The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

25.3 - mstan's Task: Different Selves, Different Tales

For this task, you are required to pick any one of the four options below and read 2 books for that option:

Option 1: Self & Other
Read a book of fiction written by a single author (Book 1) and a memoir, autobiography or biography written by/about the author of Book 1. The latter book must be shelved as one of those genres (i.e. 'memoir', 'autobiography', or 'biography'). Nested genres are fine. E.g. It and On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Option 2: Young & Old
Read two books by the same single author, one of which is shelved as 'young adult' or 'children's', one of which contains neither of those genres on its main page. E.g. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and The Casual Vacancy.

Option 3: Past & Future
Read two books by the same single author, the publication dates of which must be at least 25 years apart. The publication dates used must be for the first publication of the book. E.g. Carry on, Jeeves(1925) and Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves (1963) (38 years apart)

Option 4: Apples & Oranges
Read two books by the same single author. The main page of the first book must contain one of the genres under 'Apples' but none of the genres under 'Oranges'. The main page of the second book must contain one of the genres under 'Oranges', but none of the genres under 'Apples'.

Apples: Fantasy, science fiction, romance
Oranges: Mystery, horror, thriller

E.g. The End of the Affair (apple: romance) and Brighton Rock (orange: mystery) - both by Graham Greene

Required for option 4 - Please state your apple & orange as shown in the example.

NOTE: No pseudonyms may be used for this task, e.g. Richard Bachman's books cannot be used to stand in for Stephen King's.

NOTE: Books with genre "Children's" or "Kids" that are at least 100+ pages and conform to all other SRC rules may be used for this task.

Required: Indicate the option

Please note that for Option 1, Book 1 has to be a work of fiction. I'll get this edited in the task description before the tasks are confirmed.

reserved

This help thread is open!

Please verify these qualify for Option 2 YOUNG & OLD

The Song of the Quarkbeast - Jasper Fforde - shelved as Young Adult

Shades of Grey - Jasper Fforde - NOT shelved as either Young Adult or Children's

Would like approval for the following two books under Option 4 : Apples and Oranges.

Author : Joyce Carol Oates

Book 1 : Zombie (Horror-Crime-Thriller)
Book 2 : Big Mouth and Ugly Girl (Romance-Young Adult-Realistic Fiction)

Option 3 Past & Future

Book 1: Restoree by Anne McCaffrey pub 1967

Book 2: Freedom's Landing by Anne McCaffrey pub 1995

28 years apart

Nice task!

May I get approval for this combination?

Option 2: Young and Old -- both books by Daniel Coleman

For Young -- Jabberwocky -- Shelved as young adult and children's as genres on main page

For Old -- Gifts and Consequences -- NOT shelved as young adult or children's

Thanks!!

Option 4: Apples and Oranges

Author = James Patterson

Apples = Witch & Wizard - fantasy

Oranges = NYPD Red - mystery, thriller

Approved for genres?

Book Concierge wrote: "Please verify these qualify for Option 2 YOUNG & OLD

The Song of the Quarkbeast - Jasper Fforde - shelved as Young Adult

Shades of Grey - Jasper Fforde - NOT shelv..."

Approved.

Apoorv wrote: "Would like approval for the following two books under Option 4 : Apples and Oranges.

Author : Joyce Carol Oates

Book 1 : Zombie (Horror-Crime-Thriller)
Book 2 : [book:B..."

Approved, but you don't have to list 'young adult' and 'realistic fiction' for Book 2 when posting the completed task.

Susan A wrote: "Option 3 Past & Future

Book 1: Restoree by Anne McCaffrey pub 1967

Book 2: Freedom's Landing by Anne McCaffrey pub 1995

28 years apart"

Approved

Sandi wrote: "May I get approval for this combination?

Option 2: Young and Old -- both books by Daniel Coleman

For Young -- Jabberwocky -- Shelved as young adult and children..."

Approved

Elizabeth wrote: "Nice task!"

Thanks Elizabeth :) I enjoyed coming up with it!

For option 3, just to confirm the task wording is intentional, is exactly 25 years apart okay? I'm looking at a 1981 book and a 2006 book by the same author.

for option 1

book 1 - Jane Austen (I haven't read yet) and then
book 2 - All Roads Lead to Austen: A Yearlong Journey with Jane

Stacey wrote: "For option 3, just to confirm the task wording is intentional, is exactly 25 years apart okay? I'm looking at a 1981 book and a 2006 book by the same author."

Hi Stacey, that's fine.

Dee wrote: "for option 1

book 1 - Jane Austen (I haven't read yet) and then
book 2 - All Roads Lead to Austen: A Yearlong Journey with Jane"

Sounds good, Dee! Enjoy Jane Austen! I am a fan of hers :)

thanks - I've been rather lacking in my classics reading in the past, so i'm trying to get caught up and this austen book looks intriguing

I guess as another book 1 pairing

anything by Tolstoy and then book 2 - Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading - which I think is somewhere in my book shelves

Dee wrote: "I guess as another book 1 pairing

anything by Tolstoy and then book 2 - Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading - which I think is somewhere in my book shelves"

Hmm, for this one, it's not too clear if book 2 is really about Tolstoy and his works/life only. From reading the reviews, it looks like the protagonist reads several books following the death of her sister. So even though Tolstoy is in the title, it won't work.

Can I get these two possibilities approved please (can't decide which to read):

Option 1:
Elizabeth Taylor (not the film star)
Blaming by Elizabeth Taylor
The Other Elizabeth Taylor by Nicola Beauman - Biography

Option 2:
Terry Pratchett
The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents - YA/Children's
The Color of Magic - Not YA/Children's

mstan, did you miss my post #10?

I am going to read It and On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King.

Will these work for Option 3

The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon (1966) ***only 152 pages***

Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon (2009)

More than 25 years apart

Thanks

Bea wrote: "Option 4: Apples and Oranges

Author = James Patterson

Apples = Witch & Wizard - fantasy

Oranges = NYPD Red - mystery, thriller

Approved for genres?"

Sorry for missing this earlier Bea. Approved.

Rosemary wrote: "Can I get these two possibilities approved please (can't decide which to read):

Option 1:
Elizabeth Taylor (not the film star)
Blaming by Elizabeth Taylor
[book:The O..."

Both sound great. I like Terry Pratchett too. I've just added one of Elizabeth Taylor's books to my to-read list as she seems to write the kind of novels I'd like.

Shawn wrote: "Will these work for Option 3

The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon (1966) ***only 152 pages***

Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon (2009)

More t..."

Sounds good. Enjoy!

Option 2:
The Long Walk by Stephen King (published 1979)

The Colorado Kid by Stephen King
(published 2004)

Delmy =^.^= wrote: "Option 2:
The Long Walk by Stephen King (published 1979)

The Colorado Kid by Stephen King
(published 2004)"

Hi Delmy, this is fine but I think you meant Option 3 instead of 2?

Yes, thanks, I meant Option 3.
:)

I'm not sure which pair I want to read yet, so I'm going to post both for approval ....

Option 2 - Young Old
The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
Zoo by James Patterson

Option 3 - Past Future
Odds Against by Dick Francis (1965)
Under Orders by Dick Francis (2005)

Pat wrote: "I'm not sure which pair I want to read yet, so I'm going to post both for approval ....

Option 2 - Young Old
The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
Zoo..."

Approved!

Could I please get approval for -

Option 2: Young & Old

Sweet by Erin McCarthy (YA) and

Mouth To Mouth by Erin McCarthy (no YA or Childrens)

Fran wrote: "Could I please get approval for -

Option 2: Young & Old

Sweet by Erin McCarthy (YA) and

Mouth To Mouth by Erin McCarthy (no YA or Childr..."

Approved

Hi! I would like approval for these if they work:

Option 1
Delicious!
Not Becoming My Mother: and Other Things She Taught Me Along the Way

Thanks!

Nicole wrote: "Hi! I would like approval for these if they work:

Option 1
Delicious!
Not Becoming My Mother: and Other Things She Taught Me Along the Way

Thanks!"

Hi Nicole, this works fine.

Hi I would like to see if I can use

Sophie Jordan

Young
Firelight

Old
Wicked in Your Arms

Angel **Book Junkie** wrote: "Hi I would like to see if I can use

Sophie Jordan

Young
Firelight

Old
Wicked in Your Arms"

Yes, this works!

another one for option 1 -
a) Mary Poppins (P.L. Travers)
b) Mary Poppins, She Wrote: The Life of P. L. Travers - her bio

the bio came in at the library after a 4 month wait list...haha!

Dee wrote: "another one for option 1 -
a) Mary Poppins (P.L. Travers)
b) Mary Poppins, She Wrote: The Life of P. L. Travers - her bio

the bio came in at the library after a 4 mo..."

Hi Dee,
That works for Option 1. I adore Mary Poppins!

Allison wrote: "Do Pseudonyms work?

Like if I read Harry Potter by JK Rowling and The Silkworm by Robert Gilbraith for #2?"

Hi Allison, sorry, pseudonyms don't work, as stated in the note at the bottom of the task description:

"NOTE: No pseudonyms may be used for this task, e.g. Richard Bachman's books cannot be used to stand in for Stephen King's."

Allison wrote: "Okay I got it this time. It will be for Option 2 both by Joe Abercrombie

Half a King (YA)
The Blade Itself (Adult)"

Approved

Does this work for Option 3?

I want to read Fires of Winter by Johanna Lindsey (published 1980) and Marriage Most Scandalous by by Johanna Lindsey (published 2005). This makes it 25 years apart. Also I didn't see it for this category. Re-read is allowed for this one, because I have read the second book a while back.

Hina wrote: "Does this work for Option 3?

I want to read Fires of Winter by Johanna Lindsey (published 1980) and Marriage Most Scandalous by by Johanna Lindsey (published 2005). Th..."

Hi Hina
Yes this works, and re-reads are allowed.

for option 2 - can you validate:

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry - adult, no YA or childrens showing

All These Things I've Done - young adult, no adult showing

Dee wrote: "for option 2 - can you validate:

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry - adult, no YA or childrens showing

All These Things I've Done - young adult, no adult showing"

ok

For option 1, can I read the mocking bird next door, which is about Harper Lee, and of course, the other book would be To Kill a Mockingbird one of my all time favorite books and, ergo, a reread.

Cindie wrote: "For option 1, can I read the mocking bird next door, which is about Harper Lee, and of course, the other book would be To Kill a Mockingbird one of my all time favorite ..."

Hi Cindie, this is fine, but for the first book, will you be reading The Mockingbird Next Door: Life with Harper Lee instead? The edition you linked to doesn't contain any synopsis or details on the book.