The Next Best Book Clubdiscussion

Here it isTHE SPRING CHALLENGE,lots of great ideas got thrown around this time so it was hard to pick but I think I have good mix of challenge. Some of the major themes of the challenge are travel, birth, & TNBBC favorites.

THE RULES
1. Anyone can participate and can join in at anytime from March 1st and through Midnight (EST) May 31st.
2. Each individual can set their own goal as to how many points they think they can earn in that time and if they want to they can reward themselves. The top 3 point earners will get to choose the 20 point tasks for the next challenge. Also the Most Improved Player and Rookie of the Season will get to select a 25 pointer. **New to the challenge is a midway winner - the top point earner at the midway point - Noon on APRIL 15th - will get to pick a 50 point task for the Spring Challenge.**
3. Each task counts for points only ONCE and the same book can not be used for two categories.
4. Re-reads count (unless otherwise stated).
5. If you have less than 50% of a book you started prior to the beginning of the current challenge it may be counted towards your point total (if it meets the criteria for one the tasks). I.E. If you are on page 10 of a 200 page book on Feb 28th and it fits one of the Spring Challenge categories it will count.
6. Small adjustments can be made to the categories but try to stick as close to the task as possible...if you aren't sure feel free to ask.
7. In general small books (I'd say 100 pages or less) like children's books should be used sparingly and only for the 5 point tasks.
8. Audiobooks can be used to complete any of the tasks unless otherwise noted.
9. It's fine to change your mind about which books you plan to use for which task at any point...just let me know.
10. Other than that just have fun; post what you are reading (tell us if you liked it); and let me know what your point total is so I can update the leader board.

THE TASKS

5 POINTS
1. Read a Science FictionORFantasy Novel.

2. Read an epistolary novelORa non-fiction collection of letters/journal etc.

3. Spring Cleaning: Follow these directions to find your book for this task...
- Go to your Goodreads bookshelf.
- Click on theAll Bookslink
- Organize them by theDate Added(going from the earliest to the most recent)
- Go down the list and read the first book you come to that you HAVE NOT yet read.

4. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles Task – Read or listen to a book while you are on a plane, on a train, or in a car (or other mode of transport like a bus/combinations of transportation)
- For this task you can’t, for example, start a book in the airport and finish it on the plane...the book must be read entirely while inside one of those modes of transportation.
- But the plane/train/car etc. does not have to be moving the entire time for it to count – exe. you can start reading the book once you board the plane before it takes off.
- DOES NOT have to be read in one sitting.

5. For Easter/Lent/Passover…
- Read a Christian Fiction novel,
- A book about sacrifice,OR
- A book about something you would or are planning to give up.

6. In Honor Of Women’s History Month…
- Read an autobiography/biography of a woman you admireOR
- A novel with one of the following in the title (woman, women, lady, ladies, female, feminine, girl, girls, maiden, madame).

7. For Arbor Day – Do your part to save some trees by…
- Reading an e-bookOR
- Listening to an audiobookOR
- By reading a book and “recycling” it - giving it away to someone else like a friend or through an online book swap/trading site or by donating it to a local library or charity.

8. For April Fools Day…
- Read a humorous novel, a book of jokes,OR
- A biography/autobiography/memoir of a comedian.

9. Read a book with one of the following Spring animals in the title…
- Rabbit or Bunny
- Bird (the word bird or any type of bird)
- Butterfly/Bees
- Lion
- LambOR
- A term for a baby animal such as kitten, cub, calf etc.

10. April Showers Bring May Flowers…
- Read one book with a Rain related word (rain, thunder, storm, shower, lightning etc. but not water) in the titleOR
- Read a book with the name of A TYPE of tree or flower in the title.

10 POINTS
1. For St. Patrick’s Day – Read a book by an Irish author, set in Ireland, OR about Ireland.

2. For Cinco De Mayo – Read a book by a Mexican author, set in Mexico, OR about Mexico.

3. For ANZAC Day – Read a book by an Australian author, set in Australia, OR about Australia.

4. Read a book by an author who was born in March, April, or May.
- You can find a list that will help with this task athttp://www.authdir.net/

5. March 24 is Harry Houdini’s Birthday – Read a book about magic, a magician etc.

6. In honor of Earth Day (April 22) read a book with the word Earth, Moon, Sun, World, Star or one of the other planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) in the title.
- Words such as earthly, sunset, lunar etc. are acceptable.

7. In Honor of Mother’s Day…
- Read a book where the author/main character shares the sameFIRSTname as your motherOR…
- Read a book recommended by/given to you by your mother.

8. In Honor of Memorial and Armed Forces Day – Read a book about a veteranORsomeone serving in the military (fiction or non-fiction).

9. Read a book from the TNBBC Top Books list…
- The book can not be your own contribution
- The number that corresponds to that book must only contain numbers that can be found in the year you were born…i.e. if you were born in 1982 (like me) you could read 1, 28, or 89 but not 93, 15, or 22 (because there is only one 2 in the date) etc.
- The list can be found under the TNBBC Top 10 Lists!! Subheading
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/7...

10. Members of the TNBBC have great tastes in books - follow these directions to find your book for this task...
- Start by going to the club’s membership list.
- Sort the member list by theDate Joinedand Find Yourself on that list. (I chose the date joined sorting option because the page you will find your name on for the other options will change more often)
- Read a book that earned a 5-Star rating by another member who is on the same page as you.

15 POINTS
1. It’s Written In the Stars…read a book that corresponds to your astrological sign… (books can be fiction or non-fiction)...
-ARIES:Made me think of Ares the Greek God of War – Read a book about the Gods, Greek Mythology, Greece etc.
-TAURUS:The Bull – Read a western, a book about a cowboy, the rodeo etc.
-GEMINI:Read a book about twins.
-CANCER:Read a book about a cancer patient, cancer survivor, cancer doctor etc.
-LEO:The king of the jungle – read a book about royalty.
-VIRGO:Read a book about a virgin, virginity or loss of, abstinence etc.
-LIBRA:Read a book about a lawyer, the law, a judge etc.
-SCORPIO:The scorpion – read a book that takes place in the desert, a wasteland etc.
-SAGITARIUS:The archer – read a book about an athlete or sports.
-CAPRICORN:is a cardinal sign which is associated with creativity – read a book about an artist or art.
-AQUARIUS:Read a book that takes place at sea, about ships etc.
-PISCES:Read a book about a fisherman, fishing, sea life, marine biology etc.

2. April is National Poetry Month – Read a book of poetryORabout a famous poet.

3. Read a pastORpresent TNBBC group read that you haven’t read before

4. Read a novel that takes place in a location you plan to visit during this challengeORhave visited previously during spring break (does not have to be overly specific i.e. if you are visiting Paris this spring (LUCKY YOU) you could read a book that takes place anywhere in France).

5. Read a book written by an author who won a major literary prize (Nobel, Pulitzer etc.) in the year you were born (it does not have to be the book they won the award for).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_...

6. Read a book that was has been translated from its original language (i.e. it could be from Swedish to English or English to Italian etc.).

7. In honor of both Dr. Seuss’ birthday (March 2) and Mother Goose Day (May 1) find and read two books with rhyming titles. By this I mean that there is a word in the title of one book that rhymes with a word in the other book’s title.
- Example: You could read TheScentof SakeANDThe RedTent

8. Get To Know The Author - Read a book by an authorANDthen either attend a reading by that authorORread/listen to an interview with that author.

9. Read a book with a color in the titleANDeat a meal that includes at least 2 foods that are that color (you don’t have to cook it yourself).
- I.E. if you read Stephen King’s The Green Mile (you could have a mixed green salad and pasta with pesto sauce; or a kiwi and a bowl of mint ice cream for dessert).
- Feel free to share recipes with the group if you do make something yummy for this task.

10. March, April, and May are the 3rd, 4th, and 5th months of the year
- Read the third, fourth and fifth books of one seriesOR
- Read 3 books with the numbers 3/4/5- three/four/five - 3rd/4th/5th - third/fourth/fifth in the titles (books do not have to come from the same series in this instance)
- You can't mix and match these though...exe. 3/four/fifth is not acceptable

25 POINT TASKS
1. KAREN’S TASK - As we are all totally completely addicted to GR (Goodreads), let's read…
- A book which title starts with the letterG AND
- A book which title starts with the letterR.
- Books like The Gargoyle orA Raisin In the Sun– that have titles beginning withA OR THEfollowed bya G or Rword are acceptable for this task.

2. EL’s TASK - Read a Non-Fiction book ABOUT OR ADIARYwritten by one of the noted diarists on This Listhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_...who lived prior to the 1900’s. NO FICTION BOOKS FOR THIS TASK!!

3. ANGELA’S TASK - Look for your first post in the Official Spring Challenge. Once you find it, look at the person below you and go to their profile and pickTWObooks to read off of their shelves. If their profile is listed as private, go to the person below that person.

4. ROS’ TASK - Read a book that’s on the big reads list.http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/bigread/top...

5. BONNIE’S TASK - Read a book outside your normal genre(s). Example: Bonnie usually reads YA, fantasy, nonfiction and classics so she'd have to read short stories, plays, mysteries, etc.

6. JON’S TASK - H.M. Queen Elizabeth II is 83 on April 21st, read a Non-Fiction book of at least 400 pages relating in some way to the British Monarchy past or present. Write a short Goodreads review and post a copy on the Spring challenge thread.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kings_of...

7. DARLA'S TASK - Read a book you've either seen in a movie or heard referenced in a movie.

8. CASSIE'S TASK - For her friend Melissa (who told her about goodreads and is a YA Librarian): Read two young adult novels.

9. SARA'S TASK - Read a book that has a title of 12 or more words.

SANDY'S 50 POINT MIDWAY TASK
***Read 2 books by an author who writes under two different names. For example, Nora Roberts also writes under the name J.D. Robb, so you would read a book by J.D. Robb and a book by Nora Roberts.***For this task ONE book can have been read prior to APRIL 15TH but the other must have been read after that date.

Woohoo!!! Can't wait to get started:~)

5 Point Tasks

1. Crown Conspiracy by: Michael J. Sullivan
2. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
3. Angels and Demons by: Dan Brown
5. Six Hours One Friday by: Max Lucado
6. The Heart of a Woman by: Maya Angelou
7. Chain Letter by:Christopher Pike
8.FoolBy: Christopher Moore
9. Lamb: A Gospel According to Biff,Christ's Childhood Pal.
10. Blue Dahlia by: Nora Roberts

10 Point Tasks

1. Jewels of the Sun by: Nora Roberts
2. The Eagles Throne by: Carlos Fuentes
3. The Book Thief by: Markus Zusak
4. One for The Money by: Janet Evanovich
5. Harry Potter and The Order of the Pheonix by: J.K. Rowling
6. Moon Called by: Patricia Briggs
9. I Capture the Castle by:Dodie Smith
10. Darkly Dreaming Dexter by: Jeff Lindsay

15 Point Tasks

1. Libra- Judge and Jury by James Patterson
2.
3. Jane Eyere or Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (Can't decide)
5. The High King by: Lloyd Alexander
7. Breaking Dawn by: Stephanie Meyer and Gone by: Michael Grant
8. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
9.
10. Three to Get Deadly
Four to Score
High Five
All by Janet Evanovich

25 point Tasks

1. Title with G in it-The Gatecrasher
Title with R in it- Real Murders

3. Confessions of a Shopaholic and Murder on theOrient Express

4. Jane Eyere
7. Harry Potter #6 (forget the name of it) as referenced in the movie "The Devil Wears Prada"
8. Graceling andHowl's Moving Castle

Point goal is 340

wow, looks even more challenging!! Great work, Cynthia.
I'm also reserving this space for my list! LOL, easy to find on 1st page.

25 Pts:
1.The Gargoyle&Robinson Crusoe25 Pts
2.The Journals of Louisa May Alcott
3.Memoirs of a Geisha&Plain Truth
4.Treasure Island
5.Great Australian mysteries: unsolved, unexplained, unknown(Non-Fiction)
6.Victoria: the young queen
7.
8.Blue Bloods&Masquerade:a Blue Bloods Novel25 Pts
9.Cleopatra and Antony: The True Story of the Ancient World's Greatest Love Affair

15 Pts:
1.The God of Small Things(Gemini: Twins)15 Pts
2.William Wordsworth: Everyman's Poetry Library
3.Jane Eyre
4.Cocaine Blues
5.The Great Fire(Shirley Hazzard - winner of National Book Critics Circle Award in 1980)not the winning book
6.The Three Musketeers
7.Alias Grace&My Placeby Margaret Atwood & Sally Morgan (respectively)15 Pts
8.Book of the Dead
9.The Red Shoe15 Pts
10.Seduced by Moonlight- Meredith Gentry 3;Stroke of Midnight- Meredith Gentry 4;Mistral's Kiss- Meredith Gentry 515 Pts

10 Pts:
1.A Song for Mary
2.Like Water for Chocolate
3.Obernewtyn- Obernewtyn Chronicles 1
4.Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports; Maximum Ride 3(James Patterson, 22nd March)10 Pts
5.The Magician's Apprentice
6.Brilliance of the Moon- Tales of the Otori 3
7.The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth am I Here for
8.Rainbow Six
9.I Capture the Castle(No. 1)
10.The Lovely Bones(Zippy)

5 Pts:
1.Across a Nightingale Floor- Tales of the Otori 1
2.Evelina(epistolary)5 Pts
3.Wives and Daughters
4.Middlemarch(audio in car)
5.The Book of God
6.Girl with a Pearl Earring
7.Beyond the Highland Mist(ebook)5 Pts
8.The Princess Bride
9.The Harsh Cry of the Heron- Tales of the Otori 4
10.Wild Lavender

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I was going to go to bed but now I'm going to go through all my books and pick some out! LOL

Yay, the challenge is up! And some of it does indeed look challenging. But ganbatte! (common Japanese saying, like "good luck!" or "go for it!"; I say it like three times a day here).

And the questions begin:

1) For 8. In Honor of Memorial and Armed Forces Day can I useOthello(Othello is a Moorish general) orMaster and Commander(about the British navy).

2) Does hemlock count for 10.
- Read a book with the name of A TYPE of tree or flower in the title.

3) For 7. In honor of both Dr. Seuss’ birthday (March 2) and Mother Goose Day (May 1) find and read two books with rhyming titles. Would you consider AT the house of the magician and reserved for the CAT rhyming enough (at/cat)? How about BELLE and of swords and SPELLS (belle/spells)? Or The queen's FOOL/the RULE of four(fool/rule)?

Hey Cynthia for this one 5. March 24 is Harry Houdini’s Birthday – Read a book about magic, a magician etc.

Would any of the Harry Potter books work?

ooooo it is 6.53 am and it is onnnnnn. great Cynthia!!!

Wow Cynthia, congratulations with making this challenge! It looks very difficult, challenging and most of the special days I didn't have a clue before.

I have feeling many questions wil come. Thanks for putting it already, now i have the whole day to think about it!!!!!:-)

This looks like it will be a FANTASTIC challenge. You've really outdone yourself with this one, Cynthia! Congrats!

Best of all, 14 books currently sitting in my house will fit some of these tasks.:)

My goodness youve surpasssed yourself Cynthia- very tricky sticks! im struggling to get much off my bookshelf into here though..

so.... my questions start (your going to have a busy week arent you!)

1.- GEMINI: Read a book about twins. -Help! any suggestions, im thinking there could be a fascinating non fiction about twins and identity/telepathy or something? maybe - go search the super Cynth library database lol p.s id rather be Leo for this one as have a book but thank goodness im not Sag LOLProblem now solved due to Meghan and Bonnie

2. 6. In honor of Earth Day (April 22) read a book with the word Earth, Moon, Sun or one of the other planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) in the title.
- Words such as earthly, sunset etc. are acceptable.
Would the word 'World' be acceptable? i seem to have three of those and none of the others..you can say no of course am sure theres lots of other stuff out there

3. Read a book written by an author who won a major literary prize (Nobel, Pulitzer etc.) in the year you were born (it does not have to be the book they won the award for).i think ive found one but boy do i wish i was younger, i feel so old, most awards hadnt even started then i was hoping do a Booker!..ok youve forced it out of me 1968:), ill have to go with an Australian literary prize that seems to be about as old as i am, so im hoping it counts for famous prize - Miles Franklin Literary Award (Australian Fiction)that was a variation one of my task suggestions too lol

4. Would you say that 'Unless' and 'prejudice' rhyme? (keeps fingers tightly crossed for approval)

5. does selling on Ebay or to a second hand bookstore, count for recylcying

and thats me satisfied for questions for a while xx

oh...wait up, for the translation one, do you have to read it in not the orginal language or can you read and one written in English thats been translated...now im re reading and thinking i imagine it must have been in a foreign language first.
-With your super database can you work out if Seven Years in Tibet was translated from a foreign language - the author was AustrianHeinrich Harrer

Cynthia - I've got a couple of questions:

You will count Newbery Award winners as recipients of a a major literary prize, right?

For the Mother's Day task, would it be okay to read a book given to you by your mother-in-law? (Personally, my mom doesn't read much, nor does she give me books!)

Such a cool list-with many opportunities to do each. I'm excited. Thanks, Cynthia!

Oh, man. This looks like so much fun, but since I went back to work full time, my reading time has been seriously diminished. Oh, well. I can't resist participating, so I'll give it my best shot!

Sometimes being a Virgo stinks... anyone got any suggestions of books that fit the criteria for Virgo for the astrology category?

10. Members of the TNBBC have great tastes in books - follow these directions to find your book for this task...
- Start by going to the club’s membership list.
- Sort the member list by the Date Joined and Find Yourself on that list. (I chose the date joined sorting option because the page you will find your name on for the other options will change more often)
- Read a book that earned a 5-Star rating by another member who is on the same page as you.

For this task I was hoping I could go to a lsit of someone that posts often ehre but I was realizing that so many people don-t post a lot and on my page didn't know any of them...lucky a day sooner and on the same pafe Giovanna joined and I am always adding books she is reading!:-))))

Liesl you could try the Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides, i havnt read it but i loved Middlesex

I have been trying to see which books I could use that I have already and you know what the hardest part is...not thinking about the books i am reading now that i could sue for spring, the ones i am not over 50% or the ones i plan to read next week...Have to tell myself to stick to my reading plans for the winter challenge!!!

Read a book from the TNBBC Top Books list…

Cynthia (or anyone): Where is the list? (Probably under my nose...)

I love the challenge! It makes me read so much stuff I wouldn't otherwise! Thanks for your hard work Cynthia!

This is the thread where TNBBC Top Books list lives:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/7...

If you go to the very last page in the thread you'll see the newest version of the list.

Has anybody been realizing that all over the world we crazy ones will be doing the same thing probably many times today at the same moment.....checking which books to use!!!!!!!

Sometimes being a Virgo stinks... anyone got any suggestions of books that fit the criteria for Virgo for the astrology category?

You could use the last two Twilight books (EclipseorBreaking Dawn). Bella wants to lose her virginity to Edward like woah (especially in the 4th book). If you're into YA you could readReady or Notby Meg Cabot. I personally hated it, but it's short. It's about a girl trying to figure out if she's ready or not to lose her virginity.

1.- GEMINI: Read a book about twins. - Help! any suggestions

Ouch, that's hard. Frankly most of the books I can think of involving twins were for young girls. Uh...you could always read a Sweet Valley High book (i.e.,Double Love). Even though for an adult male that would probably be super painful! For those who like YA,The Truth-Teller's Taleby Sharon Shinn is REALLY good. One of my favorite YA authors. Sadly, probably not something you'd like, Jon. Maybe you could readThe Comedy of ErrorsorTwelfth Nightby William Shakespeare. Both feature twins prominently.

I'm just glad I'm a Leo! Easy for me to find a book. Anyone got any suggestions for book about Mexico/Mexican author?

And I realized I never thanked Cynthia for putting together a great challenge. So thanks! It really makes me think about what I'm going to read. Some of them are toughies, but interesting nonetheless.

thanks, found it!

OK I get it... it's just a way to get everyone to read I capture the castle, right... (tee hee)

Does Twellth night have twins?! -Bonnie your a legend if it does? i as chance would have it have a graphic novel version of said play on the shelf i got from the library on a random whim last weekend, but wasnt sure if id be able to read it unless i get a window between challenges - youve made my day

No problem! Yep, there's the twins Sebastian and Viola. I sadly remembered this because I saw a movie by Amanda Bynes based off Twelfth Night. ButI checked wikipediajust to be sure.

Oh, and for those who want to look for literary awards from the year of their birthwikipedia comes to the rescue once again.I was becoming really worried because the Pulitzer, Man Booker, Nobel, etc. were turning up nada for me. And then I found out the Hugo Award my birth year went to Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. OMG, that made me so happy. It's one of my favorite books! (and, hee, just checked and the Nebula Award also went to Orson Scott Card that year. Wow, he really swept the sci fi awards!). Oh, and in case people don't know the Hugo and the Nebula are two of the most prestigious awards in sci/fantasy, so I think they count for this task.

Geminis - I just found this link, which has a TON of YA and Adult fiction and biographies about twins - scroll down through the parenting and children books.TwinsRealm

And yes, thanks, I'm a sag. Ick. Sports. Anyone know a good sports biography?:):):)


PS - WOW! Cynthia, you outdid yourself this time! I am so excited!

Meghan - thats a fab link, Cynthia no need to answer that question of mine, the troops have come to the rescue. Ill probably go with Twelfth Night as bizzarely i was going to read anyway as i found a really accessable shakespeare book i was going to give a bash - it has pictures, how hard can it be!

But..message to all other Geminis (after all we all have an uncanny twin spirit to other Gems dont you find?) through Meghans link i was reminded of the best book ever that has twins - i gave a resounding 5stars in the Winter challenge to..

The God of Small ThingsRead it you wont be dissapointed!

Does anyone know any good books about Gods, Mythology or Greece? I happen to be an Aries.

pssst. Fiona... Brokeback Mnt is probably the shortest book youll ever read (as an adult) and cowboys and rodeos galore so wont be too hideous for you. Oh hang on though... must be over 100 pages unless 5 pointer unless you get a special dispensation from Mistress C

Yay, this looks fun! But I'm not awake enough to pick my books yet.:) Looking forward to getting started!

I reckon thats a great challengeKristinamust be heaps. Theres Zorba the greek and Correllis Mandolin for Greece, erm...i read Clash of the Titans as a teen and liked it, its a novelisation of the movie. For Mythology theres heaps on Egypt - fiction withChristian Jacqstuff - Rameses etc and the series withRiver God A Novel of Ancient Egyptand Warlock in it by Wilbur smith which are good and for non fiction theres biographies of pharaohs (they were seen as gods themselves and is all v much linked to mythology )- this author is fantastic for thoseJoyce A. Tyldesleythe ones on Hatchepsut and Nefertiti are brilliant (not at all heavy going)

ah yes, the collection probably would be Fiona, i had that one on its own and was about 64

Jon: I didn't even think about Christian Jacq. I actually have readThe Ramses SeriesandThe Stone of Light Series,and I also haveThe Queen of Freedom Trilogyunread on my shelf!

Cynthia: Would one ofThe Queen of Freedom Trilogybooks by Christian Jacq count for the Aries-task?

Sorry, Cynthia, but a few more questions:

1) WouldMidnight Sunby Stephanie Meyer count for 6. In honor of Earth Day (April 22) read a book with the word Earth, Moon, Sun? I know it's just a draft, but it's also listed on Good Reads and is over 200 pages.

2) All the poetry books that I want to read that I've found are less than 100 pages. I would really like to read either100 Best-Loved PoemsorGreat Short Poems.They are both Dover Thrift Editions, which tend to be shorter than other versions of books (cheaper and thinner by cutting out footnotes and introductions, etc.). Would those be acceptable for the task?

Fiona wrote: "WHY do I have to be a Taurus? I don't like westerns or rodeos.

I don't suppose The Horse Whisperer would count. It's set in the West about a horse but it certainly isn't cowboys and rodeos.

Oh no... "


can't you just read the book of Brokeback mounain?

Fiona, I am scorpio....

Fiona wrote: "Jeane wrote:" Fiona, I am scorpio.... "

LOL I feel much lucker now. A desert or a wasteland... gee. "

yep...I guess it might be not too bed yet for you. the only thing is finding out about those great books that count but you don't have a clue about!

Jeane wrote: "Fiona, I am scorpio...."

MaybeThe Roadby Cormac McCarthy? Kind of takes place in a wasteland, and great book at the same time.:)

Kristina wrote: "Jeane wrote:" Fiona, I am scorpio.... "

Maybe The Road by Cormac McCarthy? Kind of takes place in a wasteland, and great book at the same time.:) "

thanks I will give it a look

Scorpios - try this, i love it
The Sheltering Sky

"How many more times will you remember a certain afternoon of your childhood, some afternoon that's so deeply a part of your being that you can't even conceive of your life without it? Perhaps four or five times more. Perhaps not even that. How many more times will you watch the full moon rise? Perhaps twenty. And yet it all seems limitless."
— Paul Bowles (The Sheltering Sky)

Jon wrote: "Scorpios - try this, i love it
The Sheltering Sky"

thanks, I added it to my list. the more possibilities the more chance i found something at the library

Liesl wrote: "Oh, man. This looks like so much fun, but since I went back to work full time, my reading time has been seriously diminished. Oh, well. I can't resist participating, so I'll give it my best shot..."

For your Virgo book, you could read Forever by Judy Blume or The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares.

Meghan wrote: "Geminis - I just found this link, which has a TON of YA and Adult fiction and biographies about twins - scroll down through the parenting and children books. TwinsRealm

And yes, thanks, I'm a sa... "

How about Tony Dungy's book Quiet Strength?

Kristina wrote: "Does anyone know any good books about Gods, Mythology or Greece? I happen to be an Aries."

The Lightning Thief (first in the Percy Jackson series).

Have all the books on the group bookshelf been group reads? Or is it just the ones that were added by Lori?

Oh..Scorpios, you could useThe Alchemisttoo

ok..im really going to bed now, spent way too much time playing about in here and picking out books, i havnt even finished the Winter one yet!

*Takes a Bow* Thanks for all the kudos - I was surprised to see so many posts when I woke up this morning. I really enjoyed putting it together - I think there is a good mix of tasks.

Here's the answers to your?'s

Bonnie – For the military task – it can be historical military for any country – so yes as long as both are at least 100 pages (since it’s not a 5 point task) then they both count. Hemlock is fine. At/Cat is fine so is Fool/Rule – but it would have to be Belles or Bells/Spells to count. Midnight Sun would be ok – if you don’t mind reading the pdf file.

Lisa – Yes Harry Potter is fine for the magic tasks.

Jon – World is acceptable. The award you picked is fine. Unless/Prejudice – not so much. Since you can sometimes earn a profit with actual recycling I will accept ebay etc. for that. For the translation task – if you want to read a book in English it has to have been first written in French, Italian etc. As near as I can figure out Seven Years In Tibet was originally published in English so you would have to read it in another language to count it.

Jamie – Yes the Newbery Award Counts. Mother in Law is fine – but remember you can do the option of finding a book where the author/character shares the same name – it’s one or the other not both for that task.

Fiona – Yes you would have to read the whole book of short stories.

For ARIES – It should be Greek Mythology not just any mythology – I’m going to edit that post.

For the Poetry Task – I will make an exception to the 100 page rule – I’ll cut it to 75 pages.

One more question: for the task with attending an author reading/reading an interview by the author, is it okay to do it in the reverse order (ie attend the reading/read the interview first)?

Yes you can do the author/reading task in any order.

Thanks, Cynthia. That helps a lot! (I also had trouble finding a book for my mom's name - Loretta - so I was hoping to use one of the books my mother-in-law has given me that I have been meaning to read for a long time.)