Reading with Style discussion

Liz Vegas wrote: "15.8 Nonfiction
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption- Laura Hillenbrand

+15 task

grand total = 15 points"

I've been looking at this book. I thought my father would like it too. Was it as awesome as it sounded?

Liz M wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "Karen, where did you find The Summer Book I'd really like to read it but it's not at the library, Half-Price Books, Barnes & Noble, two used books stores I use, nor is it on Book Sw..."

I found it at Half price Books! : ). I'm only a couple of short chapters in right now but what a wonderful grandmother to have! I can put this book on bookswap when I'm finished if anyone wants it. I still have Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister on Bookswap if anyone needs a book for Task 10.5

Ellen, welcome aboard! It looks like you are reading a lot of fantastic books, which also means they have complicated scoring. I believe some other members have given you pointers, so my apologies if this is repetitious.

Ellen wrote: "20.10 - Sam's Choice: Potent Potables: Miss Lonelyhearts & The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West..."

This book would fit 10.7 - Scrabble (M,L,A,T,D,O,T,L,N,W can spell 'woman') and, therefore, cannot be used for 20.10. Let me know if you want to use it for another task.

Ellen wrote: "20.2 - Rhymes: Zoot Suit and Other Plays by Luis Valdez
+5 Combo (15.7 - Drama)..."
As mentioned earlier, 15 points tasks are not eligible as combo points.

Ellen wrote: "10.3 - Cyberpunk!: The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler..."
+5 combo points for 10.8 - Popular Penguins

Ellen wrote: "10.1 - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: 20.3 – Shortest Day/Month of the Year: Candide by Voltaire..."
+5 combo points for 20.4 - A poet's non-poetry

So, this is where things get complicated. You can use Candide for 20.4 instead of 10.1 (multiple books can be claimed for 20.4), and then claim Miss Lonelyhearts & The Day of the Locust for 10.1, reusing Winter Task 10.1 - Turkey Coma.

Let me know what you would like to do.

Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "20.4 I read "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath. Her name was mentioned on the approved list.

Task Points: 20
Style: 15 (Oldies, 1963, Combo 20.8 Post 20th Century Poet, 10.2 Women's History)..."

Unfortunately, The Bell Jar does not qualify for combo points for 20.7 - Post-19th Century Poetry: Read a book of poetry written after 1900.

Kate wrote: "(while Reading the Man has over 650 pages, almost 200 pages are notes, index, and bibliography, which I can't even pretend to have read all the way through, so not claiming the jumbo bonus on this book) "

Thank you for explanatory note!

FYI, my previous total for you was 765 + 45 (post 414) = 810.

Norma wrote: "Spring Cleaning
15.1 Mystery - Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie


Points This Task: 15...."

+5 bonus points for a pre-1980 publication date.
New grand total = 95 points

Rebekah wrote: "Liz M wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "Task 20.6 - Poetry before 1900
A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson

+20 pts - Task
+10 pts - Oldies (pub 1885)..."

I am going to disallow sty..."

I stand corrected. I had no idea that the 4-8 age range included books with a Lexile scores >700. My apologies.

I'll add the style points to your score & then I suspect my spreadsheet & your spreedsheet need to talk. You read & post faster than I can reconcile differences in an easy-to-understand manner. ;)

20.1 Alliteration Hickory Dickory Dock


+20 Task
+10 Combo (20.2 Rhyming, 20.8 Quotable Quotes)
+15 Series (Poirot #31)
+ 5 Oldie (pub 1955)

Task Total = 50

Grand Total = 300

Task 15.1 Mystery/Thriller

The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie

+15 Task
+5 Series (Tommy & Tuppence)
+10 Oldies (1922)

Task Total: 30

15.2 Science Fiction

Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card

+15 Task
+5 Series (Ender Wiggins)

Task Total: 20

15.3 Fantasy

Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett

+15 Task
+5 Series (Discworld)

Task Total: 20

15.4 Historical Fiction

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

+15 Task
+5 Jumbo (661)

Task Points: 20

15.6 Horror OR Romance

Minerva by Marion Chesney

+15 Task
+5 Series (The Six Sisters)
+5 Oldies (183)

Task Total: 25

15.7 Drama

White Noise by Don DeLillo

+15 Task
+10 Canon

Task Points: 25

15.10 General Non-fiction

Stolen World: A Tale of Reptiles, Smugglers, and Skulduggery by Jennie Erin Smith

+15 Task

Task Points: 15

Post Total: 155
Grand Total: 205

Spring Cleaning

Task 15.3 - Fantasy Royal Assassin byRobin Hobb

+15 (Task)
+5 (Jumbo - 675 pgs)

Task Total=20
Grand Total=170pts

Liz M wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "Liz M wrote: "Rebekah wrote: "Task 20.6 - Poetry before 1900
A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson

+20 pts - Task
+10 pts - Oldies (pub 1885)..."

I am going to di..."

Thanks, Liz. I just hated to to see poor Robert L Stevenson being slighted. : )
My spreadsheet is just talking gibberish right now as far as numbers go. (smile) You notice the ? I put after my score. That's because I'm pretty sure I am wrong. I thought about just leaving it blank until you posted on the Readerboard to try to figure it out. (smile)

Spring Cleaning Tasks
15.2 - Science Fiction
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

15.4 - Historical Fiction
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

15.10 - General Nonfiction
Literary Practices as Social Acts: Power, Status and Cultural Norms in the Classroom by Cynthia Lewis

RWS Tasks
20.8 Quotable Quotes
Though Not Dead by Dana Stabenow
the title quotes this Robert Frost poem:
LODGED
The rain to the wind said,
"You push and I'll pelt."
They so smote the garden bed
That the flowers actually knelt,
And lay lodged -- though not dead.
I know how the flowers felt.

+20 Task
+5 Series (#18 in Kate Shugak series)
Task Total = 25

Grand Total = 110

Task 10.10 Group Reads
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson

+10 pts - Task
+ 5 pts - Oldies (first pub in 1972)

15 pts - Task Total
???? - Grand Total
770 pts - Grand Total

Ok, Liz. I will read a long book this time so it will take me a while to post. Insomnia and having to rest a lot has given me quite a bit of reading time, without so much interruption from the kids.

Kazza wrote: "+5 Combo (10.7 - Scrabble: JAM, SCAM, SCAN, etc)
+5 Combo (10.7 - Scrablle: RED)
+5 Combo (10.7 - Scrabble: SWIRL) ..."

Regrettably, task 10.7 cannot be used for combo points. As of post 422, I have your grand total as 205 points.

Camille wrote: "Krista wrote: "Camille wrote: "Task 20.10: Potent Potables
I read Outside Wonderland by Lorna Jane Cook, which I received as a Goodreads giveaway.

It was very g..."

Krista was right in saying this book doesn't work for 20.10. However, you haven't used anything for 15.1 mystery/thriller & amazon says this is a thriller. Or you can use One Mississippi for 15.4 Historical Fiction & claim Outside Wonderland for 10.7.

Let me know what you'd like to do!

Karen GHHS wrote: "Liz M wrote: "Coralie, Deedee, Karen & others,

I consulted with Sam about the rhyming task regarding Absalom, Absalom!, The City & the City, The Poems of XX by XX, and The Mirror Crack’d from Side..."

Karen, I currently have your Grand Total as 645, versus your total of 655.

The 10 point difference is from post 395 (no 20.2 rhyming combo points for Spring Flowers, Spring Frost) and post 439 (no 20.2 rhyming combo points for The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side).

You also claimed 20.2 combo points way back in post 169, for Dance, Dance, Dance without specifying the rhyming words. But I think Haruki Murakami works as a rhyme, yes? Or am I mispronouncing his name?

20.9 Peace Corps

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (Ethiopia)
+20 Task
+5 Jumbo (541)

Task Total: 25

Grand Total: 230

Liz M wrote: "Kate wrote: "(while Reading the Man has over 650 pages, almost 200 pages are notes, index, and bibliography, which I can't even pretend to have read all the way through, so not claiming the jumbo b..."

basic arithmic skills escape me sometimes! Thanks for being on top of it Liz.

Liz M wrote: "Karen GHHS wrote: "Liz M wrote: "Coralie, Deedee, Karen & others,

I consulted with Sam about the rhyming task regarding Absalom, Absalom!, The City & the City, The Poems of XX by XX, and The Mirro..."

Yes, Huakami Murakami does rhyme, so that will work for that task. That means that our totals jive -- Hooray! I'll fix my total to 645.
Thanks for your work!

Denae wrote: "Task 15.1 Mystery/Thriller: The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie

+15 Task
+5 Series (Tommy & Tuppence)
+10 Oldies (1922)

Task Total: 30..."

First of all, welcome Denae! I hope you'll find this challenge as fun and inspiring as I do. Please have patience with the learning curve; it has grown into a complex hybrid beast. It is actually two challenges, with different rules & scoring, that are accumulated into one Grand total.

It looks like you've gotten familiar with the Reading with Style main challenge. However, the Spring Cleaning sub-challenge is scored differently. An explanation can be found here.

I find it easier to understand with examples, so below I am going to post a revised version of your post 459.

Denae, this is how I am scoring your post for the Spring Cleaning sub-challenge:

15.1 Mystery/Thriller: The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
+15 Task
+5 pre-1980 bonus points (pub. 1922)
Task Total: 20

15.2 Science Fiction: Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card
+15 Task
Task Total: 15

15.3 Fantasy: Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett
+15 Task
Task Total: 15

15.4 Historical Fiction: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
+15 Task
+5 >500 pgs bonus points (661 pgs)
Task Points: 20

15.6 Horror OR Romance: Minerva by Marion Chesney
+15 Task
Task Total: 15

15.10 General Non-fiction: Stolen World: A Tale of Reptiles, Smugglers, and Skulduggery by Jennie Erin Smith
+15 Task
Task Points: 15

Post Total: 100
Grand Total: 150

In summary, the only bonus points for Spring Cleaning are +5 points for books published prior to 1980 & +5 points for books longer than 500 pages.

Unfortunately, 15.7 Drama is reserved for plays, screenplays, or scripts. White Noise is on the list provided for task 10.3 - Cyberpunk. Please let me know if you'd like to use it for 10.3 or if you have another spot for it.

ETA: Please don't be discouraged by the complicatedness. I still make mistakes every week & I am supposed to be keeping track of everyone's totals (Thanks Krista for keeping me on track!). We have a lot of great participants & help each other out, so please ask questions if something doesn't make sense. :)

Liz M wrote: "So, this is where things get complicated. You can use Candide for 20.4 instead of 10.1 (multiple books can be claimed for 20.4), and then claim Miss Lonelyhearts & The Day of the Locust for 10.1, reusing Winter Task 10.1 - Turkey Coma.

Let me know what you would like to do. "
I'll do just as you have advised. Thank you for your help. I edited my previous post. Let me know if I still did something wrong.

20.4 - A Poet's Non-Poetry: Macbeth by William Shakespeare
+20 Task
+10 Canon
+15 Oldies (1605)
Task Total: 45

Grand Total: 290

Liz M wrote: "Denae, this is how I am scoring your post for the Spring Cleaning sub-challenge:

15.1 Mystery/Thriller: The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
+15 Task
+5 pre-1980 bonus points (pub. 1922)
Task T..."

I missed the posts where the rules are different for different parts of the challenge. It sees illogical to me, but I'll stick around for now.

I'll go ahead and use White Noise for 10.3 despite my disagreeing with the compiler of that list regarding its inclusion. :) For 15.7 I will use Macbeth. With these changes, I believe I have the addition of the below two entries.

10.3 Cyberpunk

White Noise by Don DeLillo
+10 Task
+10 Canon

Task Total: 20

15.7 Drama

Macbeth by William Shakespeare

+15 Task
+5 Oldies

Task Total: 20

Post Total: 40

Grand Total: 190 OR 215

I'm not certain exactly what my grand total would be. In your post (471) you show 150 total, discounting the 2 I just placed here, which would put me at 190. I show I should have 215 when you combine the totals of my three posts' entries. Did I miss something in 467?

Denae, the Spring challenge will seem illogical, but if you look at prior challenges, it will make more sense. There were bonuses for doing them in a specific order, for instance. The other thing about the 15 point tasks is that you can't repeat them until you've completed all of them, whereas the 10- and 20-point tasks you can do as many times as you want and skip some altogether if you wish.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Denae, the Spring challenge will seem illogical, but if you look at prior challenges, it will make more sense. There were bonuses for doing them in a specific order, for instance. The other thing a..."

Yes, Sam has set it up so there is a sub-challenge within RwS. You can choose to do it or not. I think that's what I like about this challenge. There are so many options. Unlike other challenges I've particiapted in, I like the fact that you can repeat a task if you want. Plus trying to find those combo points makes me dig deeper to read books I might have avoided otherwise.

I'm with you, Krista. It's the opportunity to be a repeat offender that makes it so intriguing. How many times in other challenges would you find more than one book for a task and have to choose between them? Here, you can read them all if you have the time.

I completed task 10.1 Reduce Reuse Recycle. I chose the Shortest Day/Month and read "Unwind" by Neal Shusterman.

Task Points: 10
Style: 5 (Series book 1)

Grand Total: 330

Task 10.1 Recycle: In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences by Truman Capote (Winter Group Read)
+10 Task
+5 Oldies (1965)
=15 Total

10.7 Scrabble: Fire in the Blood by Irene Nemirosky
+10 Task (FITBIN: Bin)

15.9 Memoir: The Pianist: The Extraordinary True Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939-1945 by Wladyslaw Szpilman
+15 Task
+5 Oldies (1946)
=20 Total

20.1 Alliteration: Capote in Kansas by Kim Powers
+20 Task

20.2 Rhymes: Great House by Nicole Krauss
+20 Task

20.10 Your Choice: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
+20 Task

Total Points: 105

Denae wrote: "White Noise by Don DeLillo
+10 Task
+10 Canon..."

+5 oldies (pub 1985)


Denae wrote: "I'm not certain exactly what my grand total would be... I show I should have 215 when you combine the totals of my three posts' entries. Did I miss something in 467?"

I hadn't gotten to post 467. I now have your Grand total as 220. :-)

Bobbie wrote: "Task 10.1 Recycle: In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences by Truman Capote (Winter Group Read)
+10 Task
+5 Oldies (1965)
=15 Total..."

+10 Canon points

New Grand Total: 115

colleen wrote: "Task 20.1 Alliteration: Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

+20 Task (No Lexile)
Task Total= 20..."

I know this goes back aways, but +5 series points.

I sorted the scoring sheet by title to double-check that the same books were scored the same & noticed that Karen GHHS received series points for this title & you did not. My apologies for the oversight.

Liz M wrote: "Denae wrote: "White Noise by Don DeLillo
+10 Task
+10 Canon..."

+5 oldies (pub 1985)


Denae wrote: "I'm not certain exactly what my grand total would be... I show I should have 215 when you combi..."

Ah, thank you! Bear with me while I figure all of this out. :)

20.1 Alliteration

Deirdre and Desire by Marion Chesney

+20 Task
+5 Series (The Six Sisters)
+5 Oldies (1984)

Task Total: 30

20.4 Poet's Non-poetry

All's Well That Ends Well by William Shakespeare

+20 Task
+10 Canon
+15 Oldies (1623)

Task Total: 45

20.10 Sam's Task

The Lost Books of the Odyssey: A Novel by Zachary Mason

+20 Task

Post Total: 95

Grand Total: 315

RwS

10.5 I'm Tellin' - My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

+10 Task

Task Total=10
Grand Total=180pts

Spring Cleaning

15.6 Horror

Ring by Koji Suzuki

+15 Task

RWS

20.2 Rhymes

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella by Stephenie Meyer

Tanner and Meyer

+20 Task

20.2 Rhymes

Spring Awakening by Steven Sater

Spring rhymes with awakening

+20 Task

Post Total: 55
Grand Total: 530

Liz M wrote: "Kazza wrote: "+5 Combo (10.7 - Scrabble: JAM, SCAM, SCAN, etc)
+5 Combo (10.7 - Scrablle: RED)
+5 Combo (10.7 - Scrabble: SWIRL) ..."

Regrettably, task 10.7 cannot be used for combo points. As ..."

Okay, thanks & sorry, Liz, somehow it's been really hard to keep them straight in my head!

Kazza wrote: "Liz M wrote: "Kazza wrote: "+5 Combo (10.7 - Scrabble: JAM, SCAM, SCAN, etc)
+5 Combo (10.7 - Scrablle: RED)
+5 Combo (10.7 - Scrabble: SWIRL) ..."

Regrettably, task 10.7 cannot be used for ..."

No worries! It is quite the complex challenge this time around. (Or maybe I just think so because it's my first time score-keeping.)

I agree, Liz, that it has a couple of extra wrinkles this time. And Kazza, and you other first-timers, there are enough complexities to the challenge under normal circumstances that I think it takes a time or two to get used to all the ins and outs.

Completed Spring Cleaning 15.3-Fantasy "Beastly" by Alex Flinn.

Task Points: 15
Style: 0
Grand Total: 345

Liz M wrote: "Bobbie wrote: "Task 10.1 Recycle: In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences by Truman Capote (Winter Group Read)
+10 Task
+5 Oldies (1965)
=15 Total..."

+10 Canon points

New Grand Total: 115

"

+5 Combo points -- 10.8 Popular Penguins

Liz M wrote: "Camille wrote: "Krista wrote: "Camille wrote: "Task 20.10: Potent Potables
I read Outside Wonderland by Lorna Jane Cook, which I received as a Goodreads giveaway.

..."

I would like to use OUTSIDE WONDERLAND for 10.7 and ONE MISSISSIPPI for 15.4.

That should make my RwS total: 170 .....if I've done my math correctly! LOL

Thanks for all the help!!

15.4 Historical Fiction - Dream When You're Feeling Blue - Takes place in WWII Era

20.10 Sam's Choice - Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter

Post Total: 35
Grand Total: 135

Spring Cleaning

15.3 – Fantasy

The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud

+15 Task
Task Total: 15

....and I'm finished with Spring Cleaning!:
+150 Bonus

RwS Task

Tell-All by Chuck Palahniuk

C. Rhyme: Chuck and Palahniuk

+20 Task
Task Total: 20

Points this Post: 20+15+150=185
Grand Total: 830

READERBOARD NAME: Rachel OH

I completed...

15.3 Spring Cleaning

Fantasy: The Fairy Godmother.

+15 Task
+5 Spring Cleaning Bonus-over 500 pgs.

15.4 Spring Cleaning

Historical Fiction: The Second Duchess

+15 Task

Task Total=35
TOTAL POINTS- 225

RwS Task 10.8 Popular Penguins
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
+10 Task
+5 Oldies (pub 1985)
+10 Canon

Task 20.8 Liz's Task
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
quotes Sherlock Holmes in short story Silver Blaze
+20 Task

Spring Cleaning Task 15.9 Memoir
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
+15 Task

Post Total: 60
Grand Total: 870

Repost: Task 20.10 Sam's Choice: Potent Potables
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (800L)

+20 Task
+5 Series

Task 20.7 Post-19th Century Poetry
Woman Speak by Louise Nicholas; Jude Aquilina (pub. 2009)

+20 Task

Task 20.6 Pre-20th Century Poetry
Everyman's Poetry by William Wordworth

+20 Task
+15 Oldies (Wordworth lived 1770-1850)

Task 20.5 Epic Poetry
Inferno by Dante Alighieri

+20 Task
+5 Combo (10.8)
+5 Series (not quite sure about this one?)
+10 Canon (not sure about this one either)
+10 Oldies (pub. 1313)

Task 20.4 A Poet's Non-Poetry
A Marked Man: Some Episodes in His Life by Ada Cambridge (author has published at least 3 collections of poetry - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_Camb...)

+20 Task
+5 Combo (20.3)
+10 Oldies (pub. 1890)

15.8 Spring Cleaning: Biography
Is This The Real Life The Untold Story of Queen by Mark Blake

+15 Task

Total this post: 180 points
Total to date: 385 points

Spring Cleaning

15.6 Romance or Horror - A Highlander of Her Own by Melissa Mayhue

+15 Task

Task Total=15
Grand Total=195pts

Task 20.3 - Iambic Pentemeter
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

20 pts - Task Total
790 pts - Grand Total

10.3 Cyberpunk!

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

+10 Task
+5 Combo 10.8 Popular Penguins
+5 Combo Rhymes
+10 Canon
+15 Oldies - 1818 published

Task Total: 45

20.1 Alliteration

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

+20 Task
+5 Series

Task Total: 25

Post Total: 70
Grand Total: 600