The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

Cassie wrote: "I was thinking along the same lines as Suzanne, but a little wider. In July we have Independence Day in the US, Bastille Day in France, and Canada Day (need I say 'in Canada'?). Pick a book that ta..."

Ooh, just read (from Cassie's link above) that 7/24 is Amelia Earhart Day.

Someone should write up a task about the Queen's Official Birthday which is her DIAMOND Jubilee this year! For the UK & Australia, they're celebrating in June 2012.

In the southern hemisphere, the seasons are backward from the northern hemisphere.

Read a book that takes place set in the southern hemisphere (australia? south america?) during THEIR summer (set in November - January) or THEIR winter (June - August). No spring or fall books!

Jayme VA wrote: "Read a book by an author whose name skips a consecutive letter in the alphabet.

Examples: Agatha Christie (abc), Jen Lancaster (jkl) Irmgard Kuen (ijk), Ally Condy (abc), Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (abc)"

I like this one

Pick one of the two options:

Option 1:
Read a book where the main charcter's First name is in the title I.e.Eve
AND
Read a book where the main character's last name is in the title. I.e.Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

Option 2:
Read a book where the main character's first and last name are in the title . I.e. Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys

Usako wrote: "Someone should write up a task about the Queen's Official Birthday which is her DIAMOND Jubilee this year! For the UK & Australia, they're celebrating in June 2012."

Mayhaps a book where the main character is named Elizabeth, or the author is Elizabeth.
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A book with a diamond or a significant diamond shaped object on the cover.

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Read a biography, history, or historical fiction book about a queen.

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Read any book with queen in the title.

Queen of Broken Hearts
Confessions of a Carb Queen

Summer is the time for family reunions. I love spending time with my siblings! Read a book by an author who has the same first or middle name as one of your siblings. If you are an only child choose a good friend who is like a brother or sister.

Building off of a suggestion about wind turbines / wind mills - how about:

Let's get scientific! Everyone is familiar with gas and oil - but there's lots of other forms of energy out there. Read a book about alternative energy (wind, solar, etc.) - fiction or non-fiction ok.

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I liked the task from the Spring round that listed all of the songs with the word "fire" in it - how about doing something like that with the word "wind" or "summer"?

I liked the task from spring where we had to find "F-I-R-E" in the title - I think it could work well with "W-I-N-D" as well

summer is the time of year to go to the beach. read a book with a picture of the beach on the cover or that takes place in a oostal community

Read a book with a word in the title containing the letters AIR such as chair, dairy, fair, hair, stair, Zaire.

Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her Diamond Jubilee in June.
Read a book about a member of a royal family / about a queen
Read a book set in Great Britain.
Read a book written in 1952
Read a book with a diamond on the cover/in the title
Read a book written by an author with the name Charles, Anne, Andrew or Edward (the Queens children)
Read a book written by an Elizabeth


I suppose that could be developed to link into important events during her reign for a task worth more points...

Edit - just realised there's a similar idea a few posts up.

Thinking about Independence Day, the poem "Paul Revere's Ride" comes to mind. Depending how you mix and match the items below this could be a small or large task.

"One if by land" - read a book with "one" or "land" in the title or read a book whose title is a single word such as Roses or Jinxed. Or, read the first book in a new series.

"Two if by sea" - read a book with "two" or "sea" in the title or read a book whose title is two words (count "a," "an," "the") such as The Road. Or, read the second book in a series you've started.

Since Paul Revere was a silversmith, read a book with a silver cover or the word "Silver" in the title. (Admittedly this would be the same for the silver in the Olympic medals if both tasks are used).

Since the lantern light is the key signal, read a book with a lantern, light, fire, open flame, warning signal, or similar item on the cover.

"The Old North Church" - read any book (fiction or non-fiction) that centers on religion or spirituality. Or, read a book with "north" in the title.

"Paul Revere's Midnight Ride" - read a book whose title mentions any time of night or darkness - i.e. Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil, Twilight, Dead Until Dark.

The following towns are listed throughout the poem - Charlestown, Bedford, Lexington, Concord, and Middlesex. Read a book by an author whose first or last name contains at least 3 adjacent letters in one of the towns. For example Charles Dickens for Charlestown; Richard Ford for Bedford or Concord.

The Summer Signs -

Gemini - read a book featuring twins or read a book that 'you might also like' recommended by good reads.

Cancer - read a book that takes place in Maryland or is written by an author from Maryland, or a book that takes place on the sea (crabs). Alternately read a book that takes place in a medical setting or features a character dealing with cancer or having survived cancer.

Leo - read a book with a lion or a king in the title or on the cover. Or, read a book by an author whose first name is Leo, Leon, or Leonard.

August 30th is National Toasted Marshmallow Day. Read a book you consider 'fluffy.' For example, I have a brilliant friend who, when working on her Ph.D. confessed to reading Harlequin Romances between scholarly papers.

Thinking about all those county and state fairs, there's always blue ribbons for first place. Read a book that has won a reading award.

I had never heard of the World Choir Games, but this summer (7/4-7/14) the Games will be hosted in Cincinnati, OH. Which is where I live and you can't help but hear about these Games! In honor of the World Choir Games, read a book that involves music, especially music featuring the human voice.

Cincinnati is a bit 'quirky,' according to my transplant friends. We love our Skyline Chili, and the most commonly ordered dish at Skyline is a "3-way," which is the spaghetti noodles, chili (very different from what most people think of as chili), and shredded cheese. Out of town friends or clients love to try a 3-way so that they can tell their friends and relatives back home that they 'did a 3-way for lunch!' Read a book with 3 words in the title, or with a total page count that contains a 3 (223, 348 etc.).

In Cincinnati, we also love our flying pigs. Just this past Sunday was the Flying Pig Marathon which pretty much shuts down the city. Read a book with a pink, peach, or salmon colored cover, or a book featuring any creature (human or animal) with wings.

Cincinnati was founded on the banks of the Ohio River and the river was vitally important for the city's commerce. Read a book that takes place on or close to a river, or read a book with "river" in the title, or a picture of a river on the cover.

Air can either inflate an object or deflate an object when pushed out. This task would work for readers who love series and have several series going concurrently. Roll one die. Read a book from a series that is one number lower than the die number and one book from a series that is one number higher than the die number. For example, if you roll a 5, you could the 4th book from one series and the 6th book from another series.

Read a book whose title contains a celestial body. I.e. The Almost Moon, Valley of the Sun.

Olympic Track & Field -
Long Jump: read any book that would qualify as a Big Ticket Item
Relay races: read a book in which two authors have collaborated - i.e. The Body Farm series by Jefferson Bass is written by two authors who work at the Body Farm and teach at the University of Tennessee.
The high Jump: read a book with more than 25,000 GoodReads ratings. (or some number - not sure what's a 'big' number)
The discus: Read a book with a round object on the cover, or a book that contains "sphere," "circle," "orb," etc. in the title.
The decathalon: read a book which is the tenth in a series, or contains 10 in the title (10th Anniversary).

Olympic Sports:
Swimming - read a book featuring a character who swims or with a picture of a swimming pool on the cover.
Equestrian events - read a book with a horse on the front or features horses, jockeys, etc.
Gymnastics - read a book with a character (human or animal?) on the front who is in motion (running, jumping, twisting)
Boxing - read a book that 'packs a punch' - something that explores a controversial subject or huge plot twists / surprise endings. Or read a book which features a ring on the cover.

Read any biography or memoir featuring a past Olympic star or other famous athlete.

Read a book that features gardening or landscape design.

During my formative years, summer always meant the drive in! Several options come to mind to make this task shorter or longer.

Read any book with a car or passenger truck (no semi's or construction trucks) on the cover.

Read a book which has been made into a movie.

One of the best parts of the drive in was the concession stand! Read a book with snack food or candy on the front. The more the better!

Read a book that has a picture of a firefly or other friendly night creature on the cover (i.e. cricket, bat).

I loved the 'countdown' between the two featured movies. If you're old enough, you know what I'm talking about! You have 10 minutes til showtime (picture the number 10 with a second hand sweeping around)......read a book with the number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 on the front. I'm thinking the actual numeral itself (not first, second, tenth etc.).

The growing up years always found my family going to the drive in. Read a book that features a family and / or siblings. Later, of course, the drive in was the place to hang out on dates! Read a book that features a love story or romance.

ohhh, I like this one!!

Suzanne wrote: "Air can either inflate an object or deflate an object when pushed out. This task would work for readers who love series and have several series going concurrently. Roll one die. Read a book from..."

Suzanne wrote: "Air can either inflate an object or deflate an object when pushed out. This task would work for readers who love series and have several series going concurrently. Roll one die. Read a book from..."

This sounds like a fun one

Suzanne wrote: "Relay races: read a book in which two authors have collaborated - i.e. The Body Farm series by Jefferson B..."

Actually, Suzanne, Dr. Bass is the only one who worked at The Body Farm and UT. Mr. Jefferson was a journalist and film maker.

BUT...I like this idea.

Coralie wrote: "Read a book with a word in the title containing the letters AIR such as chair, dairy, fair, hair, stair, Zaire."

I like that idea Coralie!

Bea wrote: "Suzanne wrote: "Relay races: read a book in which two authors have collaborated - i.e. The Body Farm series by Jefferson B..."

Actually, Suzanne, Dr. Bass is the only one who worked at The Body F..."

Oops, I stand corrected.

Summer/Wind Proverbs.

The wind does not always blow from the same quarter.
Read a book that is part of a quadrilogy/tetralogy (meaning that it's a series of four) OR that is fourth in a series

May the wind always be at your back.
Read an "easy" book. Pick something from the top 200 of this list: http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/74...

Know which way the wind blows.
Read a nonfiction book that espouses the opinion of its author.

A life without love is like a year without summer.
Read a romance book.

Summer blockbusters. Read a book that was later turned into a movie or is an adaptation of a movie. (Examples: The Hunger Games, Stardust, The Help)

Summer means getting out on the water!

Read a book with a body of water in the title
eg: sea, ocean, lake, pond, creek etc.

Summer: sun, picnic/picnics, vacation, friend/friends, family, hot, swimming, beach, park/parks, fun, rest, relaxation.

Read a book which includes one of these words in the title.

Read a book whose cover shows one of these items.

Read a book with a summer setting (occurs in June, July, or August or set in summer generically). Setting must be listed in GR or some other provable source.

Air: a musical term (Elizabethan & Jacobean music); make public ("air one's dirty laundry"); a light breeze; breath; the look, appearance or bearing of a person/manner; atmosphere.

Read a book set in the Elizabethan or Jacobean times.

Read a book about a secret exposed.

Read a book that is refreshing. Explain how it affects you and why you feel refreshed/renewed after reading it.

Read a book that "takes your breath away". Explain your response to the book.

Read a book whose protagonist is a gentleman or lady in manner. Explain why you think so.

Read a book whose atmosphere (overall aesthic effect) appeals to you. Explain.

I have to admit, I like the english ones, where we have to use books that have pronouns etc in the titles as well as the one we have this season that was a possession

how about one where either the title or author has a diacretic in it - for example Håkan Nesser or Suite Française

i also liked the one we did a couple of seasons ago, where you read a book, adn then read another book by someone who wrote a comment on the cover of the first book

Dee wrote: "i also liked the one we did a couple of seasons ago, where you read a book, adn then read another book by someone who wrote a comment on the cover of the first book"

I loved that one too!

Dee wrote: "I have to admit, I like the english ones, where we have to use books that have pronouns etc in the titles as well as the one we have this season that was a possession

how about one where either th..."

Great idea Dee!

Air in the title
(airy, chair, fair, fairy, repair, pair...)

So the Grease Song "Summer Nights" just popped in my head. And that would make an interesting task.

Grease's Summer Nights:

Option 1: read a book about a summer romance/fling

Option 2: read a book with a female MC named Sandra/Sandy, a male MC named Daniel/Danny, or by an author with one of those names.

Option 3: Read a book set in the 1950s or published in the 1950s

Option Four: Read a book with "Summer" or "Night" in the title

that's weird I was just thinking about grease the other day how it could work in a challenge...lol!

Dee wrote: "that's weird I was just thinking about grease the other day how it could work in a challenge...lol!"

LOL great minds ;-)

I really like yours, Jody!

Jennifer Leigh wrote: "So the Grease Song "Summer Nights" just popped in my head. And that would make an interesting task.

Grease's Summer Nights:

Option 1: read a book about a summer romance/fling

Option 2: read a ..."

OMG, I love, love, loved Grease!! I'll date myself and say that I bought the record album of the soundtrack. I would go over to my best friend's house and we'd put the record on the turntable and roller skate around her basement. :)

OK, I'll date myself even further. Those roller skates clamped onto my shoes and used a key to tighten them. Hey that could be a song too. Something like I've got a brand new pair of roller skates - you've got a brand new key. :)

I think a Grease task would be great!

Sheila wrote: "OK, I'll date myself even further. Those roller skates clamped onto my shoes and used a key to tighten them. Hey that could be a song too. Something like I've got a brand new pair of roller skat..."

LOL!

Wind phrases...........

"In the wind" - read a book with missing, disappearance, vanish, fugitive etc. in the title or where the main plot involves a fugitive or missing person.

"Three sheets to the wind" - read a book with the title of an alcoholic beverage in the title or on the cover, or read a book in which the main character is an alcoholic / recovering alcoholic.

"Running against the wind" - read a book in which someone overcomes some kind of adversity or obstacle.

Sheila wrote: "OK, I'll date myself even further. Those roller skates clamped onto my shoes and used a key to tighten them. Hey that could be a song too. Something like I've got a brand new pair of roller skat..."

Dating myself as one of the younger ones, I heard a cover of that song and didn't get the reference. Now I know what the heck a key has to do with roller skates... :)

Geex Kate now I REALLY feel old!

Sheila wrote: "Geex Kate now I REALLY feel old!"

Haha. Sorry!