The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

10.5: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Total Points: 220/980
Total Pages Read: 4987
Books Read:16
Tasks Completed: 11/57

This is my final claim for the Spring Challenge. I'm really pleased with the amount I done. Bring on the Summer Challenge!



25.5 - Spring Cleaning. I have finished reading Brooklyn by Colm Toibin, A Curious Earth by Gerard Woodward and The Seige by Helen Dunmore The page numbers in the same order are 262, 340 and 304. For this task I had to read 800 pages of books which weren't knew. Two of the books I had on bookshelf for ages and the other was from the library. The total number of pages of three books is 906.

Previous Reads

5.2 A Book is Like a Garden in the Pocket - The Girl's Guide to Growing your Own by Alex Mitchell
5.4 In the News - The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
5.8 Dr Watson Calling - The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith
5.9 I can Still do Something Lying in Bed - Magicians Guild by Judi Canavan

10.2 Three/Four/Five - The Rapture by Liz Jensen
10.3 Luck of the Irish - A Change in Altitude by Anita Shreve
10.4 Reduce, Reuse and Recycle - We are all Made of Glue by Marina Lewycka
10.5 Freedom of the Press - The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larrson
10.6 And the Oscar Goes to... - Up in the Air by Walter Kirn

15.2 Anzac Day - The Lieutenant by Kate Grenville and An Ice-cream War by William Boyd
15.6 Friends and Friends of Friends - Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell and American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
15.9 What's in a Name - A Town Like Alice by Neville Shute

20.1 April Fool - The Audacity of Hopy by Armando Iannuchi
20.2 Clean Sweep - Between the Assassinations by Aravind Adiga
20.3 Best Review Contest, Mental Health - The Silver Linings Play Book by Matthew Quick
20.6 Best Series - The High Lord by Trudi Canavan
20.8 A Magical Birthday - The Novice by Trudi Canavan

25.2 Fabulous Firsts or Superior Seconds - The Outcast by Sadie Jones and Small Wars by Sadie Jones
25.3 Coming out of Hibernation - Wicked by Gregory Maguire
25.6 This Day in History - The Judgement of Nuremberg 1947 and Red Dust by Gillian Slovo
25.7 The Gods Must be Crazy - The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
25.9 Spring Break - The Lost Diaries of Adrian Mole by Sue Townsend

30.3 Birth and Renewal - Blacklands by Belinder Bauer and Restoration by Rose Tremain
30.4 One if by Land, Two if by Sea - Brixton Beach by Roma Tearne and Down River by John Hart
30.6 Character References - American Wife by Curtis Sittenfield and Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H.Lawrence


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50 point
1. 6 = Mystery
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart 440 pages
2. 5 = Historical Fiction
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
3. 11 = One of your books must be written for children or young adults
The Mysterious Benedict Society is a Children's Book.

30.6 I Am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak 357 pages Mentions:
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath 244 pages

Total Points: 150
Total Tasks: 7
Total Books Read: 11

Despite my busy schedule this season I have managed to complete some tasks...
5.1 The Swan Thieves
5.3 Just Imagine (Susan Elizabeth Phillips)
5.4 Dead and Gone (January 2010 Newsletter)
5.5 Dead as a Doornail (2005 Popular List)
5.7 Follow the Stars Home
5.8 How to Talk to a Widower
5.9 Rebellious Desire

10.1
10.2 Smitten (3.45 rating)
10.3 Educating Caroline by Patricia Cabot
10.4 C. Gentle Warrior
10.5 First Lady
10.8 True Blue
10.9 The Valley of Horses
10.10 Secrets of a Shoe Addict

15.8 Sunflowers I adore Van Gogh the swirls of color that form his paintings Starry Night is my favorite.
15.9 Lady of Skye by Patricia Cabot - Patricia Cabot is a pen name for Meg Cabot - My pen name would be Mackenzie Paige.
15.10 Someone to Love - My philosophy of life is that nothing else really matters as long as you have people to love and that love you back.

20.1 The Spellmans Strike Again - This series is hysterically funny and I'm sad to see it come to an end.
20.6 All Together Dead - While I was less than thrilled by the first book this series has grown on me and I am eagerly awaiting the newest book. It is about a cocktail waitress whose life is turned upside down after meeting her first vampire.
20.7 Definitely Dead - I have a bunch of VHS tapes I need to donate - this book was published in 2006 the year new movies stopped being made in VHS format.
20.8 From Dead to Worse - AND The Girl Who Chased the Moon both have magical elements.
20.9 Blessed Are the Cheesemakers

25.1 - I definitely want to be a mother someday and this is a painting of a mother and child.
25.2 - Brazen & Simply Sinful - the first two books published by Carly Phillips
25.3 I attended a local Celtic festival in April so I read Temptation which takes place in Scotland a Celtic nation.
25.4 A. My middle name is Jean: The Mammoth Hunters by Jean M. Auel.
B. Getting Rid Of Bradley
25.5 Charlie All Night
Flirting in Cars
Heartbreak Town: A Novel
25.7 Truly, Madly
25.9 Legend (Book was on the NY Best Seller List on 9-29-1996 the year I started high school)

30.3 First Annual Grand Prairie Rabbit Festival & Remembrance
30.4 A. The Plains of Passage & B. River Lady

50 POINTER
1 (Fantasy/Sci-Fi) - A Touch of Dead
Anna Paquin stars in the tv series based on these books. She won the Best Supporting Actress in 1993 for The Piano - also nominated that year was Winona Ryder. Winona Ryder starred in Beetlejuice with Actress Geena Davis. Actress Geena Davis is a member of the organization Mensa. Author Jean Auel is also a member of Mensa.
5 (Historical Fiction) - The Shelters of Stone

Hi Cynthia. I am re-posting this (from 12 days ago) because I think it got missed. I have my score as 410 points, but you have it as 395. This is the only 15 point task I have claimed recently.

I have completed Task 15.6 ~ Friends. I read: Kit's Law by Donna Morrissey (from Wendy T's List).

Thanks so much for all of the work you put into this, Cynthia.

:D

**re-post below with correct info on both books!!**

My last hurrah on the Spring Challenge:

20.9 A Really Cheesy Task
...the word cheese or a type of cheese in the title:
The Cheese Monkeys

===== Been Here, Done This =====
5.7 (Mental Disability): More Than Human, by Theodore Sturgeon, features mental retardation.
10.8 (Space...) The Conquest of Space, Willy Ley & Chesley Bonestell
15.3 (1/life 3/4/5) The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson #5), Riordan
20.8 (magic) The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #3) by Rick Riordan, at 304 pages, and The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1) at 375 pages
25.7 [Gods...:] The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson,audio) by Rick Riordan
25.9 [HS/coll:](1979-1987) Sue Grafton U is for Undertow (audio)
30.4A (land) Brin, Infinity's Shore
B (sea) Riordan, (Percy Jackson) The Sea of Monsters
50.1 (Midway) Meyer, The Host
& King, SI Monday Morning Quarterback

Total Points: 200

This should be my last post for the challenge. I had several books read and finally assigned them to some tasks.

5.4 The Lovely Bones

15.3 Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

20.2 The Help

20.8 The Hunger Games

25.5 The Next 100 Years: A Forecast for the 21st Century (272 pgs), The Astronaut's Cookbook (212 pgs), One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd (320 pgs), By Heart: Poetry, Prison, and Two Lives (198 pgs) - Total pages 1002

25.9 Dear John by Nicholas Sparks, who was popular when I was in high school/college.

I think that this brings my total to 390... onto the summer challenge!


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Hello!

I have completed Task 15.6 ~ Friends & Friends of Friends. I read:

Kit's Law by Donna Morrissey (on Wendy T.'s list) and The History of Love by Nicole Krauss (on Ramona's list).

# of points: 410
# of tasks completed: 23
# of books read: 30
# of pages read: 9373




A million thank-you's, Cynthia!!

A few more tasks done. I think this might be it for me, but I will be reading all day.

20.4 I decided to read a saga book, reading John Galsworthy's The Forsyte Saga, which I enjoyed very much. I also recommend the Masterpiece Theatre DVD version of this (which I saw before reading the book). I also decided to read a book set in my hometown, Miami, FL, and namely, my birthplace Hialeah, so I read How to Leave Hialeah by Jenine Capo Crucet, a set of short stories set in Miami. Wonderful read, and if you want to get a feel of what Miami is really like, I recommend it.

20.10 I read The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman.

25.9 When I was in high school, (late 90s) it was all about Anne Rice and her vampire novels, mostly because of the film "Interview with the Vampire" (which I wound up seeing like a million times, thanks to a bestie who was obsessed with the film). So I decided to re-read Interview With the Vampire and I was really excited because I picked up a copy of the original 1976 paperback at a used book store and it has the most cheesetastic cover and back cover ever.

Previous score: 555
Current, and perhaps final? score: 620

Just completed...
15.3 - At Least Once In A Lifetime
Moloka'i by Alan Brennert is on page 4.
When posting this task explain why the book you read should or should not be on that list & what book you think should be at the top of the list.

15.10 - "Face the facts of being what you are, for that is what changes what you are."
Making Love Last a Lifetime: Biblical Perspectives on Love, Marriage, and Sex by Adam Hamilton


Previously Completed Tasks
5.1 Little Bee by Cleave, Chris*
5.2 -The Spare-Time Gardener: Tips and Tricks for Those on the Go by Barbara Hill Freeman
5.3 - Fire in the Blood by Irène Némirovsky
5.6 -Honolulu by Alan Brennert
5.9 - Impossible by Nancy Werlin
10.2 - July July by Tim O'brien
10.4 - God Behind Bars: A Prison Chaplain Reflects on the Lord's Prayer by Pierre Raphael
10.5 - The Informers by Juan Gabriel Vasquez
20.5 - Books by Dr. Seuss
Green Eggs and Ham (62p)
There's a Wocket in My Pocket (32)
Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? (32)
The Cat in the Hat (72)
Happy Birthday to You! (64)
And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street (64)
Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories (96)
The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins (56)
The Sneetches and Other Stories (65)
20.7 - The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker
25.4 -
A. How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez
C. Charming Billy by Alice McDermott
25.5 -
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (235)
The Road by Cormac McCarthy (241)
Digital Fortress by Dan Brown (430)
25.9 - A Time to Kill by John Grisham
30.5 -
A. The Renegades by T. Jefferson Parker
B. Blue Heaven by C.J. Box
30.6 -
A. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium, #1) Larsson, Stieg
B. Pippi Longstocking Lindgren, Astrid


Total Points: 260
Tasks Completed: 17
Books Read: 28

Here's what I finish with:
10.3 Cut
30.2 a. 14 Cows for America(which I have now read to my classes and recommended to our SS teacher
30.2 b. The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau
25.3 Jesse Owens: Track and Field Legend since we have been watching our son complete a great season of track!

Total points: 360 (I'll do better on the next challenge)

30.3 The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin (5 stars) Goodreads Author and From the Dust Returned by Ray Bradbury (re-read, 4 stars)

Final total: 380 points

Brenda wrote: "Here's what I finish with:
10.3 Cut
30.2 a. 14 Cows for America(which I have now read to my classes and recommended to our SS teacher
30.2 b. [book:The Fantastic Un..."

Just reading the description of the 14 Cows book makes me tear up. Am I a sap or what?

5 points
5.9Beauty and the Beast - Hannah Howell

10 points
10.4 Reuse: To Desire A Devil - Elizabeth Hoyt*
10.9 Much Ado About You - Eloisa James*
In this book the sisters are sent to live with a guardian after their father dies in a racetrack accident. Many times throughout the book the girls reference their fathers stables and they frequently visit the track with their new suitors. Also, a horse plays a very prominent role in the plot.

15 points
15.3 The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
15.9 Kiss Me, Annabel - Eloisa James*
My pen name would I ever write (which would probably be romance novels) would be Julia Lawrence

20 points
20.2 To Beguile A Beast - Elizabeth Hoyt*
20.6 Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
20.10 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood

25 points
25.3 The Red Tent - Anita Diamant
25.4 Brighter Than the Sun - Julia Quinn*
Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt
25.7 Fantasy Lover - Sherrilyn Kenyon
25.8 The Art of Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein*
To Seduce A Sinner - Elizabeth Hoyt*

30 points
30.5 Book A: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Book B: In the Electric Eden: Stories by Nick Arvin

50 points
3. (Romance) In Bed with the Duke - Christina Dodd
+6 (short stories) Scottish Brides - Christina Dodd, Julia Quinn, Stephanie Laurens and Karen Ranney

Totals
Points: 295
Books: 18
Challenges: 14

Eloisa James is a goodreads author.

This will finish me for this challenge. My sister just put in The Fellowship of the Ring, so my next book will have to be the first in the Summer challenge! See you on the flip side everyone!

Also, thanks so much Cynthia for doing this each season. It is such fun!!

15.3 - At Least Once In A Lifetime
For this task read a book found on page 3, 4, or 5 of the following list: Books That Everyone Should Read At Least Once. When posting this task explain why the book you read should or should not be on that list & what book you think should be at the top of the list.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
I think this book should definitely be on the list because it's a beautiful and haunting snapshot in time of what it was like to be both white and black in 1960's Mississippi. Very eye-opening for someone who was born in the 1980's in the North.
I feel the book that should be at the top of the list is The Diary of Anne Frank.

Current Point Total: 185

@MS ANDERSON, PJREADS, SHEILA, CHERYL TX, DLMROSE, ASHLEY FL, WENDY, SANDY, DONNA JO, BELINDA, VALORIE, CORALIE, JENNIFER N, NICOLE OH, HELEN



Well done everyone! I'm looking forward to your tasks in the summer challenge! :D

Lisa wrote: "@MS ANDERSON, PJREADS, SHEILA, CHERYL TX, DLMROSE, ASHLEY FL, WENDY, SANDY, DONNA JO, BELINDA, VALORIE, CORALIE, JENNIFER N, NICOLE OH, HELEN



Well done everyone! I'm looking forward to your tas..."

Aww! <3 Thank you! You need to finish this next one, too, so we can do your task ^_^

For Task 25.5 - Spring Cleaning, I read Cutting for Stone with 667 pp and Gilead with 247 pp for 914 pp total.

I liked Cutting for Stone alot (4*). Gilead was OK, (3*), but not nearly as good as her first novel, Housekeeping .

New points: 25
Final Total Points: 240




Congrats to all finishers - on to the summer challenge!!

15.7 - Beware The Seven Deadly Sins
Envy by Sandra Brown

Envy was seen all through out this novel. Each of the main characters showed Envy to those around them. It lead the two main men characters to alter their lives in order to seek revenge on those that they were Envious of.

15.9 - What's in a name?
Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella real name Madeleine Wickham

My pen name would be Mackenzie Snow. I am not sure why I picked this name other than the fact that it could be a male or female name which leads to some mystery to those reading the novels that I would write. I like Snow as it is similar to my real last name just slightly different.

I had so much fun this challenge; really looking forward to the Summer Tasks!

Tasks Completed: 19
Points Earned: 430
Books Read: 26

I'm moving A Thousand Splendid Suns from Task 25.5 & replacing it with Austenland.

Task 15.6
A. A Thousand Splendid Suns
B. The Thirteenth Tale

TOTAL POINTS: 310

#20.4 Heidi's Task: Read two of the following:

B. A fictional "family saga" book: A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin May 31 What a saga! Now I have to find a task in the Summer Challenge for the next episode A Clash of Kings

C. A fictional book about your local area or region: The Black Echo by Michael Connelly May 20

Total Pages = 23,672

Tasks Completed = 51

Total Points = 915

Ran out of steam toward the end, but still exceeded my goal.
Congratulations to all the finishers!!
See you all in the Summer Challenge!

10 POINT TASK
10.1 - Books Really Do Grow On Trees
In honor of Arbor Day...Read a book with a picture of a tree(s) on the cover.
Heir to the Glimmering World, Cynthia Ozick.

10.4 - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
In honor of Earth Day...
C. Recycle - For this option: read a book from your personal collection and when your finished pass it on so another person can read it.
Nowhere at home;: Letters from exile of Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman, ed. Richard and Anna Maria Drinnon.
I plan to donate this to The Big Idea bookstore here in town since the last time I was in there their Goldman/Berkman pickin's were lacking which I think is inexcusable for a radical bookstore.

10.8 - "I could have gone on flying through space forever."
On April 12, 1961 Yuri Gagarin became the first human in outer space and the first to orbit the Earth. In honor of this event in history...Read a novel featuring space exploration/travel.
House Atreides, Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson.


25 POINT TASKS
25.1 - Michelleo's Task - Future Aspirations
Think of something you really want to have in the future and read a book with that thing on the cover. When posting the book tell us what you want and why.
A Week in December, Sebastian Faulks.
Image of London on the cover. I've always wanted to travel to London, but it just hasn't happened yet. Traveling is an important part of my life, but haven't been able to do Britain. It's a longtime goal of mine, and now I'm almost scared to accomplish it lest it doesn't live up to the image in my mind. But I'm not much of a quitter like that, so one day it will happen, time and money permitting.


TOTAL POINTS: 505/950.

I completed task 30.4 - DLM Rose's Task - One if by Land, Two if by Sea by reading:

A - Island by Aldous Huxley
B - The Sea by John Banville

Total points = 160

Completed Tasks:
10.5 - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
10.6 - Push by Sapphire
15.6 - One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez AND Siddhartha An Indian Tale by Hermann Hesse
20.1 - The Bucolic Plague: How Two Manhattanites Became Gentlemen Farmers: An Unconventional Memoir by Josh Kilmer-Purcell
25.1 - Continental Drift by Russell Banks
25.4 - The Saving Graces: A Novel by Patricia Gaffney AND Sophie's Choice by William Styron
25.5 - Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
30.4 - Island by Aldous Huxley AND The Sea by John Banville

Thanks for a great challenge Cynthia! Congrats to all those who finished!

50 Point Task - I rolled a 2 (graphic novel) and a 5 (historical fiction), which equals 7, so I got to read what I wanted. I read Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and William McKinley.

Points - 80
Books - 6
Tasks - 4

Done for the spring challenge. Thanks for everything you do Cynthia! New task in bold. Should have 235 points.

10.5: The White Mary: A Novel by Kira Salek

15.3 Travels with Charley: In Search of America by John Steinbeck

This was on page 5. The book that should be on the top of the list is...I think I will go with my favorite Hemingway here- Islands in the Stream : A Novel. I've always loved this book and have read it many times. It has so many important messages in it and covers a lot of info. I usually recommend this on and Song of Solomon as my two favorites.

15.10 The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff
This reflects a philosophy of life that I need to do better at. It talks about accepting people and life for who they are and enjoying the moment you're in and not worrying about the future.

20.6 Knit Two by Kate Jacobs
This is the second book related to the ladies of the Friday Night Knitting Club. It is about the power of friendship and getting back to the important things in life and I highly recommend these books.

20.7: Sepulchre by Kate Moss
Book related to music and I really need to clean out my CDs!
20.9 The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann D. Wyss
This took me forever!

25.4 Serendipity: A Novel by Louise Shaffer Ozma of Oz by L Frank Baum

My middle name is Louise and the more I read the Oz books, the more I love them!

25.7: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

25.9: Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
This book was really great. One of my favorites this year! The Shopaholic series was really popular when I was in college. I highly recommend Kinsella's books!

30.5: A. Last Night at the Lobster by Steward O'Nan and B. Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill.
Stewart O'Nan cowrote Faithful: Two Diehard Boston Red Sox Fans Chronicle the Historic 2004 Season with Stephen King. King is Joe Hill's father.
30.6: The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fford and The Tragedy of King Richard III by Shakespeare

Loved my first Thursday Next book. Returning to Shakespeare not so fun.

20.9 - Luck Of The Draw - Rebecca - A Really Cheesy Task
April is National Grilled Cheese month. In honor of this unusual day, select a book that has either the word cheese or a type of cheese in the title: blue, cottage, cream, swiss, etc.

The Empire of Ice Cream by Jeffrey Ford

20.6 - Supporting Goodreads Authors - Bridgit - Favorite Series
Read a book from your favorite series.

Changes by Jim Butcher

Dresden Files is one of the oldest (and best) urban fantasy series around. The plot is pretty standard (a wizard/PI protects his hometown from all sorts of monsters and villains using magic, wit and snarky answers) but brilliant characterization and sense of humor place it among the top of the subgenre. Plus, book seven features Sue the Zombie T-Rex. I rest my case :)


5.6 - May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month
To celebrate this month read a novel that takes place in a Asian/Pacific county, that features an Asian/Pacific American character, or written by an Asian/Pacific American author.

Killing Rain by Barry Eisler

The novel takes place in Malaysia, Thailand, Japan and China. Also, the main character is half-Japanese, half-American.

50 POINT MIDWAY TASK - MS ANDERSON - LUCK BE A LADY

I rolled 2 and 5, and chose the following two books:

Rain Storm by Barry Eisler
The God Engines by John Scalzi

Task points: 95
Total points: 290
Tasks finished: 13

15.9: Read a novel published under a pseudo name, and state what your name would be

I read Persuasion by Jane Austen. Jane Austen published under the name “a lady”. My pen name would be Eve W. Haggart, because my father joked about called me Haggart Eve.

20.7: Throw something away, and then read about it

I got rid of my collection of Buffy the Vampire Slayer books, so I read Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer, which features vampires.

20.8: Read a book where magic, a magician, or an escape is a prominent feature.

I read Blood of the Fold by Terry Goodkind. The main characters of this book are two magicians and a confessor (also a magic being), magic plays a role by keeping one of the main characters trapped, and they also escape from captivity at the palace of the prophets! I thought it was neat that the book had all three.

25.2: Read both the first book of an author and then the second, state which you preferred, and why

For this challenge I read Wizards First Rule and The Stone of Tears by Terry Goodkind.

I greatly preferred The Stone of Tears, because I feel like the authors writing really took off and he came in to his own during the Stone of Tears. I felt that overall the plot was more advanced, the characters more vivid, and the fantasy world more real.

30.1: Spring Fling – read a book with the world spring in the title and read a book with fling, throw, or toss in the title.

I read Vicious Spring by Hollis Hampton Jones and The Throw Away Bride by Ann Major

This brings my totals to:

110 New points
240 total points

Lisa wrote: "@MS ANDERSON, PJREADS, SHEILA, CHERYL TX, DLMROSE, ASHLEY FL, WENDY, SANDY, DONNA JO, BELINDA, VALORIE, CORALIE, JENNIFER N, NICOLE OH, HELEN



Well done everyone! I'm looking forward to your tas..."
Thanks, Lisa. Great picture. It looks like my house.

This is my last post.

If I'd read the whole time like I did this weekend, I might have finished, but then I probably wouldn't have a job anymore!

20.8 Girl's Guide to Witchcraft by Mindy Klasky (432 pages) and Moonlight on the Magic Flute by Mary Pope Osborne (128 pages). The Girl's Guide to Witchcraft was the very first book I finished this challenge and then evey other book I read with magic could fit somewhere else.

20.9 (type of cheese) Rose Cottage by Mary Stewart. Not nearly as good as her Arthur books.

10.10 (type of clothing) Al Capone Shines My Shoes Gennifer Choldenko is a Goodreads author

and 50 point--I rolled a 3 and a 4 so I get to fill in whatever I want. I read The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and Ralph S. Mouse

That gives me
525 points
10953 pages read

My personal best point wise. (Cynthia, remember way back to the very first challenge, when the whole thing was done in about 90 posts??)

Finished:

25.5 - Leora's Task - Spring Cleaning
For this task you must read at least 850 pages from your TBR pile.

Read:
Boneshaker by Cherie Priest - GOODREADS AUTHOR
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
Y: The Last Man Vol. 1: Unmanned and Y: The Last Man Vol. 2: Cycles by Brian K. Vaughan

New Point Total: 140
Tasks Completed: 9
Books Read: 14
Pages Read: 3863

Of course, these are my last points for this challenge too! I am happy with how many points I accumulated and can't wait for next season...which starts tomorrow!:D

I completed...

--15.4: A. The Deception of the Emerald Ring
B. A Long Fatal Love Chase
A. is by Lauren Willig, a GoodReads author.

and

--10.6: An Education.
The film An Education was based on part of this book and was nominated for Best Picture.

TOTALS:
POINTS= 340
BOOKS= 23 [big books: 2; GoodReads author books: 4]
TASKS= 16

NEW

20.1 April Fools Day - Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich
Who could be funnier then Stephanie Plum? Grandma Mazur robbing a graveyard – she’s gone past the viewings. I could just see everyone sitting on the couch at Joe’s and the look on his face. I really enjoyed this adventure.

25.7 The God’s Must be Crazy - The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan



Previously Reported:
5.7 The Silent Boy by Lois Lowry
10.1 The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
10.6 Push by Sapphire
10.7 No One Would Listen by Harry Markopolos
20.3 Something Missing by Matthew Dicks
20.6 Vendetta by Fern Michaels
25.4 Numbers by Rachel Ward (4/23/10) 324 pages
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
30.2 Someone Named Eva Joan M. Wolf – Texas Bluebonnet Award
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
– Texas Lone Star Reading List

Tasks Completed: 10
Points Earned: 175
Books Read: 12

Task 15.9 - Previously completed. My chosen pseudonym would have to be Haruka Yumeni.

Task 20.3 - [Book: The Girl Who Played With Fire] - Stieg Larsson
The main character, Lisbeth Salander, is finally "diagnosed" with asperger's (or at least the other characters realize this is what she has). I didn't learn anything I didn't already know about the disorder, but in a nutshell, people with asperger's have difficulties with social interaction. Coupled with this, people with asperger's can manifest an incredible amount of intelligence directly related to a particular interest, for example, Lisbeth is incredibly logically and mathematically gifted: she can solve complex math puzzles and problems with ease, which, in turn, manifests itself through her hacking skills.

Task 25.5
Book 1: [Book: The Autumn of the Patriarch] - Gabriel Garcia Marquez (255 pages)
Book 2: [Book: Pirate Latitudes] - Michael Crichton (312 pages)
Book 3: [Book: Navy Wife] - Debbie Macomber (275 pages)
Book 3: [Book: The Struggle] - L.J. Smith (246 pages)
Total pages: 1,088

25.1 - [Book: Days of Gold] - Jude Devereaux

It may seem bizarre, but I would love to own a castle. Kind of those once-in-a-lifetime, win-the-lottery type of things. I'd like to own it as a sort of summer residence. The many that I've seen are all surrounded by sprawling landscapes, beautiful vistas; and they're all secluded. I would love a retreat like that that I could just escape to. It's like having a summer condo in Florida, but it's just a summer castle in France :)

Tasks Completed: 20
Pages Read: 8,798
Points: 385

10.3 Read a book by an author named Pat, Patrick, or Patricia.

I read Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English, Second Edition by Patricia O'Conner.

Total Points = 685

Last one for spring, just under the wire.

15.3 At Least Once In A Lifetime

Midnight's Children

This is book number 495 on page 5 of the list. Although it took me forever to read this book, I absolutely think this a book everyone should read at least once. It is an amazing family saga that intertwines with the history of India. I learned so much from this book, often having to pull my atlas and search wikipedia to understand the context. (This added a lot to the entire enjoyment.)I have since recommended it to many people. It was great.

But I don't think it should be number one on this list. I would select Fahrenheit 451 as the number one book everyone should read at least once.

Total points for the challenge - 65

It looks like we may not have any more finishers...or maybe just one more?

I can't wait to see the 20 point tasks. I just get so excited when a new task posts!!!!!!

This is my first (and last post) for this challenge. Its been a crazy season, and I almost skipped this time. It will be my fifth season for this challenge.

I read some great books this challenge!

5 Point Tasks:
5.3 Initials GS - Gary Stelzer The Cost of Dreams
5.9 Read in Bed - Hungry Girl: 200 Under 200:: 200 Recipes Under 200 Calories by Lisa Lillian
5.10 Victorian Read - The Woman in White Wilkie Collins

10 Point Tasks:
10.4 Reuse and Recycle - Searching for Whitopia: An Improbable Journey to the Heart of White America by Rich Benjamin
10.6 And the Oscar goes to - The film UP with the book Keeper by Kathi Appelt.
The main character (a child) of the book and movie take a dangerous trip.
10.10 Fashion Fades - How Not to Look Fat Ever Again: Over 1,000 Ways to Dress Thinner--Without Dieting by Charla Krupp (The word Dress)

15 Point Tasks:
15.10 Personal Philosophy - The Russian Dreambook of Color and Flight by Gina Oschner
One of my personal philosophies is that it is possible to access one's creativity via dreams and writing.

20 Point Tasks:
20.2 Clean Sweep - Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder
The main character is a "scrub" and cleans pipes in this young adult dystopian sci fi novel.
20.3 Mental Heath - Cursed by Jeremy C. Shipp
The main character is a recovering alcoholic. I did not learn anything new regarding alcoholism through this quirky and fun character.

25 Point Tasks:
25.1 Future Aspirations - I would like a new home. It would be great if it was fun too. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Allison Bechdel
25.5 Spring Cleaning - read 850 plus pages. I read the Moon Trilogy by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Life As We Knew It,The Dead and the Gone, and This World We Live In for a total of 1012 pages.

I read a total of 13 books for this challenge. My total number of points are 150.

Looking forward to this next challenge...Happy Summer Everyone!

Last post for me - congrats to everyone who finished or met their goals!
15.10 Breaking the Rules, which relates to my personal philosophy because I think you should examine all the rules and the things that the infamous "they" say and figure out what actually works for you, not automatically confirm to society's expectations.
20.9 The Virgin Blue (Blue Cheese!) I didn't enjoy this nearly as much as other books of hers that I've read.
25.1 I don't want to go on a cruise exactly like the one in the book, but would love to be cruising soon!

Total points: 615

"Lisa wrote: "@MS ANDERSON, PJREADS, SHEILA, CHERYL TX, DLMROSE, ASHLEY FL, WENDY, SANDY, DONNA JO, BELINDA, VALORIE, CORALIE, JENNIFER N, NICOLE OH, HELEN



Well done everyone! I'm looking fo..."


Lisa when did you sneak into my reading room to take that picture?

Elizabeth (NC) wrote: "This is my last post.

If I'd read the whole time like I did this weekend, I might have finished, but then I probably wouldn't have a job anymore!

20.8 Girl's Guide to Witchcraft..."

Yes I do remember...it still seems crazy that it has gotten this big and that it's been 2 years since that first challenge.

Nicole wrote: "It looks like we may not have any more finishers...or maybe just one more?

I can't wait to see the 20 point tasks. I just get so excited when a new task posts!!!!!!"

Me, too! C'mon, everyone! Don't give up! ^_^

Lisa wrote: "@MS ANDERSON, PJREADS, SHEILA, CHERYL TX, DLMROSE, ASHLEY FL, WENDY, SANDY, DONNA JO, BELINDA, VALORIE, CORALIE, JENNIFER N, NICOLE OH, HELEN



Well done everyone! I'm looking forward to your tas..."

Thanks much - this one was pretty large - I just got in "under the wire".

I finished 20.10c by reading The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and posting a rambly message in the discussion thread. My reaction to this book is kind of wishy-washy, I think because I'm feeling manipulated. I don't know. As I said in my review, I reserve the right to rescind my stars at any time.

I don't think I'm going to finish my other book before the end of the day. So, this is it for me! Hopefully I can do better in the next challenge.

Total Points: 165

High-fives to all you die-hard finishers (and to the certainly-came-close-ers, as well)! Oh, what the heck, the rest of you can have high-fives, too, because hooray books!

Completed Tasks:

Task 20.3 - Amy MO – Mental Health: Total Constant Order by Crissa-Jean Chappell (5/27/10)

The main character in this book suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and WOW am I glad I'm not more OCD. The main girl was REALLY anxious, and the book made me really really anxious, too. I mean, I like to count things and make sure things are straight and stuff, but this girl was CLINICALLY OCD. It came as no surprise to me that OCD is genetic, but I learned that apparently they treat obsessive disorders with antiDEPRESSION medication, which seems WEIRD to me.

Task 25.5 - Leora – 850 pp own-to-read: The Ex Games by Jennifer Nichols (5/28/10) AND The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom (5/31/10) AND Rampant by Diana Peterfreund (5/31/10) (302 + 196 + 402 = 900 pp)

Task 25.10 - Melissa GA – Book + Based on it (diff author): The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene (5/27/10) AND Doggone Town by Stefan Petrucha (5/23/10)

So I've been curious about the Nancy Drew graphic novels, so I took this opportunity to compare. The Secret of the Old Clock was REALLY good. It has all the classic qualities of a Nancy Drew book: a fun story line, lovable secondary characters, and just the right amount of coincidence to make the story semi-believable, but not TOTALLY far-fetched. Doggone Town, on the other hand... The story was just TOO simple and coincidental. The little dog who brings the mystery to Nancy just shows up in her room during a storm, climbing a tree to get up there? Yeah right. And the bad guy was SUPER obvious from the moment they stepped into the story. I mean the gray clothes and creepy demeanor were a dead giveaway, people. Try adding at least ONE plot twist or something! Maybe make the book 50 pages longer? Seriously.

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CURRENT STATS
Tasks Completed: 43/57
Books Read: 61/79
Pages Read: 17,758
Points Earned: 765/980



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New GR Authors:
Crissa-Jean Chappell
Jennifer Echols
Diana Peterfreund

Here's my last minute entry. I just finished The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain for task 25.1. It has two little boys on the cover. I've always wanted four kids, two boys and two girls. I just had my second little girl, so we're keeping our fingers crossed...

325 points total

In May:

5.7 - Look Me In the Eye by John Elder Robinson (Asperger's)

25.7 - The Lightning Theif by Rick Riordan

25.8 - Marley and Me by John Grogan; The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

30.2 - 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass; The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

30.6 - Imagined London by Anna Quindlen; The Patriotic Murders by Agatha Christie

Previous Total: 235
May Total: 115

GRAND TOTAL: 350 (better than last time -- whoo hoo!)

Lisa wrote: "@MS ANDERSON, PJREADS, SHEILA, CHERYL TX, DLMROSE, ASHLEY FL, WENDY, SANDY, DONNA JO, BELINDA, VALORIE, CORALIE, JENNIFER N, NICOLE OH, HELEN



Well done everyone! I'm looking forward to your tas..."

Thanks!!!

25.9 Book by author popular when I was in high school (late 90s).
Isle Of Dogs by Patricia Cornwell

Time to plan for the summer challenge.

My last task to post - - I finished task 15.1. I read Dracula by Bram Stoker (who is from Romania), and Ulysses, which takes place in Ireland.

Needless to say, I have been working on this one for a long time and am SO proud to finally have finished Ulysses, which I actually started way back in January (don't worry, not half done by March 1st!!).

I finish the spring challenge with 31 books w/12068 pages and 430 points.

I also am claiming my 750-page big book ticket for Ulysses!!

Congratulations to everyone who finished and/or reached their goals!

OK, last update. 20.4 - B One Hundred Years of Solitude and C Time and Again (NYC)

That should wrap me up at 840 points. Coulda finished, but decided to enjoy the gorgeous May weather. :)