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WINTER CHALLENGE 2013
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Winter Challenge 2013: Tasks
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10.1 - Get a Clue
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Read a book with all the letters C, L, U, E found in any combination of the title, subtitle, series title or author's name
Required:Indicate where the letters are found
10.2 - Sochi Sidekicks
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The of the are a leopard, a polar bear and a hare. The mascots of the are Fire Boy (Ray of Light) and Snow Girl (Snowflake) Read a book with an image of one (or more) of the mascots on the cover: a leopard or wild "big cat", a bear (teddy bears are ok), a hare or rabbit, fire/flames, or ice/snow (snowflakes, snow-covered mountain peaks, ice in a glass,etc.)
,
Required: Include the cover in your post
10.3 - Donors Wanted
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January is Blood Donor Month- Read a book featuring vampires. The genre Vampires should appear on the main book page or the vampire should be clearly identified in the book’s GR description
10.4 - A Really Big Show
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February 9, 1964, the Beatles appear on The Ed Sullivan Show Read a book with a word from one of the songs they performed on that show in the title or subtitle. The word must match exactly
All My Loving
Till There Was You
She Loves You
I Saw Her Standing There
I Want to Hold Your Hand
Required: State the word when you post
10.5 - Speakeasy
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The 18th Amendment was ratified on Jan 16, 1919 and signaled the beginning of Prohibition, the Jazz Age, and the Roaring 20’s. The 21st Amendment repealed the 18th Amendment on December 5, 1933.
Read a book first published during the era: 1919-1933
OR
set during the era- 1919, 1920’s or 1930’s for a significant portion of the book
These lists may help (but make sure your book fits) , , Best Books of the Decade: 1920’s,
Required: If the time period is not evident in the book’s GR description state how the book fits the task when you post.
10.6 - SWLAT
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Someday We’ll Laugh About This Week is Jan 2-8. Read a book with the genre humor on the book’s main GR page or that appears on a GR “humorous� listopia list such as Funniest Novels of All Time
Required: If the genre humor does not appear on the main page include a link to the humorous listopia list your book appears on and indicate the position number
10.7 - Flip the Page
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Get that new calendar ready! Read a book with a day of the week: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, etc.; or the name of a month: January, February, March, etc in the title or subtitle. Plurals and possessives only, no other variations.
10.8 - Take the Plunge!
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January 1 is Read a book set in a location where real polar bears plunge: Canada, Denmark, Greenland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Russia, Arctic Ocean, Alaska
Your book must be set in that location for a significant portion.
10.9 - White Sale!
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January is typically white sale month. Read a book with something white on the cover. Titles, author names and graphics may be used.
The title is white
The dress is white
The curtain is white
The background is whiteRequired: Include the cover when you post and identify the white thing
10.10 'Tis The Season
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Spread some holiday cheer. Read a book with the genre "holiday" on the book's main page or that mentions a winter holiday (December-February) in the book's GR description
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15.1 - The Murder happened in the _____ with a __________.
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Read two books:
Book 1 must include the phrase “in the� in the title/subtitle.
Book 2 must include the phrase “with a� or "with the" in the title/subtitle.
15.2 - The Old and the New
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Read two books:
Book 1 � read a book by an author who’s an “old favorite� of yours.
Book 2 � read a book by an author who is new to you.
15.3 - Happy Valentine’s Day!
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Option 1:
A. Read a book in which all the words in the title/subtitle begin with letters found in the word VALENTINES.
AND
B. Read a book in which the author’s initials are letters found in the word VALENTINES. First and last names count, you may ignore middle names/initials.
OR
Option 2:
Read 1 book that satisfies both A and B above.
In all options, the letters in VALENTINES may be used more than once.
15.4 - Whodunit?
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Option One:
A. Read a book with the genre "mystery" on its main page.
AND
B. Read a book whose author's first or last name matches the first or last name of an actor in the movie version of Clue.
� Tim Curry as Wadsworth
� Eileen Brennan as Mrs. Peacock
� Madeline Kahn as Mrs. White
� Christopher Lloyd as Professor Plum
� Michael McKean as Mr. Green
� Martin Mull as Colonel Mustard
� Lesley Ann Warren as Miss Scarlet
� Colleen Camp as Yvette
� Lee Ving as Mr. Boddy
� Bill Henderson as The Cop
� Jane Wiedlin as The Singing Telegram Girl
� Jeffrey Kramer as The Motorist
� Kellye Nakahara as The Cook
� Howard Hesseman as The Evangelist/The Chief (uncredited)
You can use last names for first names and vice versa. For instance, you could use Lloyd Alexander to match Christopher Lloyd or George R.R. Martin to match Martin Mull. Names must match exactly - no variations.
OR
Option 2:
Read one book that satisfies both A and B above.
15.5 - Mysteries Can Be Real.
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Read a book with the genre “true crime� on its main page.
15.6 - Happy Birthday, Jim!
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Jim Morrison was born December 8, 1943 and The Doors' first album was released in January 1967. Read a book the title of which contains a word of at least 4 letters from the title of one of the songs from the The Doors.
Plural or singular and possessive forms of the word may be used � no other variations.
REQUIRED: Include the title of the song in your post.
15.7 - Professor Plum? Miss Scarlet?
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Read a book whose author’s name contains the name of a color. The color need not stand alone, but it must be found intact in the name. Examples: Holly Black. Colson Whitehead, Frederik Pohl
15.8 - No Time to Waste.
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February is the shortest month of the year. Read one of the 10 shortest books that meet general SRC guidelines (at least 100 pages, etc.) on your TBR. If you do not have a ŷ TBR, you can use one of the 10 shortest books in any of your other “to read� lists or piles.
15.9 - First or Last?
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December is both the first month of winter and the last month of the year. Read a book that is either the first book in a series or the last (or latest) published book in a series.
15.10 � Celebrate!
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January is National Book Month � celebrate by reading any book of your choice that meets the general SRC requirements.
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20.1. Most Improved Player - Anne (Booklady)'s Task: Check...And Mate!
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I am honored to have been selected to create a task. I never dreamed that I would be the most improved player! So with that in mind and this year's themes of boardgames, I've designed this task around the game of Chess.
Chess is a two-player strategy board game played on a chessboard, a checkered game board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in parks, clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments. And the first official World Chess Championship was played in 1886.
For the purpose of this task, we are going to focus on the Chess pieces. Please select your Chess piece and do one of its options.
Your book must be at least 225 Pages.
Note: Books with the genre Children may be used as long as they meet the task's 225 page threshold
1. The pawn (♙♟) is the most numerous piece in the game of chess, and in most circumstances, also the weakest. It historically represents infantry, or more particularly, armed peasants or pikemen.
A. Read a book with a prominent Military or ex-miltary character. OR
B. Read a book from this list: World War II Fiction
Required: post the # of your book.
2. The knight (� �) is a piece in the game of chess, representing a knight (armored cavalry). It is normally represented by a horse's head and neck. Each player starts with two knights, which begin on the row closest to the player, one square from each corner.
A. Read a book with a horse on the cover. Required: post cover. OR
B. Since the Knight moves 2 and 1 space combination, read #1 or #2 in a series that you just started or haven't read yet. No re-reads please. The series must be identified on ŷ as #1 or #2
3. A bishop (�,�) is a piece in the board game of chess. Each player begins the game with two bishops. One starts between the king's knight and the king, the other between the queen's knight and the queen.
A. Catholic Bishops wear purple miters and gold crosses to signify their ranking. Read a book with a purple cover. OR
B. Read a book that has a Cross on the cover.
Required: Post the Cover
4. The queen (�,�) is the most powerful piece in the game of chess, able to move any number of squares vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Each player starts the game with one queen, placed in the middle of the first rank next to the king. With the chessboard oriented correctly, the white queen starts on a white square and the black queen on a black square. (Thus the mnemonics "queen gets her color", or "queen on color", or "queen on her own color", Latin "servat regina colorem".) Because the queen is the most powerful piece, when a pawn is promoted it is almost always promoted to a queen.
A. Read a book from this list, Strong Female Characters Written by Female Authors Required: post the # of your book.
5. In chess, the king (�, �) is the most important piece. The object of the game is to trap the opponent's king so that its escape is not possible (checkmate). If a player's king is threatened with capture, it is said to be in check, and the player must remove the threat of capture on the next move. If this cannot be done, the king is said to be in checkmate.
A. Read a book with King, President, Minister, Premier, Emperor in the title. Plurals and possessives may be used but no other variations OR
B. Since the objective is to safeguard the King, please read a book from the list Political Thrillers
Required: state the # of your selected book.
Required: State the option when you post
20.2 - Rookie at the Top - Tea's Task: Mystery Sub-genres
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Mystery is usually used to describe books in which some crime takes place and somebody is trying to solve it. We all know that not all mystery books are focused on crime and/or solving it and that something else can be focus of the mystery book. At the same time those books that have crime/solving it as book plot, are different from each other. It can be different type of investigator, or different setting (time and place), or focus (on crime instead of solution),... So, we are going to acknowledge those differences in this task.
Read a book that has one of mystery sub-genres (cozy, detective, historical, murder mystery, noir, etc.) on the main book page. The genre must appear nested as sub-genre:
Mystery >sub-genre".
And since an unknown author can be mystery by itself, your book must be by a new-to-you author.
Note: Books with the genre 'children' with less than 300 pages may be used.
Required: State that the author is new-to-you when you post.
20.3 - Best Review - Band Director Terry's Task: Solo and Ensemble
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Every February, my junior high band and choir students participate in Solo and Ensemble contest. They practice for days before performing their piece before a judge. This year, several of my students have chosen to participate in ensembles, which are groups of three or more.
In honor of these students' bravery, dedication, and commitment to their music, please choose ONE of the options below and read ONE book that fits the criteria.
Ensemble Option 1: Each student who plays in an ensemble is unique, but together with other students, s/he can create a beautiful masterpiece. In the same way, a short story can be interesting, but a collection of them is even better. Read a collection of AT LEAST THREE (3) short stories. The collection can be by a solo author or by multiple authors. The short stories must be identified as such in the book's title or GR description; novellas, essays, and poems are NOT included.
Ensemble Option 2: Playing in an ensemble requires a collaborative effort and can be difficult even when each student is independently talented. Read a book that was a collaboration (one work, NOT individual contributions) written by AT LEAST THREE (3) authors. ex. The Tainted Relic: An Historical Mystery, No Rest for the Dead Dogs and Goddesses
Required: Identify the option when you post
20.4 - Author! Author! - Lorna's Task: Ode to Joy
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Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany on December 16, 1770. Classical music has always been such an important part of my life as I was exposed to it at an early age. My dad's favorite was Beethoven's 9th Symphony.
Let's celebrate Beethoven's birthday by reading one book from the following options.
l. Read a book that has an instrument that can be found in a symphony orchestra on the cover. The following link will be helpful if you are not sure what these instruments are.
ex.
Required:Include the cover in your post
2. "Ode to Joy" contains 3 words with one syllable each. Read a book with exactly 3 words in the title where each word must be 1 syllable. Subtitles may be ignored. If you are unsure of the title's syllable count use this Example: Gone for Good, The Last Song
3. There are 3 E's in Beethoven. Read a book with exactly 3 E's in the title excluding the subtitle AND author combined. Example: Cell by Stephen King would work, but True to Form by Elizabeth Berg would not (4 E's).
Required: Indicate the option.
Optional - Listen to a selected work by Beethoven while reading a book for this challenge!
20.5 - Bigger is Better - Shawn H's Task: Out With The Old And In With The New!
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December has always been one of my favorite months because of the holiday season and spending time with family. Unfortunately, January and February are my least favorite months; due to the holiday hangover and the frigid weather in PA it feels as if winter drags on forever.
Choose one option below to complete this task.
Books must be at least 250 pages unless otherwise noted.
Preferred: In the spirit of the task, no rereads. Try something new!
NOTE: ebooks without print versions cannot be used for tasks requiring a specific number of pages. If you read an ebook or listen to an audiobook, use the page count for the mass market paperback if one exists. If there is no mass market paperback edition, use the paperback edition and if no paperback is available use the hardcover edition.
A: The year is rapidly approaching its end, read a book that has been on your TBR shelf for at least one year.
Required: Note when it was added to your shelf in your post.
B: Family around the holidays is great, but can be a bit overwhelming. Escape by reading a book by a “favorite author.�
C: January and February seem to take forever, read any book you choose, but it must be at least 400 pages in length.
D: January is a time for “new beginnings.� Start a series that is new to you. Your book must be identified as a series on ŷ.
E: American Football is the only saving grace for me after the holidays (a huge Steelers fan). The Super Bowl is held in February. Read a book that involves football, i.e. non-fiction about the game; a biography/memoir of a player, coach,etc.; fiction with a major character that was/is a player. Note: For the non-US residents, soccer may be substituted for American football.
Required: Explain how your book fits the task if it is not apparent in the book's description
Required: Identify the option
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20.6 Seasoned Reader - Susan's Task: I Love To Plan
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I've been doing the Seasonal Challenge for several years. I've never finished one, usually because I spend way too much time planning which books to read for each task and maintaining my spreadsheets! So I have a lot of books that I planned to read for specific tasks, and then didn't have enough time to read them all.
So here is your chance to pick a one book task from either the Fall or Summer 2013 Challenges, that you did not complete.*
Your book must be a minimum of 250 pages long.
NOTE: ebooks without print versions cannot be used for tasks requiring a specific number of pages. If you read an ebook or listen to an audiobook, use the page count for the mass market paperback if one exists. If there is no mass market paperback edition, use the paperback edition and if no paperback is available use the hardcover edition.
You may choose any of the 10 point tasks or any 15 point task that requires only 1 book. You can also pick a 20 point task, with the exception of Fall's 20.7, as it already allowed you to use a task from Spring or Summer 2013, and no Group Reads (task 20.10) from either season. If you use a 20 point task, you must meet the requirements and may take advantage of the concessions of the creator of the original 20 point task, including the use of graphic novels and children's books under 300 pages, but at least 250 pages.
Books with the genre Children and graphic novels may be used for the 10 and 15 point tasks if they meet the 250 page threshold.
Required: Please state which Challenge, the task number and any requirements for the task.
*If you completed all of the 10, 15, and 20 tasks in both challenges, pick one of the 10 books that has been your TBR list the longest that is at least 250 pages, either on Good Reads or a list you maintain off the website. Required: Please state how long the book has been on your list and that you had completed all the previous season's tasks.
20.7 - Shorter is Sweeter - Laurie ME's Task: Is There a Conspiracy To Be Found Here?
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As the fiftieth anniversary of the assassination of John Kennedy passed, I was again reminded about one of my favorite subjects to read about: conspiracy theories. It’s amazing to me to think that one person, Lee Harvey Oswald, alone killed JFK. There are so many other cases where the official position is questionable, such as Was Butch Cassidy actually killed in Bolivia or did he survive and return home to America?; or, Did John Wilkes Booth survive the manhunt after he’d assassinated Abraham Lincoln?; or, Is the story of the Da Vinci code real?, as Dan Brown and his book, The Da Vinci Code, want us to believe; or Did Marilyn Monroe commit suicide or was she helped?
For this task choose an option and read 1 book:
option 1. If you have a favorite conspiracy theory, read a book related to that subject. It can be fiction or nonfiction.
Required: Name the conspiracy theory and explain how your book fits the task.
option 2. If you don’t have an interest in conspiracies, read a book that has the genre alternative history or science fiction on the book's main page genre list.
Required: Indicate the option
20.8 - It's My Birthday!: Skandia's Task: Famous December Birthdays!
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My birthday is in December. I share my day with some very famous people, like singers Frank Sinatra and Dionne Warwick. My favorite author Jane Austen is born in December and my favorite movie director Woody Allen celebrates his birthday also in December.
Choose one of the birthdays/options below and read ONE book for this task.
Your book must be at least 250 pages
NOTE: ebooks without print versions cannot be used for tasks requiring a specific number of pages. If you read an ebook or listen to an audiobook, use the page count for the mass market paperback if one exists. If there is no mass market paperback edition, use the paperback edition and if no paperback is available use the hardcover edition.
REQUIRED: State in your post which option you chose.
1) December 1 � Woody Allen
Woody Allen (born Allen Stewart Konigsberg; December 1, 1935) is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, author, playwright, and musician whose career spans more than 50 years.
Allen has been nominated 23 times and won four Academy Awards: three for Best Original Screenplay (Annie Hall (1978, shared with Marshall Brickman); Hannah and Her Sisters (1987) and Midnight in Paris (2011)), along with one for Best Director (Annie Hall (1978)).
Read a book with one of these exact words found in the title, subtitle or author's name: Oscar, Annie, Hall, Hannah, sisters, midnight, Paris.
Exact matches only: plurals, possessives, variations or alternate spellings are NOT allowed.
2) December 12 � Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra (December 12, 1915 � May 14, 1998) was an American singer and film actor. In addition to his brilliant singing and acting career, Sinatra's alleged personal and professional links with organized-crime garnered considerable attention. The FBI kept records amounting to 2,403 pages on Sinatra and kept him under surveillance for almost five decades beginning in the 1940s.
Read a book from the list Best Mafia Books
Required: State the book's number on the list
3) December 16 � Jane Austen
Jane Austen (16 December 1775 � 18 July 1817) was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature.
From 1811 until 1816, with the release of Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1816), she achieved success as a published writer. She wrote two additional novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion , both published posthumously in 1818.
Read a book written by Jane Austen OR
Read a book that has "Classics" as a genre on its main page- "Classics" must appear as stand-alone genre without nested sub-genres.
4) December 21 - Florence Griffith Joyner
Florence Delorez Griffith Joyner (December 21, 1959 � September 21, 1998), also known as Flo-Jo, was an American track and field athlete, the three-time gold medalist at the 1988 Summer Olympics . She is considered the "fastest woman of all time" based on the fact that the world records she set in 1988 for both the 100 metres and 200 metres still stand and have yet to be seriously challenged. She died in her sleep as the result of an epileptic seizure in 1998 at the age of 38.
Read a book in which ALL the words in the title AND subtitle begin with the letters found in the name GRIFFITH JOYNER. Letters may only be used as often as they appear in the name: F, I and R may appear twice, all other letters may only appear once
20.9 - Moderator's Pet - Michael's Task: Love of Christmas Films
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Every year I look forward to watching Christmas films with my family during this time of year. I have my favorites and my family has theirs. There are ones we like to watch every year, and at least one new one that get added as well. So in honor of my and my family’s love for Christmas films I thought I would incorporate that with my love for books.
Choose one option below for the task:
Your book must be at least 250 pages
NOTE: ebooks without print versions cannot be used for tasks requiring a specific number of pages. If you read an ebook or listen to an audiobook, use the page count for the mass market paperback if one exists. If there is no mass market paperback edition, use the paperback edition and if no paperback is available use the hardcover edition.
Option 1. One of my wife’s favorites is Miracle on 34th Street and she loves the remake version (1994) of this film. The original came out in 1947. And they made some changes to the remake.
So for this option
A. Read a modern retelling of a classic book or story. Any book or story written before 1950 that has been retold recently since 1990 can be used for this option.
Required: Name the classic book or story written before 1950 and Explain how your book fits the task if it is not clear in the book's ŷ description
Or
B. Read a book that takes place in New York City since the movie takes place in NYC.
Required: Explain how your book fits the task if it is not clear in the book's ŷ description
Option 2. One of my daughter’s favorites is Nightmare Before Christmas since she is a big Tim Burton fan. And loves to collect things with Jack Skellington on them.
For this option
A. Read a book with the genre Horror listed on its ŷ page. Or
B. Read a book with the genre Halloween on its ŷ page since Nightmare Before Christmas also includes Halloween.
Option 3. One of my son’s favorites is National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
For this option
A. Read a book with the genre humor or Christmas on its ŷ page. Or
B. Read a 3rd book in a series since this was the 3rd film featuring the Griswold family. The book must be identified as series #3 on ŷ.
Option 4. One of my favorites is The Polar Express. The Polar Express was a book before it was a movie.
So for this option
A. Read a book that has been made into a film.
Required:Provide a film reference from or when you post.
Or
B. Read any book featuring a train on the front cover.
Required: Include the cover in your post.
Option 5. And since we try to pick one new film or special to watch. For this option you can choose any book that has been added to your TBR list since December 2012.
Required: Please post the date the book was added to your TBR list.
Required: Identify the option
Note: Books with the genre Children on the main book page may be used for this task as long as they meet the task's 250 page threshold
Note: Graphic novels may be used as long as they meet the task's 250 page threshold
20.10 - Group Reads
Read one of the books selected as the Group Reads choices for the season:
2013 YA- Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
FAngirl Discussion
Mythology in Fiction - American Gods by Neil Gaiman
American Gods Discussion
Regency Romance - Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas
Secrets of a Summer Night Discussion
Before posting, be sure to comment in the Group Reads discussion thread for the book you read.
Mod
25.1 - Andy P's Task: Pick a Pair
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For this task please choose Option 1, 2 or 3, then read two books that satisfy the option's requirements.
Option 1
Choose an author (no co-authors or multiple contributing authors) that has written both series and stand alone non-series titles. The books may be fiction or non-fiction.
Book 1 - Read a book that is part of a series by that author. The book must be identified as part of a series on ŷ.
Book 2 - Read a book that is a stand alone non-series title by the same author.
example:
Lawrence Block
Book 1- series: Hit Man (Keller #1)
Book 2 - non-series: Small Town
Option 2
Book 1 - Read a book that has been published under two different titles when available in the same language.
Examples:
The Sister also published as The Behaviour Of Moths
The Wrong Mother also published as The Point Of Rescue
Book 2 - Read a book originally written in a language other than your native language that has been translated into English or your native language (Because often the literal translation of the title is different from how it appears in the translated edition) You may read the book in any language.
Option 3
Choose an author (no co-authors or multiple contributing authors) who has written both adult and Young Adult books.
Book 1 - Read a book by that author that is aimed primarily at an adult audience. The genre Young Adult may not appear on the front page genre list.
Book 2 - Read a book by that author that is aimed primarily at the Young Adult audience. Young Adult must appear on the genre page. Please remember that if the YA book has the genre label "Children's" on its main page it must be over 300 pages.
example:
Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Book 1- adult: The Shadow of the Wind
Book 2 - young adult: The Prince of Mist
Required:Identify the option when you post
Task 25.2 Bamaace83's Task: Christmas Memories!
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Christmas is always one of my favorite times of the year. I love the smells of fresh cookies baking and the sounds of carols playing in the background. Growing up, my family had many traditions during Christmas. We always attended Christmas Midnight Mass, ate a huge breakfast afterwards, and "tried" to sleep for Santa to appear. Christmas morning consisted of fresh cinnamon rolls, hot chocolate, and family memories.
In honor of Christmas traditions, select two options from below and read one book from each.
Each book must be at least 250 pages.
NOTE: ebooks without print versions cannot be used for tasks requiring a specific number of pages. If you read an ebook or audiobook use the page count for the mass market paperback if one exists. If there is no mass market paperback edition, use the paperback edition and if no paperback is available use the hardcover edition.
Option 1: Midnight Mass is still a special and sacred activity for me to spend with my family. Read a book with one of these exact words found in the title, subtitle or author's name: Joseph, Mary, Jesus. Plurals, possessives, variations or alternate spellings are NOT allowed.
Option 2: It seems like Christmas carols are playing as soon as we sit down the Thanksgiving turkey. My all time favorite Christmas carol is "We wish you a merry Christmas." Read a book with a word of at least 3 letters found in this song in the title or subtitle. Here are the and Plurals, possessives, and other variations are NOT allowed.
Required: Specify the word used when you post
Option 3: I love to open presents! Even at 30, I still love the surprise and excitement that comes with sitting around the tree opening presents. Read a book with one of these exact words in the title or subtitle: Bow, Ribbon, Box, Paper, Bag, and Tape. Plurals, possessives, and other variations are NOT allowed.
Option 4: Finally, what is the holidays without food or drinks, especially in my family! Read a book with either a drink or a food item on the cover.
Required:Please post the cover.
Required: Indicate the options when you post
Optional: Have a cup of hot chocolate with your family. One never knows when this could be your last Christmas together!
25.3 - Sandy's Task: Settlers of Catan
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My family loves board games - but our absolute favorite is Settlers of Catan. In that game, the players roll dice to acquire resources, which allow them to build roads, settlements and cities.
For this task, therefore, you will roll 2 dice, , to determine which resources you get, and the books you will read. If you roll doubles, do the same option twice. REQUIRED: Each book must have at least 250 pages.
NOTE: ebooks without print versions cannot be used for tasks requiring a specific number of pages. If you read an ebook or audiobook use the page count for the mass market paperback if one exists. If there is no mass market paperback edition, use the paperback edition and if no paperback is available use the hardcover edition.
NOTE: No books with the genre "children" may be used for this task, regardless of length.
Option 1. Mud. Mud is represented in the game by a card showing bricks. For this option, read a book the title of which contains a word of at least 4 letters from the lyrics of the song Brick by Ben Folds Five. . Words must match exactly, no variations. REQUIRED: Indicate the word you are using and the line in which it appears
Option 2. Timber. Timber is a resource needed to construct roads and buildings. For this option, read a book with a road or a building on the cover. The road or building must clearly appear on the cover. REQUIRED: Include the cover in your post.
Option 3. Sheep. Sheep are represented by the astrological sign Aries the Ram. Read a book by an author born under that astrological sign. For purposes of this task, we will use the dates March 21 - April 19 for Aries. REQUIRED: If no birthdate is included in the author's GR profile, link to an external source for the birthdate.
Option 4. Wheat. In 2012, some of the top wheat producing countries in the world were China, India, France, Russia, Australia, Canada, Pakistan, Germany and Turkey. (The U.S. is also in the top 10, but not included for purposes of this task). Read a book set in one of these countries. If the setting is not clear from the ŷ description, please explain in your post how your book fits the task. The book must be set more than 50% in the target country.
Option 5. Rock. When I hear the word rock, I think of music. Read a nonfiction book about music - that would include a biography, autobiography or memoir of a musician or a book about a specific musical group, as well as a book about music in general or a type of music or the music industry. If music is not listed as a main page genre, please explain how your book is about music.
Option 6. Can't leave out the Settlers! Read a book whose author's initials are adjacent in SETTLERSOFCATAN. Letters must be immediately adjacent reading from left to right, but the letters will wrap, so "NS" works. Middle names or initials should be disregarded - only the initials of the first name and surname count. Examples: Amy Tan, Nevil Shute, Suzette Haden Elgin
Required: State the numbers you rolled when you post
Mod
25.4 - Donna Jo's Task: Snow Is a Four Letter Word
Help Thread
I grew up in Iowa and remember trudging to school through snow over my boot-tops (yeah, uphill both ways, yadda, yadda.) I am not a fan of snow or cold weather. My idea of a perfect winter sport is sitting in front of the fireplace reading a good book with something chocolate close at hand.
Instead of shoveling snow, your job is to choose two different options from this task and read a book from each.
Required: When you post, be sure you indicate which 2 options you chose.
1. Pick a book with a winter weather word in the title or subtitle: Words allowed are limited to Snow, Sleet, Hail, Slush, Blizzard, Wind, Cloud, Cold, Ice, Freeze, Frost. You may only use variations of the words ending in -ed, -ing, -(e)s, or -y.
2. Read a book whose author's first AND last name begins with S, N, O, or W. You may use each letter only once as no two snowflakes are alike. Disregard middle names. Hyphenated names are treated as one word. If a book has more than one author, only one needs to have the correct initials but the author must appear in the book's GR main page.
3. Snowflakes have six sides (or multiples of six), so read a book with six words in the title. All words count. Subtitles may be used or ignored. OR read book number 6, 12, 18 or 24 in a series as listed by GR.
4. Using a purely arbitrary list, read a book primarily set in what I think of when I think of a cold country: Canada, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Antarctica OR a cold US state Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Idaho, South Dakota, Vermont, New Hampshire, or Maine.
Required: Please identify the setting if it is not apparent in the book's GR description
Optional: Take time to cut your own paper snowflakes. If you don't remember how:
25.5 - Bluemoon's Task: These Are a Few of My Favorite Things
Help Thread
Christmas is my favorite time of the year. So in honor of this special time of year pick two options below and read a book for each.
Required: The page count for both books must total at least 600 pages.
NOTE: ebooks without print versions cannot be used for tasks requiring a specific number of pages. If you read an ebook or audiobook use the page count for the mass market paperback if one exists. If there is no mass market paperback edition, use the paperback edition and if no paperback is available use the hardcover edition.
A. THE DECORATIONS - I love to drive around the neighborhood and see how creative people are with their outdoor decorations. I just love the lights and the snow.
Read a book with a Christmas decoration on the cover (wreath, ornament, etc.) OR a book by an author whose initials are found in any order in DECORATIONS. All author initials count. For books with multiple co-authors or contributors only one author need qualify. Letters may only be used as often as they appear- only the O may be repeated.
NOTE - Christmas trees work for the cover option but they must be lighted and/or decorated, a plain pine tree does not work.
B. THE FOOD - Lets face it not many people lose weight during the holidays because of all the great food.
With this in mind read a book with recipes included or a book with food on the cover.
Required: If it is not clear in the GR record that recipes are included in your book, please explain how your book fits the task
C. THE MOVIES - I love the old black and white classic movies and It's A Wonderful Life is my all time favorite movie starring James Stewart as George Bailey and Donna Reed as Mary Bailey.
Read a book written by an author named James, Stewart, George, Bailey, Donna, Reed or Mary. The name can be found anywhere in the name - i.e. Stewart O'Nan or Mary Stewart, but names must match exactly, no variations
D. THE MUSIC - My favorite christmas carol is O! Holy Night. But I will listen to christmas music until Christmas night.
For this option choose your favorite carol and read a book with a word at least 4 letters long from the Christmas carol title in the book's title or subtitle.
Required: State the name of your carol in your post.
E. THE GIFTS - We can't forget the gifts. I do like to receive gifts but I love to give gifts. I like the hunt for the perfect gift for the person I am shopping for.
So my gift to you is to read a book of your choice as this fits the budget and I know will make you happy!
Required: State the options that you chose. If you chose a cover option post the cover of the book. Make sure you link to the edition you read or used to establish page length to show that the page count totals at least 600 pages.
And even if you do not celebrate Christmas I hope you find the peace of the season and get to read some great books.
25.6 - Elizabeth B's Task: Sochi 2014 - Hot. Cool. Yours.
Help thread
The XXII Olympic Winter Games are scheduled to take place 7 to 23 February 2014, in Sochi, Russia
Read 2 books
Each book should be set for at least 50% of the book in one of the countries participating at the Winter Olympics. (see the Help Thread post 2 for countries as the list in the link is subject to change)
~You may not choose a book set in the country you are currently living in.
~You must select countries from 2 different continents. Use this list to determine continents: i.e. Russia = Europe, Uzbekistan = Asia, etc.
Required: Include the name of the country where you’re currently living when you post.
Identify the book's setting if it is not obvious in the book's GR description
25.7 - Janet F's Task: Don't Be Clueless
Help Thread
Being part of the SRC or a book club can give readers a clue for their next book choice. Determine your books for this Task by asking some Who, What, Where, When or Why questions.
Pick 2 different 'clues' (AKA options) and read a book for each.
Clue 1- Who was there?: Some of us have a hard time remembering names. A prefix 'title' before the name might help our recall. I'll always remember Doctor Zhivago, but what if the book title was 'Yuri Zhivago'?, not so catchy?
Read a book with a or rank (for example Mr. or Colonel) in the book's title or subtitle. The prefix title must be followed by a name or nickname. Abbreviations are allowed.
example: Doctor Sleep would work but The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary would NOT since Professor is not followed by a name.
Clue 2- What is happening? It's a new season! The Winter Solstice is on Dec 21st.
Read a book with at least one word each starting with W & S in the title, subtitle and/or author first and last names.
examples: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski for S in Story or Sawtelle and W in Wroblewski, The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester for S & W as author's initials.
Required: If the W and or S is found in the author's name include author name when you post.
Clue 3- Where did it happen? -At a library book club group I attend we were picking books for the coming year. One participant noted that multiple recent book club reads described pioneer journeys. She was ready for something else. We joked that we could look for books that took place on an island to balance things out.
Read a book that has a primary setting on a named real or fictional island or archipelago (excluding continental islands/land masses like Australia or Antarctica).
Required: Name the island or archipelago that is a setting in your book.
Clue 4- When did it happen? Reading a GR book description gives you concise info to grasp your interest. They are also helpful if you want to refresh your memory. While browsing my GR books I noticed some of my favorites have a description that includes a date.
Read a book with at least one 4 digit calendar year in the GR book description. (not including publication or movie release dates). A range is okay as long as it includes 4 digit numbers for the years. 1864-1872.
example: Ordinary Grace: the description opens "New Bremen, Minnesota, 1961."
Required:Mention a year or range of years from the book's GR description when you post. If the edition you read does not have the date specified in the book's GR description you MUST include a link to an edition of the book that does include the date in its GR description.
Clue 5- Why did it happen? Why do we sometimes swap books even though we had a plan and already got approval in the help thread? For me it is often because of library 'holds' availability. Sometimes you just have to seek approval for a different book. For a Fall Task my inquiries added three 'life' words to the 5.6 task approved books by coincidence & the other book approved had 'life' in it too: See 5.6
So why do we really move books around between Tasks?...because... "Life happens!"
Read a book with the word 'life' somewhere in the title or subtitle. Other forms of the word are okay as long as "life" retains its meaning: Lives, Life's, afterlife, Living
Required:Indicate the option when you post.
Mod
25.8 - Oma1229's Task: Children Make Christmas Fun!
Task Help
Realizing that the Winter Challenge is more that the December holiday, I have chosen Christmas and children to be the theme of this task. As a child Christmas was so special to me, however, as an adult seeing it through the eyes of a child gave it a sense of wonderment. I like this quote from one of my favorite children authors Laura Ingalls Wilder.
"Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time"
So, for this task all books read must have the genre Children on the book's main GR page.
In the spirit of Childhood and Christmas, each book need only meet the 100 page requirement. All other SRC requirements for children's book will apply-Rules effective Spring 2013
Note: When evaluating a book under the Children's book Transitional rule, ask yourself, "Who is the intended audience of this book?". If the author, publisher or a retailer indicates that the book is aimed at an audience 9 years old or younger, it probably doesn't work for SRC tasks.
These listopia lists can help find books but remember not all might meet each requirement for a task. Books to Read Before You Grow Up, Children's Book written prior to 1950's
For this task read a book from two of the listed options. You must read two books.
Option 1- Novelty Christmas songs are favorites of many children and adults. My favorite is 'I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" which was recorded by 10 year old Gayla Peevey. (Here is a link if you would like to listen)
Read a book that has a living creature (non-human, non-fantasy) that you might see in a zoo or petting zoo on the cover.
required: Post the cover if you choose this option
Option 2-December is a month of holidays celebrated all over the globe. In this international spirit, read a book that was originally written in a language other than your native language.
For example, my native language is English so I could read Pippi Longstocking which was originally published in Swedish (so glad it was translated!).
Required:Please Post your native language and the original language in which the book was published
Christmas is special for me because of my two grandsons Hunter and Alexander. The next two options will be based on these two wonderful 'loves-of-my-life'
Option 3 - Hunter's Book: Hunter is a nine year old in the 4th grade. Hunter has bright red hair and a face full of freckles and is the tallest young man in his class (as if the hair and freckles did not make him stand out!). He is quiet and reserved, loves to read and loves sports.
Read book that has been nominated or won any literary award. This link may help , but make sure that your book follows SRC rules. Or
Read a book with any sports paraphernalia on the cover. OR
Read a book with a red-haired child with freckles on the cover or listed in the book's main GR description.
Required:If you chose the book cover option please post cover
Option 4- Alexander is a four year old in Pre-K. Alexander is an outgoing and loud individual. He loves to hug everyone he meets--young and old. He really loves Christmas, the Christmas Story, decorations, presents-but still is a little afraid of Santa! Jake and the Neverland Pirates is his favorite Disney show.
Read a book where Christmas is prominent in the storyline and mentioned in the book's GR description OR
Read a book about pirates or one with a pirate on the cover.
Required:If you chose the bookcover option please post cover.
Required: Identify the options when you post.
Optional Activity Take a little time out of this busy season and read a book to a child---I am sure that you will enjoy it as much if not more than that child!
Happy Reading and enjoy a trip back to your inner child and a Happy Holiday Season to All.
25.9 - Alison's Task: All Things New
Help Thread
The Fall 2013 challenge was my first time participating in the SRC group challenges. I stumbled across the group when looking for a way to up my game with my reading and keep it more organized at the same time. I like to read a variety of different things and I read quickly so a group like this was perfect for me. I didn't realize how much I would feel encouraged and enthusiastic about not just the challenge but the people too. So for my challenge we will be celebrating the challenge with all things new.
Pick two options from below and read one book that fits each option.
Option #1: New Authors
I find myself reading the author profiles of the authors of my favourite books and I find sometimes it gives me new insight into their work. I love that so many authors have taken the time to become "goodreads authors". For this task read a book by a ŷ Author whom you have never read before.
ŷ authors are identified on their profile pages in the upper-right Janet Evanovich "ŷ Author Profile"; after the author's name on a book profile One for the Money Janet Evanovich (ŷ Author); or on your shelves after the author's name with an asterisk Janet Evanovich*
Required: State the author is new-to-you when you post
Option #2: New Books
2013 seemed a wonderful year for books from my perspective. For this option read a book that is no more than 6 months old by first publication. If you read the book in December 2013 the book must have been first published in June 2013 or later. For January 2014 first published in July 2013 or later and for February 2014 reading it must have been first published in August 2013 or later.
Required: Please state the month of publication and month read when you post
Option #3: New Series
I love series! For this option read book #1 of any series you choose. The series must be identified as "series, #1" on ŷ.
Option #4: New Book By An Old Favourite
Reading new books by authors I love is something I love to do as I see how they have changed over time (or not). For this challenge pick an author you've read at least one book by and then read their most recently published work that meets the SRC guidelines.
Required: Identify the options when you post
Mod
I’ve always loved the music from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, and I finally got to see the ballet performed live just before the start of this season of the Seasonal Reading Challenge. I figured, what better inspiration for my task than this holiday tradition that is beloved by so many!
For this task, choose two of the options below and read a book for each.
Required: Please indicate which options you chose when you post.
Option 1. The original ballet The Nutcracker premiered on December 18, 1892. Read a book whose page number contains two of the following numbers: 1, 8, 9, 2.
Required: Please include the page numbers when you post.
NOTE: ebooks without print versions cannot be used for tasks requiring a specific number of pages. If you read an ebook or listen to an audiobook, use the page count for the mass market paperback if one exists. If there is no mass market paperback edition, use the paperback edition and if no paperback is available use the hardcover edition.
Option 2. The infamous score of The Nutcracker was composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Read a book by an author whose initials can be found in TCHAIKOVSKY. Letters can be used in any order, but they can only be as many times as they appear, so the only letter that can be used twice is K. Hyphenated names will be treated as one word and middle names/initials can be disregarded.
Examples:Stephen King, Kody Keplinger, Suzanne Young, Kurt Vonnegut
Option 3. The Nutcracker is just one of many gifts brought by Clara’s godfather Herr Drosselmeyer. Because the gifts are given to the children, read a book with the genre “Children� on its main GR page.
Option 4. One of my favorite part of the ballet was in the second act, when Clara and her Nutcracker Prince are treated to sweets and performances from around the world.
Read a book set primarily (at least 50%) in one of these places:
*Hot Chocolate from Spain
*Coffee from Arabia (I’ll accept the countries of the Arabian Peninsula: Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia)
*Tea from China
*Candy Canes (or Matrioshkas in more recent versions) from Russia
*Marzipan Shepherdresses from Denmark
*Mother Ginger and her Polichinelles from France
Required: If the setting is not evident in the ŷ description, please state how your book fits the task.
Option 5. One of the best parts of my entire Nutcracker experience had nothing to do with the ballet itself, but with getting to see almost everyone who attended all dressed up. Nothing is cuter than little girls dolled up with frilly and poofy dresses and little boys donning ties and sweater vests! Read a book whose cover shows someone all dressed up, i.e. suit and tie, ball gown
Examples:
Required: Include the cover
Option 6. As I stated earlier, seeing The Nutcracker live truly has become a holiday tradition for many, seeing it year after year. In fact, I’m definitely thinking of making it one of my personal holiday traditions!
Revisit one of your literary traditions and reread one of your favorite books.
NOTE: Children’s books 100+ pages may be used for this task.
NOTE: Genres “Graphic Novels,� “Sequential Art,� “Comics,� and “Manga� may be used for this task.
25.11 - Lois's Task: Showtime for Dogs
Help thread
Among many great things that happen in the winter season are several of the biggest dog shows of the year, such as the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship in December, the Westminster Kennel Club show in February, and Crufts in March. While those shows are fun to watch, when my dog and I go into the ring at our local shows, it’s for Obedience competition. We train year round at our weekly classes and hours of practice at home.
To celebrate dogs, choose two of the following options and read one book from each. Regular SRC rules for tasks at this level apply.
1. In Obedience, dogs are trained to respond to a number of verbal commands, some of which are Heel, Sit, Stay, Down, and Come. Read a book with any one or more of these words intact in the title or subtitle of the book.
Some examples of acceptable titles:
Down: While We Were Watching Downton Abbey
Come: Comedy in a Minor Key
Sit: The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn
Required: Specify what word you’re using.
2. Everyone would love to take home a blue ribbon, but sometimes we’re just very happy to earn a qualifying score and be awarded a green ribbon. Read a book with a predominantly (at least half) blue OR green cover.
Listopia will help for some ideas: Books With The Blues, Greenest Books Ever, though not all books on these lists are acceptable.
Required: Include the cover in your post.
3. If you have a dog in your life (either your own dog or another dog that you’re friendly with), read a book by an author whose first or last name is the same as your dog’s name; OR read a book by an author whose first name appears on this list of most popular male and female dog names:
Exact match; no variations.
Required:Specify whether the name is from a dog you know or from the list.
4. Read a book with a dog on the cover. The dog needs to be clearly visible and the head or most of the body should be pictured, more than just a bit of a tail or paw.
Check out Listopia for several lists of books with dogs on covers, such as this one: Books with Dogs on the Cover
Required: Include the cover in your post.
Required: Identify the options you chose.
Mod
30.1 - Ms Anderson's Task: Riddle Me This
Help Thread
Riddle me this, riddle me that...
Below you will find six clues that describe a single, awesome answer.
to see which clues you will read books for. If you get doubles, roll again until you don't. Read a book for each option.
Optional: Say what you think the answer is.
1) It's Big: read a book with an object that is considered "large" on the cover. If two average-sized people can fit inside it comfortably, it's large (ex. a mansion, a ship, a planet)
Required: post the cover and point out the object
2) It's Popular: read a book that has more than 50,000 ratings
3) It's Usually Fun: read a book where the main character participates in an activity you enjoy
Required: state the activity
4) It Can Be Frustrating: read a book with all the letters A-R-G-H found in the title and/or subtitle in any order
5) It's Addictive: read a book where addiction is a major theme (can be addiction to drugs, gambling, work, etc.)
Required: Point out the theme if it is not evident in the book's GR description
6) And We Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way: read a book of your choice
Required:State your numbers you rolled and any required information for those options.
As always, children's books and graphic novels of 100+ pages are welcome in my tasks. Happy sleuthing!
30.2 - Ty's Task: Absolute Zero
Help Thread
In my earlier days as an engineering undergrad, I thought I was being cutely esoteric and wrote a poem entitled "Absolute Zero". It was horrendous. Full of bad physics puns, indecipherable metaphors, and truly cringe-worthy barely-existent imagery. In celebration of winter and bad poetry, please to enjoy any TWO of the following options.
Required: state the options chosen and any supporting information required.
A. Absolute zero is the lowest temperature possible - which is actually impossible, because absolute zero cannot be reached naturally.
For this option, read a book with BOTH fantasy and science fiction as genres on the main page. The genres may appear either separately or together as "Science Fiction Fantasy" but must appear as stand-alone genres without nested sub-genres.
B. Absolute zero is 0 degrees on the Kelvin (K) scale, -273.15 degrees on the Celsius (C) scale, and -459.67 degrees on the Fahrenheit (F) scale. In other words, it's pretty stinkin' cold. Choose any scale and read a book with a page count with digits from the chosen scale INCLUDING the digit 0. The digit zero must be in the page number, regardless of scale, to follow the "absolute zero" theme.
K- the number of pages must include at least 2 0's with no other repeating digits: ex. 200, 300.
C - 0 plus allowed digits 1,2,3,5,7 with no repeated digits ex. 203, 370, 150.
F - 0 plus allowed digits 4,5,6,7,9 with no repeated digits ex. 490, 540, 409.
Note: Readers of alternative formats (ebooks, audiobooks, and large print books) must link to the mass market paperback or other edition used to establish number of pages. See Book Formats and Page Numbers Explained in Rules of the Challenge.
Required: state the scale and number of pages.
C. The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest (BLFC) is "a whimsical literary competition that challenges entrants to compose the opening sentence to the worst of all possible novels". The 2013 winner is a doozy. A poem doesn't a novel make, but I believe I unwittingly embraced the spirit of the BLFC with my little ditty. For this option, read any book with a title that contains a 5-or-more-letter word in the
She strutted into my office wearing a dress that clung to her like Saran Wrap to a sloppily butchered pork knuckle, bone and sinew jutting and lurching asymmetrically beneath its folds, the tightness exaggerating the granularity of the suet and causing what little palatable meat there was to sweat, its transparency the thief of imagination. � Chris Wieloch, Brookfield, WI
NO variations allowed. The word must match exactly.
Required: state the word.
30.3 - Sassafrass's Task: Readers Also Enjoyed
Help Thread
One of things I've always loved about ŷ is the chance to discover books I would likely have never found if it weren't for recommendations from my goodreads friends and the goodreads community as a whole. So, in honor of those books I've found and enjoyed over my four years as a "goodreader", this task is going to explore one of the ways I've made some wonderful book discoveries.
This is a two book task. Standard SRC rules apply for both books.
Book A: For the first book, choose any book that you want to read. The book doesn't have to be new-to-you, but I think it would be more fun if it were. Keep in mind your second book will be generated by the first book you choose so choose wisely. :)
Book B: As you look at the book page of the first book you choose, you'll notice on right hand side of the page there is a section called "Readers Also Enjoyed". If you click on that menu bar, it will open up another page with several books that other goodreads users who read your book also enjoyed. Pick one the books from that list and use it for your second book.
For example:
I read Angelfall in the Fall 2013 challenge, but if I was reading that one for this task, I would go on the main book page and find the "Readers Also Enjoyed" section:
And then I could read any book on that following page:
Note: Since lists can change, be sure to note the day you found book 2 on the list
Required: You must include the date when you found book 2 on the list
I hope you find a new book (or two) to enjoy!
30.4 - Dlmrose's Task: Beyond Comparison
Help Thread
Get inspired by your fellow SRC members.
Read 2 books, one from Book A and one from Book B
A list of SRC members may be accessed Here or from the group home page on the right above the polls link.
Select a SRC member and navigate to his or her profile.
Below the profile details section, click on "compare books"
For Book A, read a book from the comparison list that the SRC member has read and rated that you have on your To-read shelf
For Book B, scroll down to "See what other books you have in common". This feature suggests up to 20 of the member's books that do not appear on your shelves. Read one of the suggestions that the member has read and rated.
You do not need to use the same member for Book A and B.
This works best if you have a ŷ To-read shelf (hang around SRC long enough and you'll have a BIG one) If you do not have books on a To-read shelf you may use an off-GR list (books-you-own, etc) to do a comparison by scanning shelves for Book A. Your Book B title should be a new-to-you title that is generated by the method in Book B
Required: Name the member(s) you used for comparison
Mod
Help Thread
For this task you will need to utilize your To-Read bookshelf and the wonderful goodreads tools to organize it.
At the top right of your bookshelves page
at the very bottom of your bookshelves page
Use your To-Read shelf. If you do not use the bookshelf feature, use the To-Read bookshelf of any one of the 30pt task task finishers:
Ms. Anderson
Ty
Sassafrass
Dlmrose
Susan A
Kate S
Delicious Dee
Required:State the bookshelf you are using if not your own.
The purpose of this task is to become familiar with the TBR tools. Each column can be organized by clicking on the title name. It sorts in the opposite direction if you click again.
Choose 2 different options and read one book for each.
Option 1:
Set "per page" to 40
Set view to Table display
Sort by position, starting with 1.
Find the number of TBR pages, divide by 2, round up if necessary. This is the middle page of your TBR. Example: 21 pages = 11
Navigate to the middle page. Read a book from that page of 40 books on your TBR.
Required:State the TBR page number you used
Option 2
Set "per page" to infinite scroll
Set view to Covers display . This creates 6 columns of images
Sort your TBR alphabetically using the bottom sort option by choosing title. Titles that start with numbers appear first, then titles starting with the letter A
Set number to 1.
Read a book from the column that corresponds to your die roll- column 1 starts on the left across to column 6
Required: State the number you rolled when you post
Option 3
Set "per page" to 40
Set view to Table display
Sort by avg rating high to low
Read a book from the first page of 40 books on your TBR
Required: State the book's rating when you selected it when you post
Option 4
set "per page" to 40
Set view to Table display
Sort by "Date Added", oldest to newest
Read book from the first page (oldest books)
Required: State the date the book was added when you post
Option 5
Set "per page" to 40
Set view to Table display
Sort by "Date Added", newest to oldest
read book from 1st page (newest books)
Required: State the date the book was added when you post
Option 6
Set "per page" to 40
Set view to Table display
Click on shelf settings: custom (It's the alternate to "main")
Click on "num ratings". This will add a number of ratings column to your TBR.
Sort by number of ratings highest to lowest.
Read a book from the first page of results
Required: State the number of ratings
Note: If nothing on a resulting page meets the minimum page requirement of 100 pages or the books have not been released yet, try one page down, or if necessary one page up to find an appropriate book
Required: Please indicate the options you chose and each option's required information
30.6 - Kate S's Task: Beginnings and Endings
Task Help
The Winter Season marks the end of one year and the beginning of a new year.
In honor of this, choose one option and read one book from Book A and one book from Book B
Option 1: Best Lines
Book A: Read a book from the list of 100 best beginnings
OR
Book B: Read a book from the list of 100 best last lines
OR
Required: Identify the lists you used.
Option 2: Award Winning:
Choose one award from this list
Book A: Read the book that won your chosen award the first year it was awarded
Book B: Read the most recent book to have won your chosen award
Each book must have won the award at the same level ex. Best Novel or Best First Novel, etc.: no mixing and matching. Nominees or honor books are excluded. Standard SRC rules apply: be careful, there are children's book awards and sequential art books on the lists. Awards that have changed names over their history may be used as a single award, ex. Orange Prize and Women's Prize for Fiction. You may need to research the award off the linked list site to identify the first award winners
Required: Identify the award and the years they were awarded
example:
Agatha Award
Book 1, first awarded in 1988: Something Wicked by Carolyn G. Hart
Book 2, last awarded in 2012: The Beautiful Mystery: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel by Louise Penny
Option 3: Author’s body of work
Choose an author. Authors with pseudonyms are treated as individual authors. Contributions of short stories, novellas, or essays in multi-author anthologies do not count.
Book A: Read author’s first full-length published book.
Book B: Read author’s most recently published full-length book
example
author: J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts and J.D. Robb are considered different authors for purposes of this task)
Book 1: Naked in Death
Book 2: Thankless in Death if the task is completed before the publication of Concealed in Death in February
30.7 - Delicious Dee's Task: Swim, Bike, Run
Help Thread
When this season started, I honestly wasn’t sure if I was going to finish it, or actually even compete, because I had signed up to do a Half-Ironman Triathlon at the end of October, and the first part of the season was going to be right in my peak training time. But thankfully, I was able to manage balancing work (blech), reading (yay) and training (either blech or yay depending on the day). So what better way to celebrate my accomplishment of completing 70.3 miles, than with a task ;)
For this task, you will read and read 2 books for the options listed below. If you roll doubles, roll again until you get 2 different numbers.
Option 1 - Triathlon has a long history both in the US and around the world and there have been quite a few books written about it.
Read a book from Popular Triathlon Books
Required: if using this option, list which page the book appears on)
OR
Read a book where the authors initials appear in the word TRIATHLON � all initials MUST be included (i.e. middle initials, co-authors). Initials can only be used once unless it appears more than once in the word, like TriaThlon
Option 2 - Swim � The swim is normally my favorite part of the race (although I did struggle this time).
Because the swim can take place in a variety of different bodies of water depending on the race, read a book that has a picture of a body of water that is big enough to swim in on the cover. For example, a river, a lake, a pond, the ocean, a pool would count.
Required � Include the cover in your post
Option 3 - Bike � The bike is the longest part of the race, but also one of my most enjoyable � there is something about just being on the road, under your own power.
Read a book that has a recognizable/traditional method of transport on the cover that is non-motorized � i.e. a bike, a horse, a buggy, a skateboard
Required � Include the cover in your post
Option 4 - Run � The run is always the hardest part for me, not only because by the end of the race, I am tired, but also because in general, I’m not a fan of running (and yes, I know its weird that I do running races, but don’t like running)…I’m always looking for ways to improve on my running and thankfully there have been lots of books written about it.
Read a non-fiction book about a skill you want to improve� it could be a physical activity, something crafty or even something work-based
Option 5 - Transition � among triathletes there is the running joke that there is a 4th event in the race, aside from the swim, bike, run � and that is the transition. Basically that is the time, where the athlete goes from the swim to the bike, or the bike to the run…in big races, the transition times can make or break your race � a good transition might be the difference between winning and coming second, and a bad transition might leave you off the podium.
Since there are 2 transitions in any race, read an anthology that has AT LEAST 2 transition books � defined as a book that has a series marking of .5 or similar on the series. The position in the series MUST show on the main GR page
ex. On the Prowl- Alpha & Omega 0.5, Monère: Children of the Moon #2.5, Dorina Basarab #1.1, World of the Lupi #3.5
Option 6 and because I’m a sucker � the picture below is from the World Championships Triathlon that was held in Kona, Hawaii on Oct 12, 2013 � so 2 weeks before my race � it was a great day to watch, but the best picture I saw was .
The guy is Tim O’Donnell who came 5th in the men’s race and the girl is his finance, Miranda “Rinnie� Carfrae who not only won the women’s race, but set a new course record. I’ve been saying that the picture needs to be used as inspiration for a romance novel.
Read a book that has ROMANCE as a listed genre on the main (any sub-genres of romance count)
Required: State the numbers you rolled
Mod
Clue (or Cluedo to me) is one of those classic games that still endures to this day and it has always been one of my favorite board games. A big part of its appeal is the colorful cast of characters who come from vastly different backgrounds.
Read 1 book from each of 3 different characters.
1. Miss Scarlet
Miss Scarlet always goes first. So, we'll go with my favorite genre: romance.
The Femme Fatale character is often seen as a mysterious, seductive woman. Mata Hari, an infamous spy, is the quintessential femme fatale.
Option A: Read a book with the genre "romance" on the main book page where the main character or subject is a spy or assassin (defined by Merriam-Webster as "a person who kills someone, such as a famous or important person, usually for political reasons or for money.")
Required: Explain how your book fits the task if is not clear in the book's GR description.
Option B: Read a book where "Erotic Romance" or "Erotica" is listed as a genre on the book's main page.
2. Colonel Mustard
The character of Colonel Mustard has gone through many changes throughout the game's history. In one of the game's versions, he's portrayed as an expert martial artist. I can't help but wonder what a sci-fi version of Colonel Mustard would be.
Read a book where "Military Science Fiction" is listed as a genre on the book's main page.
Note: "Military" AND "Science Fiction" appearing separately are acceptable as long as both genres appear on the book's main page.
3. Mrs. White
Mrs. White is usually portrayed as a servant. She's been a cook, a maid and a housekeeper.
Read a book where the lead character or subject is a household servant who typically serves others similar to the roles held by Mrs. White, i.e. one involved in the cleaning and maintenance of the interior of a residence or involved in food preparation for the household.
Required: Explain the how your book fits the task if it is not clear in the book's GR description.
4. Reverend or Mr. Green
This character is known as Reverend Green in the UK version of this game, while in the US version, he's known as Mr. Green.
Option A: Read a book with "Religion" or "Spirituality" listed as a genre on the book's main page.
Option B: Read a book where the cover is mostly (at least half) green OR red, if you think he's the killer!
Required: If using a cover option, include the cover in your post.
5. Mrs. Peacock
Mrs. Peacock strikes me as an intelligent, experienced socialite who has seen the world.
Read a book where the main character or subject takes a trip or vacation (defined by Merriam-Webster as "a period of time that a person spends away from home, school, or business usually in order to relax or travel.)
Required: Explain how the book fits the task if it is not clear in the GR description.
6. Professor Plum
I have always seen Professor Plum as a sort of geeky, absent-minded professor. I love stories about smart people!
Read a book featuring a geek, nerd or a genius. That type of character should be a major character or be significant in the storyline.
Required: Explain how the book fits the task if it is not clear in the GR description.
Required: Identify the three options you have picked.
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The Seasonal Reading Challenge
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5.1 -- In the Kitchen
Help Thread
The kitchen is for cooking and food preparation. Read a cookbook or a nonfiction book about food or food preparation. These lists might help: Best Cookbooks, Food-Related Non-Fiction, Locavore Reading List, Best Diet Books
5.2 -- In the Library
Help Thread
What's a library without lots and lots of books? Read a book with the genre "books about books" on its main page.
5.3 -- In the Ballroom
Help Thread
Let's dance! Read a book with one of the following words in the title or subtitle: dance, dancer, ballroom, waltz, tango, foxtrot, samba, quickstep, rumba, mambo, jive, swing. Plurals and possessives will work, but no other variations are allowed.
5.4 -- In the Conservatory
Help Thread
A conservatory can also be called a sunroom or solarium. In Florida, we just call them Florida rooms. Florida rooms are lined with windows. The idea is to enjoy the plant life outside without having to deal with the weather (or the bugs!). Read a book with plants or plant parts (flowers, fruit, leaves, etc) on the cover. Examples:
5.5 -- In the Dining Room
Help Thread
Everyone needs to eat. Read a book with an eating utensil in the title or subtitle. Examples: The Knife of Never Letting Go, A Fork in the Road, The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements, Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health, Miss Chopsticks
5.6 -- In the Billiards Room
Help Thread
One popular version of pocket billiards, or pool, is nine-ball. Nine-ball involves trying to sink the balls numbered 1 through 9 into pockets around the table in numerical sequence. Read a book numbered #1 through #9 in a series. The book must be labeled as a series on ŷ (series name, #).
5.7 -- In the Hall
Help Thread
The word "hall" is 4 letters long. Read a book written by an author with 4 letters in their first, middle, or last name (as listed on the book's GRs main page). Hyphenated names count as one name.
5.8 -- In the Study
Help Thread
The study is often used for writing. Read a book about writing or one that features a writer (novelist, journalist, essayist, TV script writer, etc). The book may be fiction or nonfiction. Examples: On Writing, A Moveable Feast, The Thirteenth Tale, The Help, Misery, The Wedding Writer, Every Love Story Is a Ghost Story: A Life of David Foster Wallace
5.9 -- In the Cellar
Help Thread
In the game of Clue, the cellar holds the envelope with the solution to the mystery. In real life, many cellars hold wine. Read a book set in one of the top 10 countries for wine consumption. For the purposes of this task, we'll use this list of countries:
5.10 -- In the Lounge
Help Thread
The lounge is for socializing and relaxing. Let's invite the book club over! Read a book that has "book club" or "book group" as a genre on its main page.