The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
SUMMER CHALLENGE 2011: EUROPE
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Summer Challenge 2011: Task Ideas
Summer- the time when people take time off from work to go on vacation and enjoy the glorious weather. It is also the time when people put their pets in asylums or out on the streets, when they can't find or afford someone to take care of the pets for the time that they are gone. Greece, is known for its stray cats. Last summer, I took in a month year old stray kitten (from the Netherlands, though), which I found mewing helplessly on a sidewalk near a busy road. I stumbled upon a lot of incomprehension from people around me because 'you don't just pick things up from the street'.
For this challenge, read a book about a character involved with humanitarian interventions or a humanitarian profession. For ideas, you can check out this book shelve: http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/h...
OPTIONAL: Tell us in 2-3 sentences if and how you've contributed to humanitarianism and how people around you responded to it.
Europe is the second smallest continent in the world (size wise) - read a book that is the second shortest (excluding anthologies) of a chosen authorEurope has the world's smallest and largest countries - Vatican City and Russia...something utilizing big and small/ long or short
July 24 is Amelia Earhart Day. Read a biography of an aviator, or a novel which has a pilot as a major character.V-J Day is in August. Read a book about World War II.
Read a book set during a time of war in a European country.Read a book by an author from a European country.
Read a book with the words vacation, beach, ocean, fun, sun, etc. in the title.
Read a saga (500 pages at least) set during the American Revolution. (Freedom from England)
The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France. Read a book about France, set in France, or by a French author.
Many of our English words are taken from other languages. Read a book that has such a word in the title like: cafe, ballet, bouquet, etc. (Include country of origin.)
Read a book about a summer romance.
Barbecue Time--- read a book with a barbecue or picnic type word in the title: chicken, ribs, sauce or saucy, blanket, basket, fire, marshmallows, beans, etc.
Read a book that is perfect for the porch swing-- short and sweet.
Read two books: one from an author from west of the iron curtain and one from an author east of the iron curtain. Read a book about or set in a country you have always dreamed of visiting but haven't traveled there yet.
Read a book with a title containing the name of a European country. Variations such as French or German are allowed. Le Carre's A Small Town in Germany or Abish's How German Is It would both work.
Many people's summer vacations tend to have something to do with water (swimming, boating, fishing, etc.) Read a book that has the word WATER in the title or a body of water such as OCEAN, RIVER, LAKE, POOL, STREAM, etc. in the title.
May is the month for several celebrations.1. Kentucky Derby - Read a book with horse, racing, track, betting, southern, mint or julep in the title.
2. American Bike month and Physical Fitness/Sports month - Read a book about biking, physical fitness or a particular sport.
3. Older Americans month - Read a book featuring a senior citizen.
4. Mother Goose Day - Choose your favorite nursery rhyme and pick a book related to a word or subject or the rhyme.
5. Holocaust Remembrance Day - Read a book with the holocaust as a setting or topic.
6. Memorial Day - Read a biography.
7. Scrapbooking - Read a book with memory/memories/past in the title.
A lot of people travel to other countries for their summer vacations. Read a book in which a main character travels from one country to at least one other. Parts of the book must be set in both countries. Read a book originally published in a European language other than English. You can read it either in the original language or in translation.
Summer is when everyone puts on their bright colors...read a book that has a predominantly neon cover.Go to Random Sequence Generator. Click Again! and read the number in a series that is the top number given.
May
April Showers, Bring May Flowers-read a book with a flower on the cover.
Bar-B-Que Month-When I start up the grill one of my favorite things is the smell of the smoke...read a book with smoke or a foggy cover.
National Physicaly Fitness and Sports month-read a book involving sports
National Teacher Appreciation Week-read a book where a main character is a teacher
Holocaust Remembrance Day (May 2nd)-Read a book that takes place during the Holocaust (this also incorporates the Europe part)
National Weather Observer's Day (May 4th)-Read a book that has some extreme weather on the cover.
International No Diet Day (May 6th)-Read a book with a cover that has something you wouldn't normally eat when on a diet (cake, ice cream, burger, fried chicken, etc.) (There are also lots of days in the summer that are unhealthy food days like ice cream, junk food, french fries, and hot dog)
Mother's Day (May 8th)-Celebrate all the mothers and read a book where the main character is a mother.
No Socks Day (May 8th)-Read a book where the cover has bare feet
International Nurses Day (May 12th)-Read a book where the main character is a nurse
Circus Day (May 19th)-Read a book where either the main character has a role you would typically see in a circus or a book in a circus setting
National Missing Children's Day (May 25th)-Read a book about a child kidnapped or gone missing or about the parents' struggle during this time.
World No Tobacco Day (May 31st)-read a self-help book to get over something that is "dragging" you down.
Sorry if any are repeats...I will think of more for the other months.
May, June, July are all really short-lettered months read a book with a title having a maximum of 4 letters. (A, An, and The will not count.)June Holidays
Zoo and Aquarium Month-Read a book with a non-domestic animal on the cover.
Fishing and Camping Weeks-Read a book with tent, fish, campfire, wilderness, lake, pole or something fishing/camping related in the title.
Donut Day (June 1st)-read a book with a circle on the cover
Aesop's Birthday (June 4th)-read a book that teaches good morals
Ball Point Pen Day (June 10th)-read a book about a writer
E.T. Movie Premiered (June 11th)-read a book involving the extraterrestrial
Anne Franks' Birthday (June 12th)-can go into the Holocaust Remembrance Day
Baseball was invented (June 12th)-read a book with something in the title (or to make it more challenging author's name) that involves baseball (I think we may have done the title one last year)...or read a book that is part of a series and between #1-9 for the innings
Power of a Smile Day (June 15th)-read a book with a smile on the cover (toothbrush also invented in June)
Father's Day (June 19th)-to celebrate fathers read a book where the main character is a father (could combine it for a 15 point task with the mother one)
Stand up for Children's Day (June 1st) [and multiple children's authors birthdays (Eric Carle and Richard Scarry)]-read a book where the main character is a child (younger than 12 maybe???)
Helen Keller's Birthday (June 27th)-read a book where the main character is either deaf, blind or mute
Camera Day (June 29th)-read a book where the main character is a photographer or the cover has a photograph or camera or where the title has photo, picture, camera, etc.
JulyAnti-Boredom Month-read any book that will keep you from being bored
Canada Day (July 1st)-read a book set in Canada
International Joke Day (July 1st)-read a book that makes you laugh
Princess Diana's Birthday (July 1st)-read a book that features a royal family or was published in her short lived life (1961-1997)
American Independence Day (July 4th)-read a book with red, white, and blue on the cover (or two that cover all three)
National Country Music Day (July 4th)-read a book with country and music in the title or 2 books.
Barn Day (July 10th)-read a book with either a farm animal on the cover or featuring a farmer/rancher
Cheer Up the Lonely Day (July 11th)-can go into Power of a Smile Day or International Joke Day
Threading the Needle Day (July 25th)-read a book that involves knitting, sewing, stitching, crocheting, etc.
Oops! Just realized that May is springtime! We are in May now!!!OK, guess I needed that nap.
Sooo...
Europe was the birthplace of Western culture (Greece)
1. Read a book from this list: European classics
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/39...
Europe was the main focus of both World Wars.
2. Read a book printed/published in either 1914-1918 (World War I) or 1939-1945 (World War II)
3. Read a book set in an European country during either World War time.
Europe was divided between 1945 and 1989 by the Iron Curtain.
4. Read a book by an author from a NATO country, a Eastern Bloc country, or a neutral country. Identify the country and the state in which it belonged (NATO, Eastern Bloc, Neutral).
June 4 is Clean Air Day - Read a book with the word air, wind, plane, flight/flying or bird in the title.June 8 is World Ocean Day - Read a book with the word ocean, water, sea, fish or ship in the title. / Read a book that is set mainly on the ocean (ship, small island etc.) or where the ocean plays a major role.
August 8 is World Cat-Day - Read a book with a cat on the cover or the word cat, lion, tiger or pet in the title. / Read a book where a cat plays a major role / the main character owns a cat.
August 12 is World Youth Day - Read a book with a main character that is under the age of 20.
According to the wikipedia entry "Europe, in particular Ancient Greece, is the birthplace of Western culture." Read a book from the Western Canon.
Another quote from the wikipedia entry: "In ancient Greek mythology, Europa was a Phoenician princess whom Zeus abducted after assuming the form of a dazzling white bull. He took her to the island of Crete where she gave birth to Minos, Rhadamanthus and Sarpedon. For Homer, Europe (Greek: Εὐρώπη, Eurṓpē; see also List of Greek place names) was a mythological queen of Crete, not a geographical designation."
Read a book based on European mythology (Greece, Roman, Norse, Celtic, Germanic, Slavic, etc.) / Read a book with a mythical creature or Gods playing an important role.
Read a book with title initials or author initials that match the letters in the word EUROPE.
Haha Bea I did the same thing!!!! I think I need to stop working!
Oh well I will get some August ones in later.
How about Summer Birthdays: Got to the Summer Birthdays link and read a book from a person's list that has a summer birthday.
Summer is the time for camping and camping is the time for ghost stories. Therefore, read a ghost story.Read an eyewitness account about any aspect of European history.
I like the ghost story idea.
Delicious Dee Challenge Addict wrote: "Europe has the world's smallest and largest countries - Vatican City and Russia...something utilizing big and small/ long or short "How about a short book (>250 pages) with a long title (5+ words) or a long book (<400 pages) with a short title (3 words or less).
ohh, i like that...files idea away if i manage to complete the challenge ;)Lahni wrote: "Delicious Dee Challenge Addict wrote: "Europe has the world's smallest and largest countries - Vatican City and Russia...something utilizing big and small/ long or short "
How about a short book (..."
The word summer has a double letter (mm). Read a book with a double letter in the title (the letters must be side-by-side).The word Europe has four vowels (e, u, o, e). Read a book whose title or author has 4 vowels.
Many people are saving money for vacations. Read a book you did not buy. Could be borrowed from a library or friend, a gift or something you won, or a free e-book download.
maybe a book off a summer reading list...lots of schools have these listed...ie. http://www.marshall.k12.ky.us/mchs/do...
Choose one of your 5-star reads from your goodreads shelf (make sure to state what book you chose) and use it to choose your next book using the site http://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/
July 27th is Bugs Bunny's birthday - read a book with a cartoon character on the cover, or a book with a cartoon-type picture on the cover.August 3, 1492 - Columbus set out on his first voyage. Read a fiction or non-fiction book about a sea voyage or explorer.
August 5th is Neil Armstrong's birthday - Read a book (fiction or non-fiction) about space travel.
Jennifer L. wrote: "Choose one of your 5-star reads from your goodreads shelf (make sure to state what book you chose) and use it to choose your next book using the site http://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/"I just tried this and it's fun! I didn't know about this site.
Lahni wrote: "Jennifer L. wrote: "Choose one of your 5-star reads from your goodreads shelf (make sure to state what book you chose) and use it to choose your next book using the site http://www.whatshouldireadn..."it doesn't work for me. :( i tried typing in about 10 different titles and it just reloads the same page, but now with an empty typing field. any tips, anyone?
kiki wrote: "Lahni wrote: "Jennifer L. wrote: "Choose one of your 5-star reads from your goodreads shelf (make sure to state what book you chose) and use it to choose your next book using the site http://www.wh..."I had that same problem, so I tried it with The DaVinci Code (which I know is very popular) and it worked. Must be that our books aren't in the database...
Since Europe was a major site for WW II: Read 2 books 1) set in or written by an author from one of the European Allied countries (France, Poland, UK, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, & Yugoslavia
2)set in or written by an author from one of the European Axis countries (Germany, Italy, Hungary, Romania, & Bulgaria & maybe Finland) although they aren't always considered an Axis country).
it took me a few books as well...i started plugging in the isbn in the box right below...if it didn't show, they added it to the databaseAngelaSunshine wrote: "kiki wrote: "Lahni wrote: "Jennifer L. wrote: "Choose one of your 5-star reads from your goodreads shelf (make sure to state what book you chose) and use it to choose your next book using the site ..."
every year Goodreads does their Choice awards for various categories...read a book that won, or was nominated in the last iteration (it would probably be 2010 because I don't think 2011 is until late in the year)http://www.goodreads.com/award/choice...
I would second the following ones: Many of our English words are taken from other languages. Read a book that has such a word in the title like: cafe, ballet, bouquet, etc. (Include country of origin.)
Read a book with a title containing the name of a European country. Variations such as French or German are allowed. Le Carre's A Small Town in Germany or Abish's How German Is It would both work.
Read a book originally published in a European language other than English. You can read it either in the original language or in translation.
Donut Day (June 1st)-read a book with a circle on the cover
Father's Day (June 19th)-to celebrate fathers read a book where the main character is a father (could combine it for a 15 point task with the mother one)
Princess Diana's Birthday (July 1st)-read a book that features a royal family or was published in her short lived life (1961-1997)
American Independence Day (July 4th)-read a book with red, white, and blue on the cover (or two that cover all three)
Read a book from this list: European classics
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3990....
How about Summer Birthdays: Got to the Summer Birthdays link and read a book from a person's list that has a summer birthday.
How about a short book (>250 pages) with a long title (5+ words) or a long book (<400 pages) with a short title (3 words or less).
The word summer has a double letter (mm). Read a book with a double letter in the title (the letters must be side-by-side).
The word Europe has four vowels (e, u, o, e). Read a book whose title or author has 4 vowels.
August 5th is Neil Armstrong's birthday - Read a book (fiction or non-fiction) about space travel.
I'll think about some original ones and post those later :0)
Delicious Dee Challenge Addict wrote: "it took me a few books as well...i started plugging in the isbn in the box right below...if it didn't show, they added it to the databaseAngelaSunshine wrote: "kiki wrote: "Lahni wrote: "Jennife..."
yeah, i've been trying http://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/
without success -- maybe it's the books I've been typing in??
Since August is often referred to as the "Dog Days of Summer" read a book where a dog is featured in the plot.
The The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Ultimate Reading List was published in July 1997. Read a book listed there.
Major League Baseball All-Star Game is played in July - read a book about baseballJuly 24th is Pioneer Day in Utah, read a book based on this time period (1800's) OR read a book about Mormons
August 5th is International Beer Day - read a book with beer on the cover
August 1st is Swiss National Day - read a book about or one that takes place in Switzerland or one written by a Swiss author
Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is in August - read a book with a motorcycle on the cover, or one where the main character's main mode of transportation is a motorcycle.
The SCA Pennsic War is in August, which is a medieval re-enactment group. Read a medieval book.
Here are some of my ideas and other people's ideas that I really liked.*June's birthstone is a pearl, and that also happens to be my middle name. Read a book where the author includes his/her middle name or initial, such as J.K. Rowling, Orson Scott Card, F. Scott Fitzgerald, or George R.R. Martin.
*World Environment Day (June 5) - Read a nonfiction book about how to make your life more "green" OR read a book with a tree, flower, or nature scene on the cover.
*June is National Rose Month. Read a book with a rose on the cover, the title has "Rose" in it, or one of the main character's name is Rose. Also could do a book with a rose colored cover such as all red, pink, white, yellow, ect.
*Father's Day (June 19th)- Read a book dedicated to the author's father, grandfather, or stepfather.
*June is Gay Pride Month. Read a book where one of the main characters is gay, bisexual, or transgendered OR read a book with a rainbow on the cover.
*June 3rd is Repeat Day. Read a book where a word is repeated in the title (I know we just did this for spring, but there are a lot of books that would fit this task so I thought I would REPEAT it! Tee Hee).
*July is National Blueberry Month. Read a book with a blue cover.*July 1st is Canada Day. Read a book by a Canadian author.
*July 1st is also International Joke Day. Read a funny book.
*July 2nd is World UFO day. Read a book about outer space or conspiracy theories.
**American Independence Day (July 4th)-read a book with red, white, and blue on the cover (or two that cover all three)
*July 8th is Video Games Day and July 13th is Embrace your Geekness Day. Read a book that has a video game based on it or features a video gamer, D&D player, band geek, or any other social outcast as a main character.
Amanda Pearl wrote: "July 8th is Video Games Day and July 13th is Embrace your Geekness Day. Read a book that has a video game based on it or features a video gamer, D&D player, band geek, or any other social outcast as a main character. "Love this idea!
*August is Romance Awareness Month. Read a romance!*August 7th is Sisters day. Read a book about sisters or one that is dedicated to the author's sister.
*August 9th is Book Lovers Day. Re-read a book you love or that a friend gave 5 stars.
*August 11th is Son and Daugther Day. Read a book dedicated to the author's son or daughter.
*August 22nd is National Be an Angel Day. Read a book with an Angel on the cover or that is about an angel.
*August 22nd is National Tooth Fairy Day. Read a book about fairies.
August 27th is Just Because Day. Read whatever book you want!
August 30th is Frankenstein Day. Read a book about a monster or a classic horror/suspense book.
AngelaSunshine wrote: "kiki wrote: "Lahni wrote: "Jennifer L. wrote: "Choose one of your 5-star reads from your goodreads shelf (make sure to state what book you chose) and use it to choose your next book using the site ..."i used davinci, too, and it still didn't work. :( must just not like me! ;)
I found a list of lists:http://www.listsofbests.com/lists/hom...
There are 251 lists of "book awards". Somehow, pick a number between 1 and 251, and read a book off of that list. Or, if that's too restrictive, pick 2-3-4-5 numbers between 1 and 251, and then pick one of those lists, and read a book off of that list.
kiki wrote: "AngelaSunshine wrote: "kiki wrote: "Lahni wrote: "Jennifer L. wrote: "Choose one of your 5-star reads from your goodreads shelf (make sure to state what book you chose) and use it to choose your n..."da vinci code worked for me - i just had to let it thinkg ;) http://whatshouldireadnext.com/038550...
Baseball Season - Read a book with the name of a major league baseball team in the title (singular or plural)July 14 is Bastille Day - Read a book set in France or by a french author
May, June, July, August - Read a book with one of these word in the title, or having a character or author with one of these names.
Longest Day of the Year - Read a book with at least 500 pages.
Summer Blockbusters - Read a book that has been made into a movie
May 9 is Lost Sock Memorial Day - Read a book about something that is lost.
June 25 is Log Cabin Day - Read a book set during the lifetime of Abraham Lincoln.
August 10 is National S'mores Day - Read s'more by an author you've read before (no rereads)
July is National Blueberry Month - Read a book with a blue cover or the word blue in the title
Some states have a back to school sales tax holiday in August - Read a book that you didn't have to pay sales tax to obtain.
Polls show that more than half of Europe's population is bilingual - read a book in a bilingual edition or one which was originally written in a language different from the author's native language (for example, you could read Nabokov's Lolita which was originally written in English although Nabokov's native language is Russian).
Beaches are usually busy with vacationers during the summer. Read a book about a vacation to the beach, or with a beach/beach-type scene on the cover.
Love this!August 10 is National S'mores Day - Read s'more by an author you've read before (no rereads)
...And lots of the other ideas, too!
How about read a book mentioned in the goodreads newsletter?I also always love tasks that asks you to pick a book from a friend's list.
School is out: read a book that a teenager might enjoy.
Read a book that takes place in Eastern Europe.
Read a European classic (written before 1950), written in a language, different from your native language.
The Grand Toursee: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Tour
Read a book set (at least 1/2) along the Grand Tour. According to wiki, the standard itinerary of the Grand Tour was:
begin:
Dover, England; across the channel to
Belguim or Calais, France; from there
Paris, France; then,
Switzerland (Geneva, the Alps); next to:
Italy: including Turin,Milan, Florence, Rome
From here the traveler traversed the Alps heading north through to the German-speaking parts of Europe. The traveler might stop first in Innsbruck before visiting Vienna, Dresden, Berlin and Potsdam, with perhaps some study time at the universities in Munich or Heidelberg. From there travelers visited Holland and Flanders (with more gallery-going and art appreciation) before returning across the Channel to England.
:the end:
Summer vacationtime; summer travel; focus on Europe.
Read a book that "travels" to 2 or more European countries.
The Seasonal Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Pacific Vortex! (other topics)Island Beneath the Sea (other topics)
Mystic River (other topics)
Henderson the Rain King (other topics)
Mark of the Lion (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
George R.R. Martin (other topics)Jo Walton (other topics)
Robert Silverberg (other topics)
Robert A. Heinlein (other topics)
Samuel R. Delany (other topics)
More...
As in past challenges, some tasks may revolve around the seasonal theme of SUMMER. Others may reflect the bonus theme of EUROPE. Other tasks may have nothing to do with either of these themes (they’re just fun ideas for unique reading challenges).
Feel free to post as many ideas as you can come up with. Don't worry about repeating what another player 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. We look forward to seeing what you come up with!