The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

30.1. Ms. Anderson's Task - Itoushii Anime no Tame ni

When I saw that the Four Beast Gods had won for the yearly extra theme, I was super-excited. When I saw that we were going to start with the Vermillion Bird, I knew EXACTLY what my task would be.

The first anime I ever picked for myself (and my very favorite of all time) is Fushigi Yuugi, which roughly translates to "The Mysterious Play." It's set in Ancient China and focuses on girls who become priestesses to the Four Beast Gods (primarily Suzaku and Seiryu, the Vermillion Bird and Azure Dragon). For this task, roll two dice. Dice Roller If you get doubles, roll until you don't.

1. The series was created by Yuu Watase and originally published as a serial in one of the major magazines in Japan. She is fairly prolific--she has several series with over 50 chapters each! Preferred: Read a graphic novel by Yuu Watase. If you can't find one in your local library, message me and I may be able to help. Alternatively, you may read a book with the genre "Sequential Art>Manga" listed on the book's main page.

2. In Fushigi Yuugi there is a book known as The Universe of the Four Gods which begins, "Herein contains the tale of a young lady and her quest to gather the Seven Constellations of Suzaku together. And if you, the esteemed reader, should read to the story's end, the spell contained within this book shall bestow upon you the powers of the heroine, and grant you your wish. For indeed the moment the page is turned, the story will become reality." What would you wish for? Read a book related to your wish. Required: state the connection when you post.

3. The series itself begins when two best friends, Miaka and Yui, find the Universe of the Four Gods and (of course) read it. They find themselves surrounded by a strange light and, when the light fades, they discover that they've been transported to Ancient China! Read a book (fiction or non-fiction) either set in or about a known culture prior to 500 AD. Ex. Roman Empire, Qin Dynasty, the Sumerians. These lists may help - Ancient Listopias. As always, keep in mind that just because a book appears on one of these lists, doesn't guarantee that it will work for the task.

The culture must be known to exist through artifacts, references from other cultures, or academic consensus to count. A book speculating about the existence of a culture will not work for this task.

4. The girls not only find themselves in an unfamiliar world, but they learn that they've also become the main characters of the book. Read a book in which you wouldn't mind being the main character. REQUIRED: Explain why you wouldn't mind being the main character in your chosen book.

5. Miaka and Yui get separated, and Miaka travels to the capital of the Konan Empire to find her best friend. There she meets the emperor, who asks her to become the Priestess of Suzaku. He tells her of a legend stating that a girl from another world will appear to save Konan, and that girl would become the priestess. Read a book that contains one of these words in the title, subtitle, or series title: "Legend," "Prophecy," "Priestess." Plurals will work, but no other variants allowed.

6. In order to summon Suzaku and get her wish, the priestess must gather her Seven Warriors (the "Constellations" mentioned in the Universe of the Four Gods). Each warrior has a special power, and all are charged with protecting the priestess from those who would do her harm. Some of her warriors are excellent soldiers, while others wield magic. Read a book with "Fantasy" listed a genre on its main page.

Yoinking~

This one, too!

This thread is now open!

ohhh good place for the new Lindsey Davis book - since the description says 1st century rome - Master and God

Great task idea, Ms. Anderson - I LOVE Fushigi Yugi!

Dee wrote: "ohhh good place for the new Lindsey Davis book - since the description says 1st century rome - Master and God"

Dee, Master and God is a really good read! Not Falco but even better, I thought.

Dang. I rolled a seven. :P

I know it was just for fun - but I'm guessing we just roll one dice right? Or just pick any category? hehe - Just clarifying...

Sue Q wrote: "Dang. I rolled a seven. :P

I know it was just for fun - but I'm guessing we just roll one dice right? Or just pick any category? hehe - Just clarifying..."

You roll two six-sided die, and each number you roll corresponds with one of the options. For example, I rolled a 2 and a 4, so I'd do option 2 (book related to a wish of mine) and option 4 (book I'd like to star in).

Doh!!!! Thanks!!!!!

I rolled a 1 and a 4. I thought I was going to have a hard time with option 1, but I found that I can get a Watase book on interlibrary loan....I hope. I will put in for it next week and hope I get it before the end of February.

Does Fingerprints of the Gods: The Evidence of Earth's Lost Civilization by Graham Hancock fit into option 3?
I wanted to read it for so long.

Bea wrote: "I rolled a 1 and a 4. I thought I was going to have a hard time with option 1, but I found that I can get a Watase book on interlibrary loan....I hope. I will put in for it next week and hope I g..."

Do you mind reading things on the computer? If it takes awhile to come, I can help!

Ms anderson - question for you - for option 1 - if I wanted to try the mysterious play series by her - do they need to be read in order? because my library is weird and doesn't list each volume separately - so I can request a copy be sent to me from one of the other ones in the consortium, but i don't know if it will be vol 1 or vol 18...ugh!

Oh, I'm excited for this! I've had a stack of Alice 19th that I've been meaning to read for ages. (And I managed to roll a 1, so yay! Haha.)

Also, I'd totally recommend Absolute Boyfriend for anyone that rolls 1, I read it 5 or 6 years ago and really enjoyed it.

Skandia wrote: "Does Fingerprints of the Gods: The Evidence of Earth's Lost Civilization by Graham Hancock fit into option 3?
I wanted to read it for so long."

I'd prefer the culture be proven to exist, rather than just speculated upon.

You could use it for 15.10, though!

Dee wrote: "Ms anderson - question for you - for option 1 - if I wanted to try the mysterious play series by her - do they need to be read in order? because my library is weird and doesn't list each volume se..."

They do, unfortunately, need to be read in order.

okie dokie - hopefully, when I can request, I can specify which volume...

I must have read the task wrong. Time period fitted the task. Well, ok then.

Skandia wrote: "I must have read the task wrong. Time period fitted the task. Well, ok then."

Time period fits, but for the purposes of the task, the civilization has to have been proven beyond doubt to exist--artifacts found, references to it from other cultures, academic consensus on the civilization's existence, and so on. I'll send an edit to Sandy to make it more clear. I'm sorry for the confusion.

Ms Anderson wrote: "Do you mind reading things on the computer? If it takes awhile to come, I can help!"

No, I do not mind reading things on my computer but would like to get the book. I will let you know once I request it and see how long I much wait.

For Option 3, would the Amelia Peabody series work? They're set in the 1800's but are always investigating archaeology sites of Ancient Egypt. I'm specifically looking at The Mummy Case.

Does anyone have any recommendations for #4? I'm drawing a blank.

I think that one is kind of up to you jennifer - is there a series where you would love to be a main character - for me, it might be something like merit in CLV- because I totally want an ethan of my own! or similar

Jennifer W wrote: "Does anyone have any recommendations for #4? I'm drawing a blank."

I rolled a 4, think of something you'd like to be, i.e. wizard so you'd read Harry Potter, or vampire you can read a large selection of books, etc etc.

Sorry, mis-type, I rolled a 5.

Jennifer W wrote: "Sorry, mis-type, I rolled a 5."

If you're open to trying a manga series, there's Ceres, Celestial Legend: Aya, Vol. 1. Or Fushigi Yugi, vol. 1 is subtitled "Priestess": Fushigi Yûgi: The Mysterious Play, Vol. 1 - Priestess

The word "legend" is in a whole slew of biographies.

Jennifer W wrote: "Sorry, mis-type, I rolled a 5."

I haven't read it yet, but if you're into comics, I hear that Fables, Vol. 1: Legends in Exile is good.

Mrs.soule wrote: "For Option 3, would the Amelia Peabody series work? They're set in the 1800's but are always investigating archaeology sites of Ancient Egypt. I'm specifically looking at The Mummy Case."

From the description, the book seems more about people investigating the mystery than the ancient culture, and since it's not set in Ancient Egypt, it won't work. I'm sorry!

Jennifer W wrote: "Sorry, mis-type, I rolled a 5."

Here are two that caught my eye:

Legend <--YA Dystopian

Pawn of Prophecy <--Fantasy (and amazing...I've been wanting to reread the series)

Some others:
Seabiscuit: An American Legend <--nonfiction
The Vanished Priestess <--mystery
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow <--classic
The Romanov Prophecy <--thriller/mystery
Prophecy <--historical fiction/mystery

If you put in any of the three words on your library's catalog, you can find out what's available if you don't have any books that will work at home. That's what I usually do for word tasks, anyway, and then I sift through the options until I find something I like. There's a lot of fantasy and more mysteries than I'd have expected, and graphic novels/manga, as well. I guess it's just what you're interested in reading. Good luck!

for Legend:
Terry Brooks has the Legends of Shannara series
Elizabeth Hoyt has the Legend of the Four Soldiers series

for Prophecy
Steve berry has The Romanov Prophecy

Ooh! Prophecy. I read the first book in the series, Heresy, for last spring.

Thanks for the suggestions!

I rolled a 4 and a 6?

Fiona (Titch) wrote: "I rolled a 4 and a 6?"

So you'd read a fantasy novel for your roll of 6 and a book you'd want to be the main character of for 4.

:) thanks x

When Walls Can Talk - A YA Fantasy Novella - Cate Dean for my 6?

Aie! Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you.

The "fantasy" part has to be on the genre list on the book's page. Also, the book has to be over 100 pages.

If you go to, say, The Last of the Renshai (one of my favorite fantasy novels), and look to the right, there's a list of genres--for that particular book, "fantasy" is the top of the list. For Fushigi Yûgi: The Mysterious Play, Vol. 1 - Priestess, it's the second genre. As long as "fantasy" shows up as a genre on the book's main page (and the book is over 100 pages long), you can use that book.

No worries when you got back to me, I'll look for something else x

Kate wrote: "Jennifer W wrote: "Sorry, mis-type, I rolled a 5."

I haven't read it yet, but if you're into comics, I hear that Fables, Vol. 1: Legends in Exile is good."

That one is really good! I love that series!

Great task, Ms Anderson! I love Fushigi Yuugi. This task makes me want to re-read it.

For option 3, ancient cultures, would Crescent Dawn by Clive Cussler work?

The first chapter is set in 327 A.D., where he sets the stage for the modern day part of the book where ancient Roman artifacts are discovered and the bad guys plot to cause havoc (as usual). He usually jumps back and forth between the historical period that hid the treasure, etc and the modern search during his books so there should be more than just the first chapter set during the Roman empire.

Deanna wrote: "For option 3, ancient cultures, would Crescent Dawn by Clive Cussler work?

The first chapter is set in 327 A.D., where he sets the stage for the modern day part of the book where ancient Roman art..."

I think how it usually works for other "setting" tasks is that if the majority of the book takes place in the setting required, it will count. So if more than half of Crescent Dawn takes place in ancient Rome, I'll allow it.

I got 1 and 4.

As for #1, I have almost all Yuu Watase's works stashed somewhere, but they're in Thai. (Manga is the cheapest and most popular form of book in my country, in my opinion.)
Is it ok if I read them in my native version? Or I have to find the English version?

Or, in case I can't find where I kept Yuu's works, should my alternative be the completed series only, or any long series will also do?
For example, this


If this Skip Beat is ok, I have up to #27 in Thai and can find the rest online.

Night wrote: "I got 1 and 4.

As for #1, I have almost all Yuu Watase's works stashed somewhere, but they're in Thai. (Manga is the cheapest and most popular form of book in my country, in my opinion.)
Is it o..."

It's fine to read them in Thai. According to the rules: "Books in languages other than English may be used. Please provide information on the book and/or title to your English speaking moderators so they can understand how the books fit the tasks."

And any manga can be used, even one-shots or ongoing series, as long as they're both a) on Goodreads, b) over 100 pages, and c) have the genre "manga" on the book's page.

So enjoy!

Ok, thanks!

OK! I have read my first Watase book. It was a struggle at first as the story reads right to left which is just reverse from my normal reading pattern and big frames trump little frames...oh, and it starts at the back, but I got the hang of it with Ms. Anderson's help and lots of practice on the first chapter. And, then I was flying solo! What a wonderful story. I guess I am going to have to read the next one just to see how it all turns out.

I read Arata: The Legend, Vol. 1.

Now to find a book for option 4...who do I want to be?

Bea wrote: "Now to find a book for option 4...who do I want to be?"

If you want to be any of the main chars from Arata, you could fit the next one in *_~

For option 3- Does The Penelopiad work?

Dlmrose wrote: "For option 3- Does The Penelopiad work?"

It's set in Ancient Greece, so yes.