The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
SPRING CHALLENGE 2010
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Task Ideas Spring
Wow these challenges go by fast!For the Oscars in March: Read a biography about a movie star or director or non-fiction book about Hollywood/Movie Industry
Read two books where the main characters have the same first or last name
April is National Poetry Month: read 2 books of poetry written in two different centuries
Read a book with a title that is related to the name of your favorite baseball team
Read a book with a green cover or with the word green in the title
For women's history month read a fictional novel about a real-life woman
Read a novel written for adults where the protagonist is a child
Read a book with a flower, leaf, plant or tree on the cover
I just joined and can't wait to get started on the Spring Challenge, I'm too far behind for the Winter Challenge. So here are my suggestions from a complete newbie:Read a book that has a Storm in it
Read a book that has a fruit or vegetable in the title
1)I like the task where you can revisit a past challenge. I like to see that repeated. 2)Read a book from your favorite genre (I have tons of fantasy books)
3)For St. Patrick's Day, read a book where leprechuan is in the title or is about St Patrick's Day.
4) Reread one book out of your favorite series.
5) Read a book that has to do with Spring
6) For April Fool's read a funny book or a joke book
7) In honor of Memorial Day, read a book about any war, fiction or nonfiction
In honor of April Fool's day, read a book with the word "Fool" or "Fools" in the title or sub-title.
April 25 is ANZAC Day. Read a book set in Australia or New Zealand.
In honor of St. Patrick's Day, read a book that was written by someone with the first or last name Patrick.In honor of April Fool's Day, read a book by an author with the first name of April or a book with April in the title.
In honor of Memorial Day, read a biography of someone who was in World War II.
Read a book with the word shower in the title and one that has flowers in the title.
Read a book dealing with the coming of age.
Read a book with hare or rabbit in the title.
Read a book about spring or one with spring in the title.
Read a book that was never finished (either because the author died or just abandoned it) and then tell us how you would end it.Read a book in which one of the main characters has the same name (either first, middle or last) as you do.
The 20th of March is the International Day of the Francophonie. To join in the worldwide celebration of French language, culture and literature, read a book in French or, if you don't speak French, read a book of basic language notions or attend a beginner's French class and read a book originally written in French in translation.
The 25th of March is the Independence Day in Greece. Read a book about history of Southeastern Europe or a fiction book set in that area of Europe.
Since it's the "Spring" challenge, read a book with a green cover.
Easter: Read a book about chocolate or has the word chocolate in it.Easter: Read a fictional or non-fictional book about christianity.
Shakespeare's Birthday 23rd April - read a Shakespeare play.
14th March Mother's Day - well it is in Britain anyway. Read a book with the word mother/mum/mummy in the title.
*Read a book with a verb in the past tense and then a book with the same verb in the present tense*In honor of Dr. Suess’s birthday, read a YA book AND a juevenile/children’s book
*in honor of General Pulaski's birthday on March 4, read a book by a Polish author, set in Poland, or has a Polish character
*read a book with the name of a city/town in the title, with a country in the title, and a continent
* Elizabeth Barrett Browning birthday-- Read a book of poetry from the Victorian period and a modern book of poetry
* Take Your Sons & Daughters to work day 4th weeek in April: Read a book about one of your parents occupations
* May 1st--Alex from Alex's lemonade stand died-- Read a book about cancer or with a main character who has cancer
* Read a book by an author who has a name with 20 or more letters (first and last combined)
*National Transportation Week is May 14-20. Read a book with a type of transportation in the title (car, train, boat, bike, plane, etc)
* Barbie Doll's first appearance March 9 1959-- Barbie has always been a source of controversy when it comes to body image. Read a fiction/non fiction book related to body image. Things like anorexia, bulimia, obesity.
* Harry Houdini's birthday is March 24th 1874-- Read a book with a main character who has magical powers.
* Kenny Chesney's birthday is March 26-- Read a southern-lit novel in honor of this country star. (for ideas)--http://www.ageefilms.org/southern_boo...
* find a book published that was popular the month of the year you joined Goodreads. To find this go to the "Explore" tab. Then click "books". Click the "popular" tab. Click on "New Releases This Year". You will then see on the right hand side a way to change the month and year.
Read a book that has opposites in the title (example-- Lost and Found or Little House in the Big Woods)
Read a book written by either a male author who is writing from a female character's perspective or a female author writing from a male's perspective.
Holocaust Remembrance Day is April 11 - Read a fiction or nonfiction book about the Holocaust Earth Day is April 22 - Save a tree and read a library book, ebook, audiobook, etc. (Goodreads has a ton of free ebooks available)
May is Asian/Pacific Heritage Month - Read a book by an author/featuring a main character of Asian/Pacific heritage
The week of May 9th is Police Week - Read a police/crime book, or a book featuring a police officer/detective
Judge a book by its title - Read a book just because you love its title
Read one book that takes place in two or more countries
Read a book whose title is also the title of a song
Read a book that has been the selection of another book club/group of which you are a member (either a face-to-face book club, another group on Goodreads, etc.)
Read a 5-star rated book from the list of one of the best reviewers or top reviewers on Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/user/best_re...
Click on the "Friends" tab, and then click "Popular Books." Read a book that's popular among your Goodreads friends that you haven't yet read.
Jamie wrote: "*Read a book with a verb in the past tense and then a book with the same verb in the present tense*In honor of Dr. Suess’s birthday, read a YA book AND a juevenile/children’s book
*in honor of Ge..."
Those are really good suggestions. I like National transportation Week.
Read a book authored by someone who has the same first or last name as yourselfRead a fiction and a nonfiction having to do with springtime weather occurrences
Read a magazine, tell which stories you liked best/worst and why you chose that particular magazine
Looking for direction? Read a book with the word Compass in the title; or, a direction: North - South- East - West. If that's too restrictive, then add other directions like: Up, Down, Over, Under, Around.
That's a good one DeeDee
Spring: Restart, Regrow, Renew, Reread - Reread a book you have read before, or if you are against reading the same book twice, something by an author you have already read and liked.
Similar Tastes - go to the good reads page of your favorite author and click on fans (right below the books by --- " bar). Choose any of the fans and read any book from their shelf that was rated five stars. A similar option would be: go to the good reads page of your favorite book, scroll down to the reviews and choose one you agree with, read any book that that reviewer has given 5 stars.
Spring is the time of fertility festivals (bunnies, eggs, etc). Read a book that in some way relates to pregnancy.
These are all great suggestions.I am from Kansas and the weather doesn't always reflect that its Spring so read two books that contradict one another. Such as spring and harvest, up and down in the title of the book.
Read a book that has a pastel cover
School is ending for year so read a book that is set in a school, the main character is a teacher, or the main character is a student
The Cold War begins in 1947, read a book that is set duirng this time period.
I like a lot of these ideas…I too am new to this group and am attempting to do a few of the winter challenges. I know we are older but we are all young at heart and Dr. Seuss’s b-day is 2 Mar. Maybe you can use it?
March is National Craft Month - Maybe a book about crafts or a character who is crafty.March is also Caffeine Awareness Month - Read a novel featuring a character who works in a coffee shop/tea shop, is addicted to caffeine, or who leads a life so active you need caffeine to keep up! (I sent this idea to Donna Jo also)
March 1-7 is National Ghost Writers week - read a book about a ghost or a book written by a ghost writer.
Hello!
St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. In honour of that read a book set in Ireland or authored by an Irish writer.
Cheers. :D
My library, in San Diego, is featuring "experiments in living" titles. These non-fiction books are based on people changing something about their lives, typically, for one year. At the end, they write about their experience. Many of the books looked interesting and there was a lot of variety. Here are just a few examples:The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible As Literally As Possible
The Year of Yes
Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia
A Fortune-Teller Told Me: Earthbound Travels in the Far East
The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University
Read a book by an author or with a character whose name is either March, April, or May.Read a book featuring either lions or lambs (like the old saying about March: it "comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb."
Showing Your Roots: Think about where your ancestors come from and read a book written by an author or that takes place in one of those countries. For example, I'm 50% Swedish, so I'd read a book that takes place in Sweden or written by a Swede.
Read a book with "aquamarine," "bloodstone," "diamond," or "emerald" in the title (the birthstones for March, April, and May).
March 14 is Pi Day! Read a book about math or baking.
March 15th is the Ides of March. Read a book about curses (or revenge or murder).
April 2 is Autism Awareness Day. Read a book about autism or where author or one of the characters has autism.
April 7th is World Health Day. Read a book about health issues.
April 8th is Buddha's birthday! Read a book related to Buddhism or that takes place in a country where Buddhism is a prominent religion.
May 7th is the date of the surrender of the Axis powers in Western Europe during WWII. Read two books about two different persecuted groups during the Holocaust.
The Kentucky Derby takes place in May, so read a book about horses or jockeys.
Mother's Day is in May, too, so read a book about the relationships between mothers and their families.
I really like Manday's "Similar Tastes" idea, and I like the task from this past challenge where you read a 5-star book from someone else's list. I'm sorry I went a little overboard...There are just some really cool dates and ideas to go with them out there!
I have one to kinda go along with the autism. Read a book where one of the characters has a disability.
In schools, the spring brings state tests, final exams, etc. Read a book with a school subject in the title (art, english, physics, history, etc).
Read a book with joy, smile, laugh or mirth in the title.Read a book that centers on a spring celebration/ holiday (Mardi Gras, Carnival/Carneval, Easter, Passover, May Day, Cinco de Mayo, etc.)
Read a book with rain, water, river or stream in the title or story/text.
Read a book with earth, soil, Gaea or dirt in the title or story/text.
Read a book with a word ending in -ing in the title.
Arbor Day (April 30) - Read a book with tree(s), oak, birch, sycamore, elm, pine, cedar, maple, etc. in the title or story/text.
Listen to the Other Side - US Constitutional Convention, the scene of significant compromises, started in May 1787. Read a book by or about a person/group, topic or idea(s) that you disagree with.
Spring is a notorious time for storms. Read a book with the word storm, tornado, thunder, or rain in the title.
spring is a word that doesn't just describe the season but also means jump so read a book:that has spring, jump, bounce or similar meaning word in the title
and
read a book that has an emotion in the title that could be related to those words ie: excited, joy(ful), happy etc.
May is a month as well as a word with a meaning so read a book with may, might, could or other words with that meaning in the title.
I wasn't going to suggest anything but 3 ideas keep coming to my mind...1. St. Patrick's Day - Read a book with a green cover AND a book with something about St. Patrick's Day in the title (such as leprechaun, gold, etc.)
2. Pet's Day - Read a book with a pet in the title (such as dogs, cats, etc.)
3. Dr. Suess - Read a couple of his books! Make them add up to 100 or so pages!
Ides of March - read a book that takes place in ancient times (anything BC)
May 12 is International Nurses Day. Read a book in which the main character is in the medical field.March 14 is Pi Day and Pi Approximation Day. Read a book about bakery or baker.
April is National Grilled Cheese month in the US - can't come up with a task but come on, National Grilled Cheese month :)
April 22 is Earth Day. Read a book that has earthly colors on the cover (i.e., blue, green, browns)
Rebecca wrote: "May 12 is International Nurses Day. Read a book in which the main character is in the medical field.March 14 is Pi Day and Pi Approximation Day. Read a book about bakery or baker.
April is..."
How about a book with any variety of cheese in its title?? Swiss, Blue/Bleu, Cheddar, American, Meunster, Jack, Brie, Goat, Cottage, Cream, etc.
What about also for Pi Day - Read a book with a homophone in the title. (I enjoyed alliteration so much!)
Rebecca wrote: "May 12 is International Nurses Day. Read a book in which the main character is in the medical field.March 14 is Pi Day and Pi Approximation Day. Read a book about bakery or baker.
April is..."
How about for National Grilled Cheese Month, you read a book about food, sandwiches or picnics.
How about for Pi Day we read about....PIE!
You guys have added some great ideas to my suggestions!
Rebecca wrote: "April is National Grilled Cheese month in the US - can't come up with a task but come on, National Grilled Cheese month :) ..."Since most Grilled Cheese sandwiches are made with Cheddar cheese (at least, they are around here): read a book with an Orange cover.
Sorry if these are repeated, For March 17th - Read a book set in Ireland, or written by an Irish author
"April showers bring May flowers" Read two books, one with the word shower(s), rain, storm, in the title, and one with the name of a flower in the title.
Mothers Day - Read a book with a Mom as the main character, or about motherhood.
Beware the Ides of March: Julius Caesar was assassinated on March 15. Read any book related to him or to Roman history.I think this is only slightly different from other suggestions--
Memorial Day in the US falls on May 31 this year and VE Day (Victory in Europe Day) was celebrated May 8, 1945. Read any book related to World War II, fiction or nonfiction.
Read a book about twins/multiples, featuring twins/multiples, or written by a twin.Read a book from a series.
Read a coming of age novel.
Read a book with a cover that is one of Easter colors: pastel light blue, pastel yellow, baby pink, light green.
Read a book that is 500+ pages.
Read a Young Adult novel.
Read a book that takes place in your city/state or by an author who was born/lives in your state.
Day of Prayer/Day of Reason: May 4th is the national day of prayer, a government-recognized event that has lead to controversy due to the seperation of church and state. Atheist groups have responded by declaring it the day of Reason. Read a book that takes on religion as a subject. (pro, con, spiritual, atheist, whatever).
I don't know if I have very many good ideas, but I did want to say how much I enjoyed the tasks of reading other's 5-star reads. (Although I have to say the one from the different countries was a little frustrating... I would have preferred to just pick one country and any person from that country to having to pick the first person... but perhaps that is just nit-picky of me). so a couple of suggestions:
Easter words: a book with an 'easter word' in the title (bunny, chocolate, egg(s), basket, bonnet, parade, Sunday, resurrection, stone, cross, and tomb all come to mind).
March 7-12 is Girl Scout Week - read a book written by a former Girl Scout/Girl Guide, or about a famous former Girl Scout or Girl Guide(http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/a...).
Read a book that takes place in the Spring
* Spring Forward (Daylight Saving Time in March) -- Read a book published in March, April or May* Lend a Helping Hand (American Red Cross Month) -- Read a book with a humanitarian theme
* Let's Add Up (World Maths Day) -- Read two books which their titles (number of words) add up to the number of letters in your first and last name (any math variation)
* Healthy Living (World Health Day) -- Read a book with an improving one's health theme
* And All That Jazz (Jazz Appreciation Month) -- Read a book published during the Harlem Renaissance or a book with a jazz theme
* Children are Our Future (Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day) -- Read a Young Adult Novel
* Let Freedom Ring (Freedom Day in South Africa) -- Read a non-fiction book in which a person/group fought for freedom
* I've Been Working on the Railroad (Golden Spike Day) -- Read a book with a railroad, train, etc theme (IE - I'd count Water for Elephants since the railroad played a major part in transporting the circus)
* Throw in the Towel (TOWEL DAY!) -- Read a humorous science fiction/fantasy novel
* Mother May I? (Mother's Day) -- Read a book in which the main character is a mother or the title has mother
* MMm. Bring on the Cheese (National Grilled Cheese Month) -- Read a very cheesy novel OR read any novel while eating a grilled cheese sandwich
* Beware the Ides of March (Ides of March) -- Read a book that features your greatest fear/worry
* April Showers Bring May Flowers (Spring Saying) -- Read a book with a rain shower on the cover AND a book with flowers on the cover
I might have more later on. This is a quickie :P
The Seasonal Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Northern Lights (other topics)Skeletons at the Feast (other topics)
The German Woman (other topics)
Cruel World: The Children of Europe in the Nazi Web (other topics)
Lost & Found (other topics)
More...
Thanks,
Cynthia