The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
SPRING CHALLENGE 2013
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15.1. Follow the Leader
Mod
13 to Life
A Killer Read
What Happened to Sophie Wilder
The Borrower
More Baths, Less Talking
Everything I Needed to Know about Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume
Howards End Is on the Landing: A Year of Reading from Home
Literary Rogues: A Scandalous History of Wayward Authors
Ooh, I really enjoyed the similar summer task, Please be Patient. I was surprised when I started paying attention how much authors use other books in their own works.One that particularly surprised me was 13 to Life. It's a "silly" teen paranormal book, but there were easily 8-10 other works mentioned in that book.
I read A Killer Read a couple of seasons ago and since it was based around a bookclub there were several other books mentioned - i remember Janet Evanovich specifically
I found , which includes all the other books in the sci fi book Among Others. I have no idea how accurate it is, but there sure are a lot of books in Among Others!
I was thinking about this challenge and was wondering - If I read Michael Ende's The Neverenging Story, would it also satisfy the second part of the challenge (For Book 2, read a book that is either mentioned specifically in the text of book 1, or is written by an author mentioned in the text of book 1)?Since The Neverending Story mentions specifically (and by name) The Neverending Story within itself?
Mod
sorry, no. You need to read two different books for the task.
Sandy wrote: "Phil wrote: "I was thinking about this challenge and was wondering - If I read Michael Ende's The Neverenging Story, would it also satisfy the second part of the challenge (For Book 2, read a book ..."Thank you. I figured it would have to be a different book, but I couldn't pass up the chance to ask about a book that makes a very meta reference to itself.
I just read a wonderful book that fits this task: What Happened to Sophie Wilder by Christopher R. Beha.Beha mentions Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Thomas Bernhard, Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs and quite a few others.
I may reread Sophie or his other book, The Whole Five Feet: What the Great Books Taught Me About Life, Death, and Pretty Much Everything Else.
Mod
Beha mentions Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Thomas Bernhard, Jack Kerouac, William..."
Thanks, Jayme, that looks really interesting.
I have two questions.Does the text include the quotes at the beginning of chapters?
Would it be all right to read an anthology of short stories that includes a brief biography of the individual authors, then read a book by one of those authors?
Mod
Does the text include the quotes at the beginning of chapters?
Would it be all right to read an anthology of short stories that includes a brief biography of the individual au..."
The quotes at the chapter beginnings work, since those are part of the text of the book itself. The anthology and bios, no - if one of the stories in the anthology specifically refers to another book or author, then that would be okay.
The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai mentions lots of books that would be suitable for a 15 point task. There is that might be of interest.
Mod
Does the second book need to meet the page limit? I ask because Dr. Seuss is mentioned in 'The Borrower' (thanks for the link, Jen!) but most of his books are below 100 pgs.
Mod
yes. All books must meet the page limit. And most Dr. Seuss wouldn't work anyway, since they're typically picture books.
That's what I thought. Thanks for clarifying, Sandy.
I'm going to use A Moveable Feast, which supposedly talks about a bunch of authors, including Gertrude Stein. I've never read anything by her, but Three Lives looks really interesting. Hooray!
this one might be of interest to some people - Everything I Needed to Know about Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume - and many of her books are mentioned - I remember Forever being a prime one, as well as Deenie and Blubber being mentioned
I am going to read The Borrower as I have it downloaded from my library. For the second book, I am leaning toward Treasure Island, The Things They Carried or David Copperfield. But I am fickle and will probably change my mind several times.
The book I read just know dealt with the book world and lots of books were mentioned - mostly classics though. Romeo and Juliet is an integral part of the plot. I'm hoping the sequel also mentions books so I'll wait until I read it. Oh the book is The Wild Marquis.
Sandy wrote: "another book I saw at the library today is More Baths, Less Talking - Nick Hornby's latest collection of essays about the books he's reading. Each month he lists the books he bought and the books ..."
Another one that is bound to have lots of options in it is:
Howards End Is on the Landing: A Year of Reading from Home by Susan Hill
Another one that is bound to have lots of options in it is:
Howards End Is on the Landing: A Year of Reading from Home by Susan Hill
Mod
Christopher Morley's Parnassus on Wheels and The Haunted Bookshop mention dozens of other books. Parnassus on Wheels is one of my all-time favorites.
And for romance lovers, Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches' Guide to Romance Novels!!! That's gonna be my pick:) So many titles to choose from, and if I recall the first few pages, absolutely hilarious:)
Would Judging a Book by Its Lover: A Field Guide to the Hearts and Minds of Readers Everywhere work for this? I've been eyeing it up at the library and there are so many books referenced.
Mod
yes
Rebecca wrote: "Would Judging a Book by Its Lover: A Field Guide to the Hearts and Minds of Readers Everywhere work for this? I've been eyeing it up at the library and there are so many books referenced."That looks like a fun book. Thanks for the idea!
I just finished three books that reference other authors/books.
references Dracula / Moby Dick / Mutiny on the Bounty
references Nora Roberts
references The Picture of Dorian Grey / A Separate Peace
Mod
Mod
yes, since this is a 15 point task, you can use short children's books and this is not a low enough level book to fall into the early reader or transitional reader categories.
Some (if not most ) of the romance authors referenced by Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches' Guide to Romance Novels are:Nora Roberts, J.R. Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Julie Garwood, Gaelen Foley, Darlene Marshall, Jennifer Crusie, Loretta Chase, Rachel Gibson, Judith McNaught, Jude Deveraux, Linda Howard, Rebecca Brandewyne, Jayne Ann Krentz, Stephenie Meyer, J.D. Robb, Mary Jo Putney, Georgette Heyer, Stephanie Laurens, Karen Robards, Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, Catherine Coulter, Susan Andersen, Kathleen O'Reilly, Joey W. Hill, Kresley Cole, Jennifer Rardin, Mary Balogh, Rachel Gibson, Kathleen Kane, Lilith Saintcrow, Anne Rice, Laurell K. Hamilton, Judith Ivory, Jenna Petersen, Stephanie Feagan, Rosemary Rogers, Jo Beverley, Suzanne Brockmann, Catherine Mann, Lindsey McKenna, Anne Stuart, Meljean Brook, Karen Harbaugh, Colleen Gleason, Kelley Armstrong, Kelley Armstrong, MaryJanice Davidson, Emma Holly, Lisa Valdez, Virginia Henley, Christine Feehan, Jane Feather
I started reading The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession today and it has a TON of references to books and authors
i'm reading The Polysyllabic Spree and it mentions lots as well - the start of each essay/chapter is a list of books bought/books read for the month...he also references other ones through-out the columns, comparisons and the like
Mod
I had thought about that one, but my library didn't have it - fortunately, though, they had More Baths, Less Talking - his most recent. Not sure, but there may be another collection of his columns as well as these two.
Sandy wrote: "Dee wrote: "i'm reading The Polysyllabic Spree and it mentions lots as well - the start of each essay/chapter is a list of books bought/books read for the month...he also references other ones thro..."i think there are 4 books in the "series" aka columns that he has written - The Polysyllabic Reader is the first one - I discovered that his brother in law wrote - Pompeii
Mod
Interesting. We read that in my library book group a couple years ago, and I didn't think it was all that great - not awful, but nothing memorable or that I would re-read or recommend to anyone else.
Just wondering if a book likeBook Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason byNancy Pearl is cheating or not since her books are essentially composed of book recommendations?
Mod
no, that's okay.
Another recommendation for book one: The End of Your Life Book Club - a memoir about the book club Schwalbe and his mother started during her cancer treatments. Lots of variety in the books mentioned.
Oh thank you all for the suggestions! This is the only task I'm having problems figuring it out.I already read Beyond Heaving Bossoms, more's the pity!
ETA: I looked around one of the books I mentioned above and I found out it mentions 'The Prince'. Maybe I'll read that one then!
D.G. wrote: "Oh thank you all for the suggestions! This is the only task I'm having problems figuring it out.I already read Beyond Heaving Bossoms, more's the pity!
ETA: I looked around one of the books I me..."
There's also Everything I Know About Love I Learned from Romance Novels :)
Tonks wrote: "There's also Everything I Know About Love I Learned from Romance Novels :) "Oh thanks soooo much Tonks! My library has the ebook so I'm taking it out now!
The Seasonal Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Thin Man (other topics)Pride and Prejudice (other topics)
The Scarlet Pimpernel (other topics)
The Next Always (other topics)
Dare to Die (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Carolyn G. Hart (other topics)Jean Webster (other topics)
Robert Crais (other topics)
Sue Grafton (other topics)
Jane Austen (other topics)
More...
For Book 1, read a book of your choice.
For Book 2, read a book that is either mentioned specifically in the text of book 1, or is written by an author mentioned in the text of book 1.
(Note: Thanks to Donna Jo/Liz Brooklyn for this task used in the Spring 2010 challenge - the help thread for that task should give you lots of ideas! help thread)