The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
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WINTER CHALLENGE 2024
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Winter 2024 Task Ideas
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Wrapped in MysterySnow is falling, and a dark secret is hidden beneath the frozen ground. Can you unravel the mystery before the ice melts?
Pick a MPG that is mystery, suspense, or thriller where the plot centers around a secluded, snowbound location, like a cabin or mountain lodge, or even an isolated town with limited access to the outside world.
Examples:
The Shining
The Sanatorium
An Unwanted Guest
I was thinking that coral reefs are built by millions of individual creatures - so, read a collection by multiple authors
Lisa MDAONBs
Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) are designated areas of countryside in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland that have significant landscape value. They are exceptional landscapes whose distinctive character and natural beauty are precious enough to be safeguarded in the national interest.
Option 1: Read 2 books, one to satisfy each requirement.
Book 1: Read a book set at least 50% in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland.
Book 2: Read a book whose title contains the letters "AONB."
Option 2: Read one book that satisfies both of the above requirements.
"Landscapes for Life"
The National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (NAAONB) is an independent registered charity acting on behalf of AONBs. Their slogan is "Landscapes for Life." Read a book with a title word of 4 or more letters which can be made from the letters in the slogan.
Winter Blues
Chase away those winter blues. Read a book whose cover does not have any blue in it per the Tineye Color Extractor.
The USA has it's areas of Natural Beauty too:Read a book that takes place in one of these States
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles...
Read a book that was published in a year a National Park was establishd
https://ilovenationalparks.org/nation...
following cuz this is such a great idea.
Question for everyone....I don't understand the theme It's A Wonderful World: Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Is Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty a specific designation (as explained in LisaMDs proposed task in message 4 of this thread)
or is Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty a general phrase, open to interpretation.
Mod
It's A Wonderful World: Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Is Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty a specific designation (as explained in Li..."
AONB (or National Landscapes, as they're apparently now known) is a designation specific to England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but there are equivalents elsewhere - Scotland has "National Scenic Areas" that have the same protections. I'm not sure if Finland's National Landscapes are the same thing or the names of equivalent designations across the world, but if you know of something where you are, please shout out!
Basically, AONBs don't quite have the same status as National Parks, but they are nationally or internationally recognised as being notable areas in need of dedicated conservation efforts.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Area_of...Read a book with a 4 or more letter word in the title that can be found in the list of AONB
Winter, in the northern hemisphere, takes place from Dec 21 2024 - March 19 2025.Read a book published between December 21 and March 19 (inclusive) of any year.
It's soooo cold....Read a book set in one of the coldest countries
Canada, Russia, Mongolia, Norway, Kyrgyzstan, Finland, Iceland, Tajikistan, Sweden, Denmark
(I used this list https://en.tempo.co/read/1863152/10-c... )
Happy HolidaysRead a book with MPG Holiday or Christmas
Jayne wrote: "Susan A wrote: "Question for everyone....I don't understand the theme It's A Wonderful World: Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Is Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty a specific designation (as..."
I don't know what an equivalent to the AOBNB would be in the USA, but here's some designations of various possibles?
The National Scenic Byways Program is a voluntary, community-based program administered through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to recognize, protect, and promote America’s most outstanding roads.
There are 11 National Scenic Trails, totaling 24,600 miles, within the National Trails System.
The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by Congress in 1968 to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free-flowing condition for the enjoyment of present and future generations.
There are other national programs for wetlands, grasslands, forests, etc.
Read a non-fiction book of someone experiencing life in the outdoors. For example a book about a long hike, camping trip, mountain climb, bicycle or motorcycle trip, pilgrimage etc. Could exclude car or RV trips as the participants are not actually in the outdoors.
read a book shelved as Nature or that has a nature theme
from a list of ANOB - read one book with a title of at least three words where the starting letter can be found in the ANOBrepeat for authors initials
one book option - one that works for both without repeating any letter use
authors initials can be found in AONBbook with title that starts with AONB - to make it harder could exclude "A/An" titles
Mod
It's A Wonderful World: Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Is Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty a specific designation (as explained in Li..."
Being from the US. I was unaware this was particular to England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This was new to me too!
Mod
Heck, I'm from the UK and I thought it was an international thing!
I have a few - • International Mountain Day (December 11) – Read a book set in or near a mountainous region, or with a cover that depicts a mountain.
• National Cocoa Day (December 13) – Choose a book with a hot beverage on the cover or read a book set in a place known for its chocolate using this list - https://worldstrides.com/blog/2018/02...
• World Braille Day (January 4) – Read a book by or about someone with a disability.
• Birdwatching Month (January) – Read a book with a bird on the cover, in the title, or where a bird plays a role in the story.
• Burns Night (January 25) – Celebrate Scottish poet Robert Burns by reading a book of poetry, Scottish literature, or a work set in Scotland.
• World Wetlands Day (February 2) – Select a book set near a river, swamp, or wetland environment, or a story focused on nature preservation.
• International Polar Bear Day (February 27) – Read a book set in a polar region, such as Antarctica or the Arctic, or featuring wildlife.
• Valentine’s Day (February 14) – Read a book with a love story, but not necessarily a romance genre book. Try finding an unexpected love story in a thriller, sci-fi, or historical fiction book for a twist.
• The Northern Lights – Choose a book set in a location or country where you could see the aurora borealis. Either specific states, like Alaska or Michigan or any of the top countries. https://www.cntraveler.com/stories/20...
• Coastal Wonders – Pick a book set by the coast, near cliffs, or in a seaside town.
• Deserts and Dunes – Read a book set in a desert landscape or with themes of survival in harsh environments.
• Volcanic Vistas – Select a book set near a volcano or volcanic landscape (Hawaii, Iceland, Mt. Fuji).
• Forests of the World – Choose a book where forests are key to the story, such as a mystery in a remote forest or a fantasy set in enchanted woods.
Martin Luther King Day is January 20th. Read a book about the civil rights movement in United States. Fiction and Non-Fiction both work.
Dec 21st is Winter Solstice which is the shortest day of the year and also the longest night of the year. Choose from one of the following options:
Option 1: Read during day light hours means you have very little daylight so read a book from this list:
https://bookriot.com/best-short-books/
Option 2: Long nights are made for curling up with a good book and a blanket.
Read a book from this cozy mystery list: https://www.usatoday.com/story/entert...
Or this cozy fantasy list: https://www.usatoday.com/story/entert...
Option 3: December 21st falls on a Saturday so take all weekend and read a book from this list of best long books over 500 pages: https://lithub.com/the-50-best-contem...
Option 4: Dec 20th is also known as Yule. Read a book that has all 4 letters in the title OR in author's name. They do not have to be sequential.
Mod
Just a note on the above. RVers CAN be camping. We have a small RV (class B) that can easily be used boondocking and much like the tent camping my kids and I did in the past. We just have harder walls now...
Cupid is famous on Valentines Day for bringing lovers together. Cupid in Mythology is the God of love, attraction and affection and is the son of Venus a love Goddess and Mars God of War. For this challenge, read a book with MPG Romance as well as MPG of War, Thriller or Mythology,
Many of my grandchildren are winter babies. Read a book whose author or main character has name from this list of Winter Baby Names https://www.parents.com/winter-baby-n...
In January, the Chinese calendar will start the year of the snake. So read a book with a serpentine element on the cover
Jayne wrote: "I'm not sure if Finland's National Landscapes are the same thing or the names of equivalent designations across the world, but if you know of something where you are, please shout out!Apparently we now also have "National Landscapes" in the UK. The area where I spent my teens is now the "Malvern Hills National Landscape", and I was looking for something on google maps and also found the "Cannock Chase National Landscape" (and the seperate Cannock Chase AONB).
So maybe a book with a landscape on the cover with no visible people or buildings.
Or as both of those seem to be hilly areas, a book with hills or mountains on the cover, with or without people and buildings.
Mod
From what I've come across while researching, it seems that "National Landscape" is just the new name for AONB from a branding standpoint - it's likely that Google just hasn't caught up. AONB is still the legally recognised term for some reason. Yay, fixing things that aren't broken!
In the Northern Hemisphere, winter means SNOW in many locations. 1) Read a book with a cover depicting individual snowflake(s), snow-covered scene, or snowman.
2) Snowflakes typically have the shape of a hexagon, meaning they have 6 arms. Read a book that is #6 in a series, OR that has a 6 in its publication year.
3) Read a book with a title, subtitle, or author name of 4+ letters you can make from the phrase LET IT SNOW.
Based on the Wiki page for Snowflake
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowflake
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The Seasonal Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Shining (other topics)The Sanatorium (other topics)
An Unwanted Guest (other topics)
The bonus theme is It's A Wonderful World: Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
As in past challenges some tasks may revolve around the seasonal theme of Winter. Others may reflect the bonus theme. Other tasks may have nothing to do with either of those themes, they’re just fun or unique ideas to stimulate your reading.
Feel free to post as many ideas as you can come up with. Don’t worry about repeating what someone else has might have already suggested. The more ideas, the better!
The moderators will draw from these ideas as well as their own to create the 5, 10 and 15 point tasks. This thread will be open for ideas until November 14. Fall tasks will begin to be posted on November 15. We look forward to seeing what you come up with!