The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

30.6 - Sassafrass's task: The Many Facets of EARTH
This task explores the many meanings and uses of the term earth. This is a 2 book task. To determine which options your books must fit, roll 2 dice and read a book that corresponds to the numbers you rolled. If you roll doubles, you should complete the same task twice.

OPTIONS:
1. In astronomy, Earth is the third planet from the sun in our solar system. For this option, you must read a book with three words in the MAIN title, a book that is the third book in a series, or one written by an author with 3 letters in their first or last name. Required: if you choose the series option, the series must be recognized by Goodreads (series name, #).

2. Earth can also refer to the ground covering our planet. On many representations of the earth (globes, maps, etc), it is usually depicted as being brown in color. For this option, read a book that has a brown cover, or one that has brown in the title, subtitle, series name, or author’s name. Plurals and compound words are ok.
Required: If using the series name, please include the series title when you post. If using the cover option, include the book cover (preferred) or a link. The cover must be for the edition that you actually read).
Note: The brown covers listed in the listopia are just a reference to give you ideas, you may choose other brown covers for the task.

3. Earth can also be used a verb as in to cover something. For this option, read a book whose central theme revolves around a cover up. A cover-up is an attempt to conceal evidence of wrong-doing, error, incompetence, or other embarrassing information. This book could be fiction or non-fiction. Examples: Area 51: An Uncensored History of America's Top Secret Military Base, The Da Vinci Code, The Firm, Coma. The list Conspiracy Fiction might also help. The usual caveat pertaining to Listopia lists applies - make sure the book you choose actually fits the task. If you are unsure, ask in the appropriate task help thread.
Required: If the cover up is not obvious from the description posted here on goodreads, please write a blurb on how the book fits the task.

4. When someone “comes back down to earth”, they are getting back to reality or everyday life. So for this option, read a biography or autobiography and learn about someone else’s reality.

5. Earth can also refer to a connection between an electrical circuit or device and the earth, which is at zero potential. Therefore, if you roll this number, read a book in electronic format (this could be an e-book or audiobook), or a book featuring an electrician or electrical engineer as a main character, or a book that has an one of these common electrical terms in the title or subtitle. Two word electrical terms may be split up. Words within words are OK, but they must be found intact. If you wanted to use the term "branch circuit" for example, you could read Queen Bee of Mimosa Branch or Eat This Book: A Year of Gorging and Glory on the Competitive Eating Circuit. For the term "Knob and tub," you may use knob or tub. You may not use "and."
Required: State how your book fits the task when you post. If using a common electrical term, you must state which term you used when posting. If you use the ebook or audiobook option you must link to the format/edition you used in order to credit for the task. All other challenge rules pertaining to ebooks and audiobooks apply.

6. In astrology, Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn are considered the earth signs. They are also the 2nd, 6th, and 10th signs of the Zodiac. For this option, read the 2nd, 6th, or 10th book in a series or read a book with one of the three astrological signs in the title or subtitle. Examples include: Tropic of Capricorn, Taurus Eyes, and The Virgo Club. If using the series option, the book must be recognized as a series by Goodreads (series name, #).

Required: State what numbers you rolled when you post

Books that work:


Option 2:


Option 3:

Buried
Close Your Eyes
Mary Queen of Scots and the Murder of Lord Darnley
Starvation Lake
The Magician's Assistant
The Ninth Daughter
The Other Queen
The Bourne Sanction (or any Bourne book really)
The Confession
Flower Net
The Fool's Run
The Secret Life of Bletchley Park: The History of the Wartime Codebreaking Centre by the Men and Women Who Were There
Illegal Alien
Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory
The Traitor's Emblem
Skinner's Festival
The Lost Symbol
Voodoo Histories: The Role of the Conspiracy Theory in Shaping Modern History


Option 4:

Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading
Letters from Menabilly: Portrait of a Friendship
The Illustrated Pepys: Extracts from the Diary
The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club: True Tales from a Magnificent and Clumsy Life
But Enough About Me: A Jersey Girl's Unlikely Adventures Among the Absurdly Famous
The Woman Warrior
Unbearable Lightness
Galileo's Daughter


Option 5:

Vamped (amp)
Stormbreaker (breaker)
Warbreaker (breaker)
Currents Run Deep (current)
Dark Currents (current)
Unchained (chain)
Dragon in Chains (chain)
How I Live Now (live)

Books that do not work:

Option 3:

Death's Darkest Face
The Day After Tomorrow
Royal Flush
Winston's War

This thread is now open.

Amazing!!! I rolled double 5s. And since most of my book collection is either ebook or audiobook gives me an option of almost anything.

Would any of these books work for #3 (a cover-up)?

Close Your Eyes
Mary Queen of Scots and the Murder of Lord Darnley
Starvation Lake
The Magician's Assistant

I rolled a 3 for one of my books. I'm searching my bookshelf for something that has to do with an actual cover-up, but was wondering if any sort of mystery counts? For instance, a book in which a murder is being investigated. It could be argued that a killer would "cover-up" their crime and police are trying to uncover it, right? It's been a long holiday week and I'm tired... maybe my brain is not working properly and I'm making this harder than it has to be! =)

Here are 2 of the options I was looking at:

The Bone Garden
Sharp Objects

or maybe I'm way off. Thanks!!!

Gayla wrote: "Would any of these books work for #3 (a cover-up)?

Close Your Eyes
Mary Queen of Scots and the Murder of Lord Darnley
Starvation Lake
[book:The Magician'..."

Those are all ok, and they sound great!

Judy wrote: "I rolled a 3 as well, would any of these work?

Winston's War
The Ninth Daughter
The Other Queen
Royal Flush

Thank You!"

Judy, it looks like The Ninth Daughter definitely works.

The Other Queen, seems like it would work as well.

The other two do not. Winston's War doesn't sound like from the description that there was a cover up necessary just shedding a different light on the relationship between the two men.

And Royal Flush sounds like straight mystery.

Michelle wrote: "I rolled a 3 for one of my books. I'm searching my bookshelf for something that has to do with an actual cover-up, but was wondering if any sort of mystery counts? For instance, a book in which a..."


Michelle, when thinking of cover up, I was referring more to the fact that others are led to believe one thing when something else is true.

So while a murder mystery could apply, I think that only one in which someone else is charged/convicted/blamed for that murder because someone DELIBERATELY mislead investigators or hid evidence, etc or was part of a larger conspiracy would apply. Does that make sense?

★Meghan★ wrote: "Amazing!!! I rolled double 5s. And since most of my book collection is either ebook or audiobook gives me an option of almost anything."

Congrats!

Sassafrass wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I rolled a 3 for one of my books. I'm searching my bookshelf for something that has to do with an actual cover-up, but was wondering if any sort of mystery counts? For instance, ..."

I think The Confession might be a good option for 3.

Felina wrote: "Sassafrass wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I rolled a 3 for one of my books. I'm searching my bookshelf for something that has to do with an actual cover-up, but was wondering if any sort of mystery coun..."

That is a good one.

has AMP in it, could it work for a 5?

Also would these work:

I rolled a 3 and have several books I am considering.

The Bourne Sanction - Aren't all Bourne books conspiracies?
Flower Net - Blurb says "layered conspiracies".
The Fool's Run - Description says that "the ultimate con artists get conned". Story is about corporate warfare.
Death's Darkest Face - A thirty year old unsolved murder in which a man was accused but never convicted. The son seems to believe that his father was wrongly accused,

They all seem to fit. What do you think?

Sassafrass wrote: "Gayla wrote: "Would any of these books work for #3 (a cover-up)?

Close Your Eyes
Mary Queen of Scots and the Murder of Lord Darnley
Starvation Lake
[book..."

Thank you!

This is a great task. I love the different takes on the work earth that you have come up with.

I threw a 3 and a 6. With task 6 the only problem is that I have too many books that fit and so will have to wait for all the tasks to be released before deciding what to place here.

I found task 3 much more challenging. I have gone through my tbr shelf and I hope that I have discovered a few options. DO any of these fit in?

The Secret Life of Bletchley Park: The History of the Wartime Codebreaking Centre by the Men and Women Who Were There
Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory
Illegal Alien
The Day After Tomorrow

Anomander wrote: "has AMP in it, could it work for a 5?"

Yes, just make sure that you state that it has AMP in it when you post.

Anomander wrote: "Also would these work:
[bookcover:Dr..."

Yes all of those work.

I rolled double 4. This has got to be my least read genre of books. So maybe that's a good thing.
Does this fit in as autobiographical? Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading

Bea wrote: "I rolled a 3 and have several books I am considering.

The Bourne Sanction - Aren't all Bourne books conspiracies?
Flower Net - Blurb says "layered conspiracies".
..."</i>

[book:Death's Darkest Face is the only one of those that I'm iffy about. I can't really find more description about that one an where so I'm not sure if it's more than just a mystery. If anyone else has read it and can give more detail that would be helpful.

I agree that any Bourne book could work because they are all very appropriate for this task.

The other books you mentioned work as well.

Sassafrass wrote: "Death's Darkest Face is the only one of those that I'm iffy about."

Yes, I was iffy about that one, too. Although it looked interesting, so I will see if I can fit it in elsewhere.

But, that leaves three to pick among, so I am fine with that. Thanks.

Hettie wrote: "This is a great task. I love the different takes on the work earth that you have come up with.

I threw a 3 and a 6. With task 6 the only problem is that I have too many books that fit and so will ..."

Hettie, Thanks! This is my first task after being new to the challenge in the fall. I certainly have a lot of respect for the mods and other task creators after this. LOL

Ok, now on to your books:

Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory and Illegal Alien both definitely work. Illegal Alien sounds really good too. I've added that to my TBR.

The Secret Life of Bletchley Park: The History of the Wartime Codebreaking Centre by the Men and Women Who Were There seems like it would work as well. I'm assuming that the fact that they are hiding this secret life a central them and not all the hi-jinks they get up to as in the description.

The Day After Tomorrow seems like it's more geared toward the main characters gaining freedom from invasion more than the possible conspiracy behind it, but it sounds really good. I'm going to say no unless someone knows more about the book and can give details.

Jody wrote: "I rolled double 4. This has got to be my least read genre of books. So maybe that's a good thing.
Does this fit in as autobiographical? [book:Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical..."

Yes, and it sounds wonderful.

Sassafrass wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I rolled a 3 for one of my books. I'm searching my bookshelf for something that has to do with an actual cover-up, but was wondering if any sort of mystery counts? For instance, ..."


Thanks. I had a feeling it wasn't that easy, but that's okay... sometimes the hunt for the perfect book is just as fun as the actual reading! =)

I am having trouble with goodreads, so if anyone doesn't get a response from me within a few hours, please send me a PM because I'm getting posts lost and not getting notifications today for some reason.

Now, that being said, I am on the east coast, USA so if it's the middle of the night eastern time, I just may be asleep! LOL

Sassafrass wrote: "Hettie, Thanks! This is my first task after being new to the challenge in the fall. I certainly have a lot of respect for the mods and other task creators after this. LOL

Ok, now on to your books:"

It is certainly an eye opening experience designing a task here!

Thanks for the response for the books. Illegal Alien has been sitting on my shelf for so long now that I have no idea where or when I got it! It would be nice to actually read it now.

I was more interested in The Secret Life of Bletchley Park: The History of the Wartime Codebreaking Centre by the Men and Women Who Were There for how the secret was kept so I will keep your concerns in mind if I do chose it. If it turns out that it is more about the antic of those who worked there I will place it else where.

Enjoy the rest of the craziness that is the start of a new season for task creators!

Sassafrass I do not know if I understood good option 5. If I want to read ebook then can be anyone or must have some connection to the "elctrical" stuff?

Aleksandra, if you read an ebook for option 5, that's enough to fulfill the task. No other conditions need to be met.

Sassafrass wrote: "Aleksandra, if you read an ebook for option 5, that's enough to fulfill the task. No other conditions need to be met."
That`s great. Thanks

Do (real, not fictional) diaries and letters count as autobiography for option 4? E.g. Letters from Menabilly: Portrait of a Friendship or The Illustrated Pepys: Extracts from the Diary?

Rosemary wrote: "Do (real, not fictional) diaries and letters count as autobiography for option 4? E.g. Letters from Menabilly: Portrait of a Friendship or [book:The Illustrated Pepys: Extracts from t..."


Though it wasn't what I was thinking when I wrote the task, I will definitely take both.

For a 3: ?

Anomander wrote: "For a 3: ?"

Sounds like it fits the bill.

For option 6, does the series have to have at least three entries? I was considering using All Clear, but it's the 2nd of two so I'm not sure it passes for this task. I saw the three-book minimum for 30.2 and wanted to check before I commit to this one.

Jessica wrote: "For option 6, does the series have to have at least three entries? I was considering using All Clear, but it's the 2nd of two so I'm not sure it passes for this task. I saw the thr..."

Nope, as long as it's a series, there's no book limit. Just make sure that it's recognized by GR.

For #3 - do all the books on the Listopia brown cover list work? There are several there that are possibles for me. Also, what about these? (Surprised to find out how many brown books I have on my TBR list!)

(Dissolution looks a lot browner when you click on it.)

Chris,

I'll accept any book on that list, and it looks like your books work too, but if you use Dissolution, make sure that you post that it's brown because I really can't see it on my screen, looks black to me.

Sassafrass wrote: "Chris,

I'll accept any book on that list, and it looks like your books work too, but if you use Dissolution, make sure that you post that it's brown because I really can't see it on my screen, loo..."

Thanks. I will double check Dissolution, but I think I'm probably going to go for one of the others anyhow.

Hi Sassafrass,

Does work for 2 - brown cover - or is it too yellow? I have it in e-book format so all I can refer to is the image on goodreads.

6. In astrology, Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn are considered the earth signs. They are also the 2nd, 6th, and 10th signs of the Zodiac. For this option, read the 2nd, 6th, or 10th book in a series or read a book with one of the three astrological signs in the title or subtitle. Examples include: Tropic of Capricorn, Taurus Eyes, and The Virgo Club. If using the series option, the book must be recognized as a series by Goodreads (series name, #).

Can I use Curse of the Wolf Girl? It has the series name in the title, it's the 2nd in the series, BUT there are only 2 books in the series, so far. It this okay?

mstan wrote: "Hi Sassafrass,

Does work for 2 - brown cover - or is it too yellow? I have it in e-book format so all I can refer to is the image on goodreads."

I'll take it!

Debra wrote: "6. In astrology, Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn are considered the earth signs. They are also the 2nd, 6th, and 10th signs of the Zodiac. For this option, read the 2nd, 6th, or 10th book in a series ..."

I'm not placing a restriction on how many books there are in the series. as long as it has a series name and it's the second book in the series that appears on GR, I'll take it.

Sassafrass wrote: "mstan wrote: "Hi Sassafrass,

Does work for 2 - brown cover - or is it too yellow? I have it in e-book format so all I can refer to is the image on goodreads."..."

Thanks Sassafrass!

Sassafrass wrote: "Debra wrote: "6. In astrology, Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn are considered the earth signs. They are also the 2nd, 6th, and 10th signs of the Zodiac. For this option, read the 2nd, 6th, or 10th boo..."

Cool! Thanks for the reply.

Hi,

Is this one brown enough? Thanks!

Jayme VA wrote: "Hi,

Is this one brown enough? Thanks!

"


yeah, I think so.

Thank you!

For Option 3, I'd like your approval for



The whole plot revolves around a coverup of a murder (or I think it's a murder) just before WWI in Germany.