Hauf and Vivi Anna (read December 2009)
Pages: ~250 (no longer have book)
Books read: 7
Tasks Completed: 6 and 1/2
Total Points: 55

Task 10.7 - SMALL SCREEN STORIES
Book 8 - Holiday with a Vampire II by Merline Lovelace and Lori Devoti (read January 2010) - True Blood is a TV show I'm addicted to
Pages: ~250 (no longer have book)
Books Read: 8
Tasks Completed: 7 and 1/2
Total Points: 65

15.8 SILVER SCREEN CELEBRATIONS -
Read A Book That Relates To Any Holiday That Occurs During This Challenge - I read How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, The Night Before Christmas, Elf on the Shelf, Alphazoo Christmas, and Arthur's Christmas: An Arthur Adventure, all totalling well over 100 pages.
AND
Watch A Film That Involves That Same Holiday - Samantha, An American Girl Holiday

Total Points: 330/1100
Tasks Completed: 20/58
Tasks in Progress: 7

Task 15.3 - WHAT WOMEN WANT (TO READ AND WRITE)
Book 9 - Eve Duncan: Blood Game by Iris Johansen (read December 2009)
Pages: UNK (listened to audio book)
Books Read: 9
Tasks Completed: 7 and 2-1/2's
Total Points: 72.5

Task 15.8. SILVER SCREEN CELEBRATIONS
Book 10 - Home in Time for Christmas by Heather Graham (read January 2010)
Movie - The Christmas Cottage
Pages: ~250 (was a library book)
Books Read: 10
Tasks Completed: 8 and 2-1/2's
Total Points: 87.5

Task 25.4 - LISA MD'S TASK - IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME
Book 11 - The Rosetta Key by William Dietrich (listened December 2009) - don't remember exact dates but during the Napolean Bonaparte era
Pages: UNK (listened to audio book)

Book 12 - Mistletoe Courtship by Janet Tronstad and Sara Mitchell (read December 2009) - don't know exact dates but 1890s - early 1900s
Thoughts - I'd like living during the time period of my second book for this task. Just think... all those wide open spaces out west to explore and settle. It would be a hard life but a rewarding one.
Pages: ~200 (no longer have book)

Books read: 12
Tasks Completed: 9 and 2-1/2's
Total Points: 112.5

Task 5.1 - THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY
Book 12 - Holiday with a Vampire by Maureen Child and Caridad Pineiro (read December 2009) - Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney movie. What could be more B&B-like than an innocent young woman falling in love with a vampire who has much misery as a result of his tendencies but is redeemed by the love of a woman?
Pages: ~220 (no longer have book)
Books read: 13
Tasks Completed: 10 and 2-1/2's
Total Points: 117.5

Task 25.3 - SARA NICOLE'S TASK - A GAME OF CLUE
Book 14 - Shadow Trilogy: Out of the Shadows by Kay Hooper (listened December 2009) - color "peacock"
SORRY - I DON'T KNOW HOW TO UPLOAD A BOOK COVER PICTURE IN HERE
Pages: UNK (listened to audio book)
Book 15 - Arcane Society: The Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick (listened January 2010) - weapon "poison"
also - BOTH are library books
Pages: UNK (listened to audio book)

Books read: 15
Tasks Completed: 11 and 2-1/2's
Total Points: 142.5

35 points
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).
Three Weeks with My Brother by Nicholas Sparks-1/20

New Total: 200 points

For 15.1 I re-read Thank You for Smoking by Christopher Buckley (one of my FAVORITE books of all time) and re-watched "Heathers" (one of my favorite movies of all time!)

For 50.1, I read The Secret of the Golden Pavilion and The Mystery at the Ski Jump, both by Carolyn Keene, continuing my Nancy Drew kick. I really like these books, but boy are they sexist!

This brings me to 835 points.

Kelley wrote: "MIDWAY CHALLENGE 50.1 - GO FOR THE GOLD
Book 2 - Knock Me for a Loop by Heidi Betts (read January 2010) - Hero is a star ice hockey player
Pages: 340
Books read: 2
Tasks Completed: 1.5
Total ..."

Hi Kelley! Welcome!

Just wanted to let you know that you cant count partially completed tasks (i.e. the midway task) until you have completed the whole task. You only get points at the end, so you can't count 50.1 until you read both parts (gold/silver; sport). Also, I think Roseann said the sport has to be in the title, as opposed to just part of the subject - but i could be wrong.

Also, you can list everything all in one post if you want to. Might be easier for you then a bunch of different posts! (but its ok if you like the separate posts)

Good luck in the competition.

25 point task
5. ABIGAIL'S TASK - ODD MAN OUT
Read One Book That Doesn't Fit Any Other Task For You. (Exception: BJ Rose's Task AND The 50 Point Midway Challenge)
Trading Faces by Julia DeVillers and Jennifer Roy

Current Point Total: 140
Jessica (MI)

30-7 Jan the Gryphon's task: multi-tasking
Real Murders by Charlaine Harris
for 5-5B: A librarian's job is never done (main character is a librarian), and
5-8: Baby it's cold outside (cozy up to a mystery)

DM Rose's Task 35.3 It's About Time
I read The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs

New points: 35
Total points: 45

25.10 EMILY'S TASK - DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER...UNLESS IT'S REALLY WELL DESIGNED The Last Pope and Coraline-Graphic Novel The cover design is good because even without the title it would make a person think about the Vatican and a Papal Conclave (the white smoke). The quote from the prologue on the back cover together with the short blurb about the Pope who has just died certainly mad me want to read the book. "Coraline" has a good story but I think I would have enjoyed it more as a regular novel.
Books Read: 35
Pages Read: 11065
Tasks Completed: 27
Tasks in Progress: 6

Completed another task:
30.8 JAN THE GRYPHON'S TASK - MULTITASKING
Fatally Flaky by Diane Mott Davidson
It's a cozy mystery, so it fits 5.8, and the title is alliterative, so it fits 5.10.

Previously Completed Tasks
15.7 PART A: All-new Complete Cooking Light Cookbook by Ann C. Cain
PART B: Made Spinach & Artichoke dip and Baked Feta Marinara

30.3 The Secret of Joy by Melissa Senate
Queen of Babble in the Big City by Meg Cabot
The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams
(Total Pages = 841)(01.10.10)

5.1 Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story by Carolyn Turgeon (01.05.10)

5.10 Vegan Virgin Valentine by Carolyn Mackler (12.23.09)

10.9 Swimsuit by James Patterson (12.19.09)

25.5 This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen (12.17.09)

20.3 The Stupidest Angel A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror, Version 2.0 by Christopher Moore. (12.15.09)

25.6 Behaving Badly by Isabel Wolff (12.09.09)

Total Points: 165
Tasks Completed: 9 (and 2 partial tasks)
Books Read: 13

15.4 It's all about fun and games
Read The Joy Luck Club and played mahjong.

Task 30.1
a) Book published in the last decade: Knit Two by Kate Jacobs
b) Made into a movie in the last decade: The Blind Side by Michael Lewis

25.8 Answering Machines:

Long-"Such a Pretty Fat-One Narcissist's Quest to Discover Her Life Makes her Ass look Big or Why Pie is not the Answer" by Jen Lancaster
One Word-"Intervention" by Robin Cook

I liked Jen Lancaster's book. It is the 2nd one of her's I have read and I liked this on better. The Robin Cook book was awful-no recommendation from me on this one.

Brings me to 285

Yay! I've been stockpiling the books I read--it's easier to keep track if I post a bunch at once, I think.

5.9 Isn't It Romantic?: Please Don't Be Mine, Julie Valentine!

10.10 From Russia, With Love: The Darkest Evening

15.1 Black Comedy: Survivor (book) and Thank You for Smoking (movie)

15.4 Fun and Games: Final Fantasy and Philosophy: The Ultimate Walkthrough
My favorite games are from the Final Fantasy series!

15.9 Out With the Old and In With the New: The Lovely Bones (oldest on my GR shelf) and Melissa (book by author I'd never read before)

50.1 Winter Olympics: The Bronze Bow (medal) and Hans Brinker or The Silver Skates (sport = skating)
Note: Hans Brinker is about 200 pages longer than it should be, given the actual story. Ugh, I thought that book would never end.

Total: 110 + 885 (from earlier) = 995 points

I just finished my cozy mystery for Task 5.8
It was A Cold Day In Paradise by Steve Hamilton, which is the first book in his Alex McKnight series. It was the typical mystery, and I gave it 3 stars.

Total Points: 80

ms.anderson, you're so close to finishing! yeay!!! :)

finished 25.3 CLUE
red book cover: Smashed, Squashed, Splattered, Chewed, Chunked and Spewed - Lance Carbuncle
weapon in title: Poison Study - Maria V Snyder

*Maria Snyder is a goodreads author*
* Lance Carbuncle is a goodreads author*

New total: 165

Congrats to Cheryl and Roseann! It is a great accomplishment!

I can finally post a finished Task again. I've got plenty of multi-book tasks on the go and hope to start finishing a few in the coming weeks.

I completed Task 25.10 (Emily's Task: Cover I Like and Graphic Novel) by reading:

(cover I like) Dreamers of the Day: A Novel. I can't link to the cover I like, which is the one under the blue Egyptian sky, with pyramids and a lady on it. I hope to travel to Egypt one day to see the pyramids myself.
If anyone is looking for a book with a narrator who is dead, this may be a book to consider. Agnes tells her tale from beyond the grave.

Agnes' story of growth and emerging strength and independence parallels the coming into being of the Middle East.
As Lawrence of Arabia, Winston Churchill and others plan and maneouver to divide the lands into today's Middle East, Agnes finds herself, for the first time in her life, free of ridicule and judgement.
As she grows to believe in herself, the Middle East is formed and they are forever tied together.
Mary Doria Russell knows how to tell a warm and interesting story.

(graphic novel) Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began.
This book was harder to read than Maus I as it took place in a Concentration Camp. The horrors it portrayed were so brutal and so significant.
The graphics played a large part in bringing the horror to the Reader. This book also showed the hardship that the Survivor and his/her later children may have in communicating as the experience of a Camp is so far out of the realm of comprehension for anyone who hasn't experienced it.

Roseann wrote: "Leigh wrote: "Congrats Cheryl!! I clearly need some tips from you and Roseann, as I can't even finish half of the challenge by the end...I'd love to hear any suggestions from you two :)"

I hate..."

Thanks Roseann! I think I need to work on my reading speed, I'm only reading 50-60 pages an hour...but I notice I am reading faster than I used to :) I'm having a great time, whether I finish or not, I just have so many books I want to read that it's frustrating not to read them all during the challenge! Congrats again!

Foe the 25 point task of reading two books from the 1001 books list I have read What a Carve up by Jonatan Coe and Comfort of Strangers by Ian McEwan

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
5.7 Eyeing the Year of the Tiger - Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby
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
25.10 Don't Judge a Book by a Cover - The Househunter by Henry Sutton and Gear by Doug Tennapel

30.1 Celebrate the End of the Decade - The Girl who Played with Fire by Steig Larrson and Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
30.7 Multitasking - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carrol



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Well, I am always late to start these suckers, but I've got to get some points for my attempts to participate season after season:)

Tasks Completed: 2
Total Points: 30 points

25 point task #3: It's About Time
Hour Game by David Baldacci -- completed 12/3/09

5 point task #9: Isn't It Romantic
Evil at Heart by Chelsea Cain -- completed 1/2/10

Finished 10.4 Winner's Choice by reading by Diane Ackerman which Roseanne gave 5*. I gave this book 4*. I don't normally read nonfiction but this was good. It read more like fiction to me. I thought that the author was a bit wordy in parts but I was facinated about the courage that these people had. I often wondered as I was reading it if I would have had the courage to do what they did. I hope I am never put in a similar situation and have to find out.

This brings me to 355 points.