The Seasonal Challenge from Goodreads – Fall 2009

Ok I am a certified nut, not your standard nut but a nut never the less. I have another challenge that I’m posting for your personal enjoyment. A warning too - I have two more on their way.

This particular challenge is fun and it keeps me slightly more focused but there is no way I am going to finish every task by November 30. Not even close. Although quite a few people do. Here is the link to the actual contest tasks, in case you have an inkling for the impossible.

This should have been posted September 1 so I am only a little behind (17 days not too bad). I have already finished several and started 4 more. The list will be changing as more books come in from various sources and my needs change. I have based my list mostly within the speculative fiction genre and for overlap on other challenges.

Beyond that its just another book challenge list. So perhaps skim through it real quick or skip it altogether and if you do see a book  that you think is absolute garbage or have written a review let me know.

5 Point Tasks

• 1. Book with child/children/kids/son/daughter in the title: The Children of Dust by Ali Eteraz
• *2. Apple on cover or in title: White Apples by Jonathan Carroll (in progress)
• 3. Columbus - Sea Travel: Fast Ships, Black Sails by Jeff and Ann Vandermeer
• 4. Adoption Story: Elfland by Freda Warrington or The Baby Merchant by Kit Reed
• 5. School Re-Read: Hiroshima by John Hersey or 1984 by George Orwell
• 6. Terrifying Title - Scary Adjective in Title: Prince Harming Syndrome by Karen Salmansohn
• 7. What I am Thankful for: My Stepchildren – Stepmonster by Wednesday Martin PhD (11/23/09)
• 8. Book with two authors: Soul Survivor by Bruce and Andrea Leninger (read 10/1)
• 9. Coming of Age Novel: A Map of Home by Randa Jarrar – finished 11/22/09
• 10. Fall Back - Time Travel Book: Kindred by Octavia Butler

10 Point Tasks

• 1. Book Published in Buddy Holly's Life Time - (1936 - 1959): The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham
• 2. River Phoenix Overdose - A Character with an Addiction: Playing House by Fredrica Wagman; (completed 10/1)
• 3. Berenstain Bears - Read a book with the word Bear in the Title: Bear Daughter by Judith Berman
• 4. Hispanic Heritage Book: The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer or Bless Me, Ultima by Ruldolfo Anaya
• 5. Oktoberfest - A Book that takes place in Germany: Fatherland by Robert Harris or The Witches Trinity by Erika Mailman
• 6. Native Heritage Month: Across the Endless River by Thad Carhart
• *7. Christopher Reaves Birthday - Superhero: The Scent of Shadows by Vicki Petersson (in progress)
• 8. Noah Webster's Birthday - 9th, 10th, 11th Random Word Book: dying/advice/mission - Dying Inside by Robert Silverberg or Advice from the Mouths of Elders by Mark Elliot Miller
• *9. Gone With the Wind - Civil War Book: Wings to the Kingdom by Cherie Priest (in progress)
• 10. Cat's Meow - A Book with Cat in title or on cover: Tribe of the Tiger by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas

15. Point Tasks

• 1. Brush up on your Grammar – Homophones (to/too): The World According to Twitter by David Pogue and The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett (Twitter read 10/1 – Too Much  posted Nov 6)
• 2. Rewriting History - Alternative History Book: Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble
• *3. Math a - Addition author's name and my name are the same number of letters (11): Lost Horizon by James Hilton b - Subtraction a title with 29 letters in it The Traveler, Fourth Realm Trilogy by John Twelve Hawks c - Division the second in a series: Young Mile - Omnibus by Lois McMaster Bujold (Bujold in progress)
• 4. Science Fiction/Fact: Read a Science Book watch Sci Fi Film: The Superstress Solution by Roberta Lee MD – fact book; Sci Fi movie was Sleep Factory (read and watched by 10/20 review coming)
• 5. Study Abroad - Read 2 Books written in the same Foreign Language (Italian): The Inferno by Dante and The Drowned and the Saved by Primo Levi
• 6. Creative Minds: Read a book about Music, Art, Drama: Flesh and Fire by Laura Anne Gilman – fantasy about wine making
• 7. P.E. listen to a book while exercising: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (10/9/09)
• *8. Geography Lessons: Read two Books from countries which correspond with your intials: (S – Sweden) The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo by Steig Larson or (South Korea) - Tongue by Kyung-Ran Jo (N- Norway) Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder
• 9. Homework - Read a book with Home or Work in the title: The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier
• 10. Teacher/Student - Read two books with the word or about a student and teacher: The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa and Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder or The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

20 Point Tasks:

• 1. The Importance of a Faith Centered Life: The Sparrow by Mary Russell Doria
• *2. ABC - Read Three Books which begin with Three consecutive letters of the alphabet: R – The Recipe Club by Israel and Garfinkel; Release by Nicole Hadaway  S – Stepmonster by Wednesday Martin  T -  The Recipe Club by Israel and Garfinkel; The Magic Warble Victoria Simcox; Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan; To Ride Hells Chasm by Janny Wurts; Three Seeds by Gabriel Madison (in progress)

• 3. Group Read: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafron

25 Point Tasks

• 1. Rhyme Time: tba
• 2. Two Authors Related by blood or marriage: tba
• 3. Harvey Milk - Positive Gay Character: Middlesex - by Jeffrey Eugenides or Ethan or Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold
• 4. Movie Book Combo - Book written within 10 years, movie made within 5: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowland
• 5. Fortune Telling - A Book about of with Fortune or Prophecy in the Title: The Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink or Memoirs of a Fortune Teller by Gary Turcotte
• 6. Curse of the Tippecanoe: (skipping this one)
• 7. One, Two, Three - Read one book each with a title that is one, two, and three words: Serena by Ron Rash; Three Seed by Gabriel Madison; Health Beyond Medicine by Scott Paton;  ( Serena completed 10/08; TS complete 10/15 HBM completed 10/20 review only posted on Goodreads)
• *8. Noun - Read three books one with a Person, a Place, and a Thing in the titles: Person - Serena by Ron Rash; Place - To Ride in Hells Chasm by Janny Wurts; Moonlight in Odessa by Janet Charles Skeslien; Thing –The Recipe Club by Israel and Garfinkel; The Magic Warble by Victoria Simcox; Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan; Flesh and Fire by Laura Anne Gilman
• 9. Self Improvement Month - Read one Nonfiction on self help, Read one where the character self improves: Now What: 90 Days to a New Life Direction by Laura Berman and Dancing with Ana by Nicole Barker (finished 9/10)
• 10: Halloween - Read a book with Devil, Witch, Vampire, Zombie in the title: Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice or The Witches Trinity by Erika Mailman

30 Point Task

• 1. Real Job and Dream Job: Read a book which pertains to each: (wife) The Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick and (book reviewer) Dragon House by John Shors

50 Point Task

• *Minding the World - Read 3 Books:
• 1. Senses - Searching for Whitopia by Rich Benjamin  or The Scent of Shadows by Vicki Petterssen
• 2. Emotions – Stepmonster by Wednesday  Martin; Gut Feelings: The Intelligence of the Unconscious by Gerd Gigerenzer or Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
• 3. Memory – Defining Twilight by Brian Leaf – it involves memory and reminds me of my teaching credential

Completed 11/30/09 Total Points Below

Total Points: 130 /690
Tasks still in Process:  8

Completed Tasks: 9/45
Books Read for Completed Tasks: 13/60 

Books still in Progress 10

Pages Read for Completed Tasks: 3738 completed challenge pages