Layers of Thought: The Goodreads’ Winter Seasonal Challenge

The “insane” Winter Seasonal Challenge list is here! And what a list it is… It is my 4th challenge for this group on Goodreads.

The challenge runs from December 1, 2009 to February 28, 2010. This is the link for the current challenge - tasks at the challenge site. There are 58 task for a cumulative of 1100 points +410 from last season. We have gone from abnormally nuts to insane.

For this past Fall’s challenge I completed 120 of the 690 challenge points – Not great but I am improving. Or so I tell myself (out loud with a silly grin.)

Here is the Fall challenge post on Layers of Thought if you are at all curious. (note I have not fixed my math error of +10 point yet.)

My goal is not to finish but to fit as many of my current TBR list into the challenge tasks, a challenge in itself. The list is ever changing and flexible, keeps me focused, and its fun.

Suggestions are welcome. I received one great book recommendation which I was struggling to fill in the task list last season from Lilly at Reading Extravaganza – White Apples by Jonathan Carroll. (Thanks Lilly!) My preference would be to keep the list within speculative fiction as much as possible, but no need to limit your suggestions to that genre.

Of course you are also welcome to join as well.

5 Point Tasks

Disney's Birthday - a book related to your favorite Disney film: Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty: Prince Harming Syndrome by Karen Salmansohn
Flag Maker - a book with the word star(s) or stripe(s) in the title: Variable Star by Robinson and Heinlein
Royal Reading - read a book with a monarch as the main character: In the Night Garden by Catherynne M. Valente or Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
*Winning Decade - a Book that has won an award in the last decade: Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan - World Fantasy Award 2009
Librarian’s Week - read a book with a library or librarian as the main theme: Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Dirty Job - read a book about a job that you could never imagine doing: Nibble & Kuhn by David Schmahmann - attorney
Eye of the Tiger - Chinese New Year - read a book by an author that shares your Chinese zodiac sign - The Rabbit (1903, 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987) - Wings to the Kingdom by Cherie Priest
*Baby its Cold Outside - Cozy Mystery since its cold outside: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Allan Bradley (in progress)
Romantic Read - read a book with love, romance, cupid, sweetheart, valentine, heart, kiss, chocolate, rose, or jewelry in the title: Dreaming Anastasia - A Story of Love, Magic, and the Power of Dreams by Joy Preble or The Heart of Buddha by Elsie Sze
Alliteration- read a book whose title is an alliteration: Flesh and Fire by Laura Ann Gilman

10 Point Tasks

Under the Big Top - Circus Book in honor of Charles Ringling’s Birthday: The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes
Louis Braille's Birthday - a book with a main character whom does not have the use of one his/her five senses: TBA
Renaissance Reading - Zora Neale Hurston's Birthday - read a book which is written by an African American and has an African American Protagonist: TBA
*Winners Choice - read a five star book from one of the winners of the Fall challenge: PJREADS - Grass by Sherri Tepper or WENDY - Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (in progress)
Popularity Contest - read a book that is listed on the top reads here in you birthday month here on Goodreads (May): The City & The City by China Mieville
*Local Lit Lover - find a person on Goodreads that is five miles from your zip code and read a book on their five star list: 85260 – Linda: Watchmen by Alan Moore (in progress)
Small Screen Stories - Favorite TV Show book relation - True Blood; Defining Twilight by Brian Leaf
*Oh Canada - Canadian Author or set in Canada: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Allan Bradley (in progress)
Remembering Pearl Harbor - Hawaiian Book: TBA
From Russia With Love - Russian themed or author: Moonlight in Odessa by Janet Skeslien Charles or Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble

15 Point Tasks

Richard Prior Makes Me Laugh – a) read a black comedy or satirical novel and b) watch a black comedy or satire: TBA
Lewis Carroll's Birthday - book with main character or author with the name Alice or Lewis and a book set in a fictional place: a)Voracious by Alice Henderson or Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll b) TBA
*Betty Friedan’s Birthday - read a book in a series by a woman about woman and and autobiography of a woman by a woman: a) The Scent of Shadow by Vicki Pettersen or Soulless by Gail Carrigan b) Here if You Need Me by Kate Braestrup or Welcome to the Departure Lounge by Meg Federico or The Feminine Mystique (in progress)
Favorite Game – a) read a book which relates to your favorite game and b) spend and hour playing the game: b) World of Warcraft is my favorite game a) The Army of the Republic by Stuart Archer Cohen
Around the World - find a reader on Goodreads in a country with a) your first and b) last name initial then read a 5 star book from their list: b) N- Jamie from Nicuargua - The Metamorphosis by Frank Kafka and a) S- Fuzanda from Singapore - Soulless by Gail Carrigan
Best Gift and Give Back – a) read a book that relates to your favorite gift: Vacation by Jeremy Shipp b) Give back: TBA
Food Family Friends – a) read a recipe book and b) make that recipe for friends and or family: a) The Recipe Club by Isreal and Garfinkel b) TBA
Silver Screen Celebrations – a) Holiday Book and b) Movie combo - must be about the same holiday that occurs in Winter: The Stupidest Angel
Out with the Old in with the New – a) read the book on your tbr list the longest and b) one by an author you have not read before: a) Brisingr by Christopher Paolini b) TBA
We Will Remember You - Book Movie combo – a) read a book by an author who has passed in 2009 and b) watch a movie by with a director or actor that has passed in 2009: a) Dayworld #1 by Philip Jose Farmer or Flesh and Gold by Phillis Gotlieg b) movie TBA

20 Point Tasks

*Revisit the Past – Choose a favorite task from the past worth 15 or more points: GR Fall 09 50 Point Task - Minding the World - Read 3 Books: 1. Senses - Searching for Whitopia by Rich Benjamin 2. Emotions – 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
Civil Rights – read a book about civil rights: TBA
Group Read - The Stupidest Angel - by Christopher Moore

25 Point Tasks

Read 2 Books from the 1001 Books to Read before you die list: my choices are for two of the following Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides; Watchmen by Alan Moore; Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro; The Wind Up Bird Chronicles by Murakami; The Drowned and The Saved by Primo Levi; The Lord of The Rings by J R R Tolkien; The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham; Foundation by Isaac Asimov; Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein
International Friendship Month – read a book with friend in the title or a book about friendship and tell what friendship means to you: Friends Like These by Danny Wallace
*Game of Clue – a) read a book with a cover that is mostly red, yellow, green, purple, or white b) read a book with a weapon in the title c) one book needs to be from the public or your personal library: a) blue cover – Post Human by David Simpson or Chasing Stardust by Laurel Rain Snow or Searching for Whitopia by Rich Benjamin or Fallen by Lauren Kate or The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell or Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble; green cover – Searching for Whitopia by Rich Benjamin or The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley ; white – The Novice by Stephen Schettini; red cover – Defining Twilight by Brian Leaf or Release by Nicole Hadaway b) Gun, with Occasional Music by Jonathan Lethmen or The Knife or Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (in progress) (DT = pages 183)
*Turn Back Time – read two books from two different time periods and tell which one you would prefer to live in before the end of WWII: a) Thirsty by Kristin Bair O’Keeffe – set in the late 1800’s or Across the Endless River by Thaddeus Carhart set in the mid to late 1800’s b) The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee set in WWII
Odd Man Out - read a book that does not fit into any of the 5/10/15 pt tasks: Dirty Little Angels by Chris Tusa or Manufactured Identity by Heath Sommer or The Cost of Dreams by Gary Stelzer
Island Dreams - read a book that takes place on an island country: TBA – Vacation by Jeremy Shipp (? – not sure about this one)
Lost Generations - read two books a) one from an author from the "lost generation" and b) one mentioned in the series lost: a) TBA b) Stranger in a Strange Land; Slaughter House 5; Alice in Wonderland; Flowers for Algernon; Oh Pioneer; The Pearl
Inane Answering Machine Day - read two books a) one with an unnecessarily long title 7 plus words, and b) one with a single word title: a) The Novice – Why I Became a Buddhist Monk, and Why I Quit by Stephen Schettini or The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World by The Dalai Lama b) Cursed or Vacation by Jeremy Ship; or Thirsty by Kristin Bar O’Keefe
World of Books - read two books a) one with a map included in it and b) one with with extra content: TBA
*Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover – read two books a) one with a great cover and the b) other a graphic novel: a) Children of Dust by Ali Eteraz b) Watchmen by Alan Moore

30 Point Tasks

Celebrate The End of the Decade - Read two books a) one book that was published in the past decade and b) one that was made into a movie in the past decade: TBA
*Sci Fi Past and Present - read a Hugo or Nebula winner prior to the year 2000 and one published after 2000 and compare a) TBA b) Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress – Nebula 91 and Hugo 92
Snowed In and Loving It - read anything by one author must be 825+ list your reads: TBA
World AIDs Day - read a book about a worldwide epidemic: The Things That Keep Us Here by Carla Buckley
*Posthumously Speaking - read a book with a dead narrator and read a book that was published after the death of the author: a) White Apples by Jonathan Carroll b) TBA (in progress)
Winter Vacation Dreams - read a book that takes place in your dream vacation spot: Release by Nicole Hadaway - Europe
Multi-Tasking - read a book that will fit into two tasks in this winter challenge: The Magic Warble by Victoria Simcox fits into tasks 25 point # 10 and 15 point # 2
*Lewis and Clark - read a book about Sacajawea and another about events within America between 1800 to 1880 and describe why or why not you would want to live in this time. a) Across the Endless River by Thaddeus Carhart b) TBA
Newberry Award - read an award winner and a runner up within the same year and compare: 1999 – Holes by Louis Sachar and A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
Color by Numbers - read a book with a happy color in the title and read a book with a number in the title: a) Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess or Zadayi Red by Caleb Fox or Green Mansions by William Henry Hudson b) My One Hundred Adventures by Polly Horvath or 1984 by George Orwell or Slaughter House 5 by Kurt Vonnegut or The Traveler - The 4th Realm Trilogy by John Twelve Hawks

35 Point Tasks

Dewey Decimal System - skipping this one
*Going On A Winter Vacation - read two books one with warm in it the other with beach in it: a) On the Beach by Nevil Shute b) The Stupidest Angel - A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror by Thomas Moore (TSA - 12/21/09 pages 272)
Its About Time - read a book with seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, seasons, or years in the title: The Day of The Triffids by John Wyndham or The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford
Resolutions - read a fiction book related to a) a resolution and read b) a nonfiction book about that same resolution - happiness: a) Cursed by Jeremy Shipp and b) The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World by The Dalai Lama