The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

Finished off a couple of multi-book tasks:

15.5 - Readers Round the World Unite:
Part A. - First name starts with K - from Kazakhstan, Neutrino's 5* book - White Teeth by Zadie Smith - I agree, 5*
Part B. - Last name starts with M - from Myanmar, Linnea's 5* book - Running with Scissors: A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs - I disagree, 2*

30.3 - Snowed in and Loving It:
I Dreamed of Africa by Kuki Gallmann (315 pages)
The Stranger by Albert Camus (154 pages)
Flash of the Spirit: African & Afro-American Art & Philosophy by Robert Farris Thompson (317 pages)
The Waste Land and Other Poems by T.S. Eliot (80 pages)
for a total of 866 pages

Total Points: 80

5.6. Hope in Now You See Her is an actress, and I could never see myself acting. I can't even listen to myself on the answering machine, so putting myself on stage or film for the world is not an option. :-)

Now You See Her by Jacquelyn Mitchard

TOTAL = 235 POINTS

Two more tasks done:

15.6 - My best Christmas present ever was from a thoughful high school boyfriend. As a child, I was obsessed with Teddy Ruxpin. I never got one because 1. my parents couldn't afford it and 2. we didn't celebrate Christmas in my house. This boyfriend tracked down a Teddy Ruxpin and got it for me for Christmas. Very sweet. So, in honor of animated teddy bears I read Amberville by Tim Davys a noir-style book featuring stuffed animals and one Eric Bear and his brother Teddy. I actually enjoyed it. If you like Jasper Fforde's Nursery Crimes books, then I recommend this one.

For my charitable act, I did what I do every year. Through New York Cares, I sign up to recieve a letter from a child in the foster care program and then send them what they ask for Christmas. This year, I gave a young girl a Baby Alive doll set. I hope she enjoyed it.

35.1 - Dewey Challenge. Eh. This challenge was not as difficult as I thought, but probably the least enjoyable so far, and I am a librarian.

My favorite book last challenge was Zeitoun by Dave Eggers. It is 342 pages.

342+250=592

I read Life in the Undergrowth by Sir David Attenbourough. It's call number is 592 A. I am usually creeped out by insects, but I really enjoyed this book a lot. The pictures are beautiful and the text is actually very captivating. I learned a lot of things about bugs that I never knew.

I decided to read something at call number 342, which is about constitutional law (super fun!) so I read Who Killed the Constitution?: The Assault on American Law and the Unmaking of a Nation by Thomas E. Woods Jr. Let's just say it wasn't my cup of tea. I'm just lucky I didn't land on the call number for Ann Coulter/Glenn Beck books.

Previous total: 610
Current total: 660

30.2 HELEN'S TASK - SCIENCE FICTION - PAST AND PRESENT
a) Children of the Mind by Orson Scott Card (1996)
b) Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card (2008)
c) I was introduced to Orson Scott Card a year ago with Ender's Game; after which I had to read the rest of the series and know more about the characters lives. Needless to say I was disappointed that the series jumps 3000 years ahead and did not really touch on Ender again was a child. The focus of the last 3 novels had a large Asian influence which was not seen in Ender's Game. The next book in line that I had to read in the series was Children of the Mind which was quite well written and brought closure to the series. I at the time had not realized that he had written Ender in Exile which was on the lost years. Card's writing style was a good mix of early Ender's Game and the later Children of the Mind. I was quite impressed at how a series which Card wrote over a 25 year span flowed together.

Books read: 13
Tasks completed: 9
Total Points: 165

Cindy wrote: "Can she finish????

25.1 Two books from the 1001 to read before you die:The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and North and South by Agatha Christie and Elizabeth Gaskell, 876p..."

Cindy--wish I could send you some extra time. Happy speed reading.

25.9 I read The Queene's Christmas by Karen Harper. It had maps, as well as recipes and a family tree. I also read The Mysterious Affair at Styles, which featured 3 maps.

this brings me to:
615/1150
36 books
10,846 pages
28 tasks complete

I really have been 'snowed in and loving it' today (rare occurence in Atlanta)!

I've finally done my own task:
30.5 DIANE'S TASK - POSTHUMOUSLY SPEAKING
A. Read A Fiction Book Told By A Narrator Who Is Deceased While Telling The Story - Versailles: A Novel by Kathryn Davis (narrated by the post-guillotine Marie Antoinette)
AND
B. Read Either Fiction Or Non-Fiction Book That Was First Published After The Death Of The Author - Lorca: The House of Bernarda Alba: a Tragedy of the Women in the Villages of Spain by Federico García Lorca

Total Points: 825/1100
Tasks Completed: 48/58
Tasks in Progress: 2

Finished one more:

20.2 Cheryl ME - Civil Rights: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Outstanding - definitely a 5*.

POINTS 1045
TASKS 55
BOOKS 80
PAGES 19633

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.E., Ski Trip Might Be Ski Weekend By R.L. Stine And A Trip With A Tycoon By Nicola Marsh).
Cozy Fire
Dragon’s Fire by McCaffrey
Death of a Cozy Writer: A St. Just Mystery by G.M. Malliet
35 points
total 1000

finished task 5.9 by reading Four Chambered Heart. haven't read nin in a long time. she's pretty strange. but her writing is quite lovely.




Total Points: 845/1100
Books Read: 52/81
Tasks Completed: 36/58
Tasks in Progress: 3

15.3 Dark Tort
Diane Mott Davidson

and

Hallelujah! The Welcome Table
Maya Angelou

15.1 MAKE ME LAUGH A Dirty Job and watched
Talladega Nights.

30.3 BJ Rose SNOWED IN AND LOVING IT Shiver and Plum Island

Bridgit wrote: "I have seen such mixed reviews about Striped Pajamas. Would you recommend reading it, if you go into it knowing it will be an emotional read?..."

Bridgit, if you are prepared for it I would definitely recommend it; if only because it is a short, fast read and you could then make up your own mind. I still cannot tell you whether I liked this book and still haven't decided how many stars to give it.

The shock value may be, if not unique to me, at least the result of my own complacency. Naturally I did not expect a book about the holocaust to end well, but I was completely lulled by the childlike perspective, and by some of the conventions that strongly reminded me of children's books I read to my own kids. Having read reviews that accused the book (or at least the protagonist) of being too naive or too childish, I read to form my own opinion by comparing the protagonist to my own son, who is about the same age. So maybe I was just not as detached as I thought I was (I had a similar reaction when I read Toni Morrison's Beloved; my daughter was only two at the time).

Clearly I have had a very personal reaction to this book, and many people may not react the way I did. I have heard the criticism that this book does not add anything to holocaust literature, and I can understand why some might find it melodramatic. It could be a story that is more about childhood than about hate, violence, and bigotry... and it could also be that it takes the lens of innocence and naivete to fully realize the horror of this kind of hate, violence and bigotry. The best advice I can give is if you are not curious about the difference, then don't bother with this book.

15.4 The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Volume I by Arthur Conan Doyle and playeed mMy family's favorite game, 221B Baker St, a mystery board game. We play whenever we hang out together.

5 stars for the book. Sherlock Holmes is just so darn cool.

I love Sherlock Holmes.

For Task 25.2

A Friend Like Henry by Nuala Gardner

What friendship means to me is having someone I can share with like I've never been able to before.

Completed a couple more tasks:

5.8 Baby It's Cold Outside - read Living Dead In Dallas by Charlaine Harris, one of the cozy authors.

25.7 The Lost Generations - read The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.

Brings me up to:

400/1100 points
Tasks Completed: 20/60
Tasks In Progress: 4
Books Read: 27/79
Pages Read: 7,606

30.8 Hearts West: True Stories of Mail Order
Brides on the Frontier
Chris Enss

and

The Mysterious Death of Meriwether Lewis:
A Novel
Ron Burns

For task 25.2 I read As You Like It by William Shakespeare. In the book a major theme was the friendship between Celia and Rosalind.

To me friendship means having someone who would support you in whatever you want to do and would encourage you but at the same time would not be afraid to tell you the truth.

New Point Total: 380
Task Completed: 18
Tasks in Progress: 6
Books Read: 33
Pages Read: 10378

task 20.3

I read The Princess Bride and posted something in the discussion thread.

tasks total:6
books total:10
points total:115

Two more tasks done!

Task 25.3 - Sara Nicole's Game of Clue
The Elegance of the Hedgehog has a nice peacock blue cover. It was also an enjoyable book although I disagreed with much of its philosophy. This book was collected from my personal library of unread books (which is way too big). I also read Behold, Here's Poison, an enjoyable mystery with a little romance thrown in.

Task 25.5 - Abigail's Odd Man Out
I read Orthodoxy. A non-fiction book explaining why G. K. Chesterton believes Christianity to be true. The cover is red and green. It was first published in 1908 (not the past decade). The author born in 1874 which is not the year of the dragon (my Chinese zodiac sign). None of the Winners Choice readers had it on their book lists. No local reader with 100 books or more on his/her list had it on his/her list. G. K. Chesterton is an Englishman. It was not yet rated by the first person listed in either my choosen countries. I have previously read Father Brown mysteries by G.K. Chesterton. And the author died in 1936, long before 2009. Whew...

This brings me to 175 points! My goal is 200, so I should make it.

Two tasks done.

30.5 : 825 pages up, with these books. total 1004 pages read.
344 pages from All That Glitters by Linda Howard
186 pages from Sexiest Man Alive by Sandra Marton
472 pages from Tipping the velvet by Sandra Waters


10.4 Winners choice : From pjreads : The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby


Points : 175
New points : 215

30.4 SANDRA'S TASK - WORLD AIDS DAY - Read A Book About An Epidemic Or A Book Where The Character Is Suffering From Such A Disease - Love in the Driest Season: A Family Memoir by Neely Tucker (AIDS)

Total Points: 855/1100
Tasks Completed: 49/58
Tasks in Progress: 2

For task 10-5 I just read 'Home Safe' by Elizabeth Berg which was from my birthday month-April. I love her writing, so moving and though provoking!

775 points

30.2 Helen's Task - Science Fiction - Past and Present
A. Past Hugo or Nebula Winner: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - 1985 Nebula Winner and 1986 Hugo Winner

B. Present Sci/Fi Novel: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling - 2001 Hugo Winner

Harry Potter is 734 pages - qualifies for a big book entry

Ender's Game - one of the most recognized and awarded sci/fi books of all time. The cornerstone novel of a whole series by Orson Scott Card. Definitely a 5* read.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - One of the most popular young adult series of current times. Also a 5* read.

Both books deal with brilliant children with special talents being raised and trained for use to fight off major challenges to the human race. Both are major components to a whole series which have enormous popularity.

Ender's Game (EG) is much more science oriented and deals with an alien threat. Harry Potter (HP) is more fantasy oriented and deals with magic, demons and dark forces. Both explore the themes of children being given very unorthodox training and being used as tools in battles of good vs evil. HP has very clear and distinct lines of good and evil - probably due to a much younger target audience. EG has a much more complex definition of good/evil and engages more in the motive that goes along with the concept.

Both books are outstanding and interesting in their exploration of the same themes from very different approaches. I prefer Ender's Game but loved the Potter book also.

POINTS 1075
TASKS 56
BOOKS 82
PAGES 20724

Task 30.6 I read Whalerider by Witi Ihimaera. I have wanted to go to New Zealand for forever.

645/1150
pages: 11014
tasks completed: 29
books: 37

5 POINT TASKS
1. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire
2. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
3. 1984 by George Orwell
4. The Tattoo Artist: A Novel by Jill Ciment (2005 Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize)
5. Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella 12/3/09
6. Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
7. The Music of Chance by Paul Auster
8. Cherry Cheesecake Murder (Hannah Swensen Mystery, Book 8) by Joanne Fluke 2/1/10
9. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
10. Shoe Addicts Anonymous by Beth Harbison


10 POINT TASKS
1. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
2. The Story of My Life (Bantam Classic) by Helen Keller
3. Perfect Shot (Simon Romantic Comedies) by Debbie Rigaud 2/2/10
4. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (DIANE)
5. Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
6. East of Eden (Centennial Edition) by John Steinbeck
7. When Lightning Strikes (1-800-Where-R-You, #1) by Meg Cabot 12/1/09 (series 1-800-the-missing on life time)
8. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
9. Honor Killing: Race, Rape, and Clarence Darrow's Spectacular Last Case by David E. Stannard
10. The House of the Dead (Dover Thrift Editions.) by Fyodor Dostoevsky


15 POINT TASKS
1. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
2 Go Ask Alice by Beatrice Sparks (Editor ), Anonymous 12/5/09 and The Wizard of Oz (Great Illustrated Classics) by L. Frank Baum 12/6/09
3. Sugar Cookie Murder (Hannah Swensen Mystery, Book 6) by Joanne Fluke 12/26/09 and My Point...and I Do Have One by Ellen DeGeneres
4. The Clue of the Broken Locket (Nancy Drew, #11) by Carolyn Keene 2/7/10
5. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (AMY RWANDA) and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling ( SCOTT Réunion)
6. Key Lime Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke 2/5/10
7. Peach Cobbler Murder by Joanne Fluke 1/12/10 made rum balls for christmas
8. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
9. The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls and Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
10. Bech: A Book by John Updike

20 PONT TASKS
1.Freedom Bound by Robert Weisbrot
2.I'm Your Santa (Brava Contemporary Romance) by Lori Foster, Karen Kelley, Dianne Castell ( santa task)
3. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll, John Tenniel

25 POINT TASKS
1.A Christmas Carol, The Chimes, and The Cricket on the Hearth (Barnes & Noble Classic) by Charles Dickens and Oliver Twist (Barnes & Noble Classics) by Charles Dickens
2.The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music by Steve Lopez
3. Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli and Running with Scissors: A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs and Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain
4. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
5. Say Cheese and Die! (Goosebumps, #4) by R.L. Stine 2/8/10
6. Morgan's Run by Colleen McCullough
7. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck and The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
8. The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey and Carrie by Stephen King
9. The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, Part 1) by J.R.R. Tolkien and The Family Tree: A Novel by Carole Cadwalladr
10. Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert and V for Vendetta by Alan Moore, David Lloyd

30 POINT TASKS
1. Loser by Jerry Spinelli and Along Came a Spider (Alex Cross, Book 1) by James Patterson
2. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2) by J.K. Rowling
3. Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer and Breaking Dawn By Stephanie Meyer
4. I am Legend by Richard Matheson
5. The Afterlife by Gary Soto and Persuasion by Jane Austen
6. Carrot Cake Murder By Joanne Fluke 2/14/10 this place is a place in minnesota and minnesota is my favorite place to be.
7. Fudge Cupcake Murder (Hannah Swensen Mystery, Book 5) by Joanne Fluke (Will fit task 15.7 and 5.8 ) 12/24/09
8. Sacajawea (Lewis & Clark Expedition) by Joseph Bruchac and Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie: The Oregon Trail Diary of Hattie Campbell, 1847 by Kristiana Gregory
9. Holes by Louis Sachar and A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
10. The Color Purple by Alice Walker and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

35 POINT TASKS
1. Music, Physics and Engineering by Harry F. Olson and The Phantom of the Opera: The Original Novel by Gaston Leroux
2. The Beach House by James Patterson, Peter de Jonge and Warm Bodies, Cold Hearts by Rachel Rice
3. Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell
4. Size 12 Is Not Fat (Heather Wells, #1) by Meg Cabot and The Biggest Loser Simple Swaps: 100 Easy Changes to Start Living a Healthier Lifestyle by Cheryl Forberg RD, Melissa Roberson

50 POINT TASKS
1. Silver Bullet by Stephen King and Karen's Roller Skates (Baby-Sitters Little Sister, #2) by Ann M. Martin 1/18/10







3923/26505 Pages Read
175/1100 Total Points
14/81 Books Completed

Oh Helen, you are so close to finishing! It seems like a bunch of people may finish all at once -- very exciting!

Finish task 25.4. LISA MD'S TASK - IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME
A. Pilate's Wife: A Novel of the Roman Empire – Antoinette May (368) – 2/7/10
B. Mistress of the Art of Death – Ariana Franklin (384) – 2/13/10

It's hard to choose between these two time periods. Neither was easy for a woman, neither allowed for women to have any autonomy. That being said, I think I would have preferred to have lived during the time of Pilate's Wife. Especially if I could have traveled in the style that Claudia did. To see Alexandria and Rome during the height of it's ancient splendor.

TOTALS
Completed Tasks: 8
Total Points: 160
Books read: 13
Pages Read 6,214

Two more done:

10.4 5 star book from the list of one of the Fall Challenge winners, state the person: The Lightning Thief Sara's book, by Rick Riordan, 375pp, 2/13/2010.

10.5 Read a book from the popular books of 2009, use the list of your birth month: Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins, 391pp, read 2/14/2010.


Books read 65/79
Tasks completed 43/58
Points 875/1100
Pages read 20799


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10 Points #7: SMALL SCREEN STORIES

Bare Bones - Kathy Reichs
My favorite TV show - Bones on TNT - is based on the Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs. First I saw the show and now I'm trying to read all the books.

Pages read: 842
Books read: 2
Tasks completed: 2
Total Points: 40

10.3. RENAISSANCE READING The Color Purple
Books Read: 49
Pages Read: 16435
Tasks Completed: 37
Tasks In Progress: 4

Finished another task

20.1 Repeat a prior task of 15 points or higher

I redid 15.7 from the 2009 fall challenge - let's get physical

I read Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi, and then I watched Agassi's last match against Federof on DVD. The book was very good; I gave it 4 stars. I liked watching Agassi play after reading the book, because I could know better understand his strategy, strengths and struggles.

Total Points: 235 + 20 = 255
Total Books: 15
Total Pages: 5214

Two more down...

25.7 SAM'S TASK - THE LOST GENERATIONS
A. Read A Novel Or Collection Of Short Stories/Plays By One Of The Following Authors Who Are Often Called Part Of The Post-WWI "Lost Generation": F. Scott Fizgerald, Ernest Hemingway, John Dos Passos, Gertrude Stein, Zelda Fitzgerald, Sherwood Anderson, John Steinbeck, Or William Faulkner.
AND
B. To Celebrate The Final Season Of Lost, Read A Book Featured On The Show Over The Years: Lost Literature

For this task I read A Moveable Feast by Hemingway and A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

25.10 EMILY'S TASK - DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER...UNLESS IT'S REALLY WELL DESIGNED
For This Challenge Read Two Books:
A. Making A Great First Impression: Read A Book That's Cover Design Draws You In.
AND
B. It's What's Inside That Counts: Read A Graphic Novel.

For this task I read Welcome to the Jungle a graphic novel by Jim Butcher, and the cover of The Rest Falls Away by Colleen Gleason I really liked (sexy and dangerous both!).

Total Points: 745/1100
Books Read: 53
Tasks Completed: 38/58

15.3. WHAT WOMEN WANT (TO READ AND WRITE) - In Honor Of Betty Friedan (Born February 4, 1921 - Died February 4, 2006) Famous Feminist…
A. Read A Novel Written By A Female Author From A Series That Has A Female Main Character. Ex. Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum Series
The Scarpetta Factor by Patricia Cornwell AND
B. Read An Autobiography Or Biography Of A Woman You Admire (Book Must Also Have Been Written By A Woman).
Alice Eve Cohen-What I Thought I Knew (Had special needs child at 44)
15 points
1015

I decided to move some books that I finished for 2 part tasks to another task because I know I'm never going to finish so...

20.1 - Revisiting Cindy's Task from the Fall 2009 Challenge...1/2/3 word title
Forever - Originally Slated For Sara Nicole's Task (Blue Cover)
Club Dead - Originally Slated For What Women Want Task
Her Fearful Symmetry - Originally Slated For Bonnie's Task (Book Published In The Last Decade)

I also finished 5.9 with Kiss an Angel.

I had fun with Sizzle: A Novel for 10.5, it was a great guilty pleasure to curl up with on a snowy day.

Also want to clarify that for 30.7 I'm going to use Sense and Sensibility which doubled as 10.4, one of Diane's 5 star reads. Thanks for catching that Cynthia!

That should bring me to 640 points

Diane wrote: "30.4 SANDRA'S TASK - WORLD AIDS DAY - Read A Book About An Epidemic Or A Book Where The Character Is Suffering From Such A Disease - Love in the Driest Season: A Family Memoir by [auth..."

Did you like this one? I've been wanting to read it.

Another task done!

30.7. JAN THE GRYPHON’S TASK - MULTI-TASKING
Read A Book That Will Fit Two Or More Other Tasks In The Winter 2009-2010 Challenge. List The Other Tasks It Will Fit (BJ ROSE'S TASK DOES NOT COUNT)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (big book with 644 pages)

Fit for:

5.4 The book was the winner of the Glass Key Award (a crime novel award for Nordic writers) in 2006.
10.4 On the 5 star list for Wendy, BJROSE, and Sam. (thanks Dlmrose)
15.9. I never read anything by Larsson.
20.1 It was a TNBCC group read.
25.3 The cover of my edition is yellow.
25.9 There are a family tree, a table and some lists in the book.
30.1 It was first published in 2005.
30.5 It was posthumously published.

Points: 135/550
Books: 8
Tasks: 8/58
Pages: 2,928

I finished the 50 pointer. I read "The Silver Chair" by C.S. Lewis and "Frozen in Time: The Enduring Legacy of the 1961 Figure Skating Team" by Nikki Nichols. I liked both books and give them 5 stars.

Tasks Completed: 20
Books read 31
Point Total 375

I'm finally updating a few more. At some point, I'm probably going to have to move things around a little bit so that I can count everything that I've read. This is the first time I have a whole bunch of tasks part way done.

25.4 (turn back time) I read The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Toliver's Secret. Hugo Cabret takes place in Paris in 1931 and Toliver's Secret takes place in America during the American Revolution. Based on the books, I would rather live in Paris in 1931. Even though it was a tough time, this book was so magical that it made me want to be there.

5.2 I read I was not a huge fan of this book.

25.10 (graphic novel and cool cover)
For the cover I read There was a review of this book that fit how I felt: "Have you ever been completly apathetic to the characters, yet you can't put the book down?" I wanted to like this book, but I gave it one star (one of only a few I have ever given out.)
For the graphic novel I read Persepolis 1: The Story of a Childhood. I loved this book and will probably look for the rest of the series.

That puts me at
335 points
7829 pages read

Completed one more:
30.6 WENDY'S TASK - WINTER VACATION DREAMS The Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes
This one is set in Ireland, somewhere I've always wanted to go. Everything looks so beautiful and green, and I absolutely love Irish accents. And I think it would be nice to show my son (with his red hair and Irish name) where his great-grandparents are from.

Previously Completed Tasks
20.2 BETH MN'S TASK - REVISITING THE PAST It's All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff by Peter Walsh (revisiting task 15.7)

30.5 DIANE'S TASK - POSTHUMOUSLY SPEAKING
The Ten Best Days of My Life by Adena Halpern
AND The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson

10.7 The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister (read 01.01.10)

35.3 Some Days There's Pie: A Novel by Catherine Landis (01.22.10)

30.8 Fatally Flaky by Diane Mott Davidson (fits 5.8 and 5.10) (01.20.10)

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: 290
Tasks Completed: 14 (and 2 partial tasks)
Books Read: 19

20.2 Meridian
Alice Walker

Alright! I'm back! I've been busy reading picture books for my children's literature course so I haven't been collecting points for a while!

I finished my own task 25.10 Cover/Graphic novel by reading Pippi Longstocking and Fables: The Mean Seasons. I actually love the design for both covers, but Pippi is the one that drew me in. I had never read this story and really enjoyed it! And as usual, I enjoyed my latest read in the Fables series.

Here are the book covers:



Total Points: 115
Total Pages: 2538

I have a goal to read at least 7 more books, to finish my partially-completed tasks. I'm almost done with The Three Musketeers, which is a massive beast.

New completed tasks:

Task 10.4 - Winner's Choice (Bonnie): Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta (2/11/10)

Task 25.3 - Sara ♥ - Clue: The Demigod Files by Rick Riordan (1/28/10) AND Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder (2/13/10), both of which I got at the library.

CURRENT STATS
Tasks Completed: 21/58
Tasks Partially Complete: 7
Books Read: 34/81
Pages Read: 9607
Points Earned: 375/1100

10.8. OH CANADA! - To Commemorate The Upcoming Winter Olympics That Will Be Held In Vancouver, Canada - Read A Novel Written By A Canadian Author, Set In Canada, Or A Non-Fiction Book About Canada.
Ex. Saul Bellow, Mrs. Mike, So, You Want to Be Canadian All About the Most Fascinating People in the World and the Magical Place They Call Home
The Girls by Lori Lansens-2/15

New total 350

Ashley wrote: "Oh Helen, you are so close to finishing! It seems like a bunch of people may finish all at once -- very exciting!"

Thanks Ashley - I finished this morning. Am going to post the finals shortly. Being snowbound the last few weeks has been a big help.

AM FINISHED!! Here are my last two books:

15.1 Make Me Laugh
A. Black Comedy Novel - A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore - very entertaining 4*
B. Movie - Burn After Reading (not bad but a little boring)

10.9 Pearl Harbor - Hawaii - Swimsuit
by James Patterson - really good fast read mystery, typical Patterson 4 *

Super Challenge and great fun!!!! Thanks Cynthia for putting it together. Thanks to all the participants for the incredible comments and feedback throughout.

POINTS 1100
TASKS 58
BOOKS 84
PAGES 21504

congrats, helen! :)

Finished 10.2

I read Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner. The daughter in this book struggles with her lack of hearing.

New Total: 145

**Jennifer Weiner is a goodreads author.