The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

This is the thread where you can submit a task idea for the 50 Point Task contest. The thread is now open for submissions and will close at Midnight Eastern time on July 5. Voting will start the next day, July 6 and will close at the end of the day on July 12. If the moderators determine that the vote is close, a 3-day runoff poll will be held. The person whose idea gets the most votes will host the 50 point task for the Summer Challenge.

The 50 point task will require:
1. Only 3 options. These options may not include more than 2 "sub options" - 6 total in the task.
2. One book per option.
3. Three books totaling at least 750 pages. Your task idea may require a higher page threshold but this must be disclosed in your entry.
4. No books with the genres children or kids on the main book page may be used.
5. Books whose main page lists any of these genres: Sequential Art, Comics, Comic Book, or Manga may not be used.
6. No “free choice” options will be allowed. This is a challenge, so tasks that have no element of challenge do not fit the purpose.
7. A task must be accessible to the majority of players, i.e. not limited to a specific format, edition, publisher, etc. and reviewable by the moderators.

Anyone eligible* to design a task may submit an idea for a task that follows the general guidelines above. Your idea should be a sketch that may be developed with the moderators.

* To be eligible to create a task, the player’s profile must be set up to accept Goodreads messages, and they must not have a task in the current challenge. Only one task per person per challenge.


The group will vote to determine the 50 point task. All ideas that fit the general guidelines will be included in a poll. The poll winner will develop their idea with the moderators to refine their task. The final task may differ from the original idea submission. The task will be posted as close to the midpoint as reasonably possible. The task creator will monitor and answer questions in the help thread.

Please include your Readerboard name and a title for your task. The entries will be listed by Readerboard name and task title in the poll. Please include only one task idea entry per post.

PLEASE DO NOT comment on people's entries in this thread - this is for submissions only - you will be able to comment when voting begins. Comments in this thread will be deleted.

Susan A

The Baby Boom

Following World War II, the United States experienced a greatly elevated birth rate, adding on average 4.24 million new babies to the population every year between 1946 and 1964. By the end of the baby boom, 76.4 million babies had been born.



The most popular baby names during the baby boomer period in the US were:
Girls: Mary, Linda, Patricia, Susan, Barbara
Boys: James, Robert, John, Michael, David

(Reference: https://www.chicagotribune.com/featur...)


Choose 3 options; read one book for each option. The total pages read must be 764 pages or more. All books must be new to you.

Option A: Read a book by a single author whose first name exactly matches a name from the list of top girl names.

Option B: Read a book by a single author whose first name exactly matches a name from the list of top boy names.

Option C: Read a book with a main character whose first name exactly matches a name from the list of top girl names. The main character's name must be listed in the GR book description.

Option D: Read a book with a main character whose first name exactly matches a name from the list of top boy names. The main character's name must be listed in the GR book description.

Required: State the name chosen for each option. Confirm that the books read are new to you.


(Edited on July 4. I don't think it met the requirements as originally written)

TraceyL's Task - Stephen King

Stephen King is my favorite author. He's been publishing books for nearly 50 years and is still working today. This task is based on the King of Horror himself.

Pick 3 options and read 3 books that total at least 750 pages.
No books with the genres children or kids on the main book page may be used.
Books whose main page lists any of these genres: Sequential Art, Comics, Comic Book, or Manga may not be used.

Option 1: To date, King has published 65 novels, 5 nonfiction books and over 200 short stories. He has also written many screenplays for film adaptations of his works.

Read a book by Stephen King. Books with multiple authors are allowed as long as King is listed in Goodreads as a contributor. This includes his books originally published under his pseudonym Richard Bachman.

Option 2: Many of King's books are set in his home state of Maine, including in his fictional towns of Derry and Castle Rock.

Read a book set at least 50% in the state of Maine. If not mentioned on the book's Goodreads page, provide a link to a reference.

This list may help, but your book does not need to appear on it: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

Option 3: Several of King's stories focus on a group of childhood friends. These include It, The Body and Dreamcatcher, to name a few.

Read a book that focusses on a friend group of at least 3 people who were childhood friends. They can be adults in the story as long as they are referred to as childhood friends. If not mentioned on the book's Goodreads page, provide a link to a reference.

Non-King Examples:
The Chalk Man
The Saturday Night Ghost Club
The Gunners

Option 4: Almost all of King's novels and many of his short stories have been adapted into tv shows and movies.

Read a book that has been adapted into a tv show or movie. Provide a link to the IMDB page of the show/movie.

Non-King Examples:
Daisy Jones & The Six
The Summer I Turned Pretty
A Man Called Ove

Option 5: King's first published book was Carrie, and his most recent is Holly.

Read a book with a one word title that is also a woman's name. It does not have to be the name of the main character. Ignore subtitles.

Non-King Examples:
Queenie
Caroline: Little House, Revisited
Emma

Option 6: King loves supporting other horror authors and will often help promote their work.

Read a book with a Stephen King blurb printed on the cover. It can appear on the front or back. If the Goodreads photo does not show the blurb, provide a link to a reference photo. If the specific book edition you read does not include the blurb, but another edition does, you can link to the other edition as your reference.

Examples:

Trishhartuk’s idea - Tina!

I was very sad to hear of the death of Tina Turner in May this year, as I'd known and enjoyed her music since I started listening to the radio as a teenager. She was an amazing woman who overcame adversity to become a true icon. This task celebrates this great performer.

Read three books that total at least 750 pages: one Book 1; one from either of the options under Book 2; and one Book 3.

No books with the MPGs Childrens or Kids (or their new equivalents) on the main book page may be used.

Books with MPGs of any of these Sequential Art, Comics, Comic Book, or Manga may not be used.

Book 1. While Tina had initial success with her former husband, Ike, the marriage ended when she had the courage to walk away after years of abuse, and she later became an advocate for women who were in the position she'd managed to escape. Read a book with a main character who has recently become single, or becomes single during it, via either a divorce, a break-up, an escape or the death of their partner. Required: if it isn’t clear from the GR description, provide a reference mentioning how the relationship ended.

Book 2. One of her best known hits was the theme to the James Bond movie Goldeneye. She also appeared movies on her own account, notably as one of the major antagonists in Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, and as a supporting player in the Who's Tommy.

*** Option 1: I saw Tina live at Wembley in 1996, and she opened that set with Goldeneye. Coming out of an iris, and then being lowered onto the stage and stepping down is one of the best concert entrances I've ever seen. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3nyE...). Read a book with at least three stairs or steps on the cover. They can be stylised, drawn or a photograph, but must clearly be stairs. Required: post the cover.

*** Option 2: Beyond Thunderdome was a post-apocalyptic science fiction movie, and her appearance as the Acid Queen in Tommy was pretty far out there in its own way, as well. Read a book with one or more of the MPGs Science Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Dystopia, Apocalyptic or Post Apocalyptic

Book 3. Not many female singers - or even singers in general - could pull off dancing in a music video interspersed with images of a horse, especially at the age of 50, but she managed it in the video for The Best. As she was often just called "Tina", read a book where the author’s FIRST NAME begins with a letter found in the phrase THE BEST.

Vacation Time!

Does anyone else get hit with the travel bug in the summer time? Whether you're staying close to home, or going somewhere far away, summer travel always brings its own kind of fun.

Pack your bags and grab your passport, we're going on a summer adventure!

This task requires three books totaling at least 750 pages.
No books with the genres children or kids on the main book page may be used.
Books whose main page lists any of these genres: Sequential Art, Comics, Comic Book, or Manga may not be used.

Book 1: Economy
Get your tunes and your snacks, because we're keeping it cheap by road tripping!

Option 1: Read a book set in the country where you reside.
- OR -
Option 2: Read a book with a car on the cover. The car may be a photo or a graphic, old-timey or modern, but it must be identifiable as a car.

Examples:

Book 2: Business Class
Pack your carry on and your travel pillow, and don't forget your passport! We're taking to the skies!

Option 1: Read a book set on a continent that is different than the one where you reside. If the setting is not obvious in the GR description, provide a reference.
Required: State where you live.

- OR -

Option 2: Read a book with one of these 32 most famous world landmarks on the cover.
https://travel.usnews.com/gallery/the...

The landmark may be a photo or drawn, but it must be identifiable. Required: State the landmark.
Examples: (Eiffel Tower) (Taj Mahal)

Book 3: First Class
Luxury mode unlocked! Stretch out in your first class seat and sip on some champagne because you're going to your dream destination!

Read a book set in your dream travel destination, where you have never been. This must be a real place on earth (no trips to Martian colonies or the Moon!)
Required: Explain why you want to travel there, and state that you have never been

Example: Exiles This book takes place in Australia. I've never visited Australia, but I've always wanted to go. It's so far away (literally on the other side of the world), and every Australian I've ever met has been so kind and lovely, so I'd love to go experience the country for myself. (Also, Koalas.)