The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

25.4 - Lois's Task - Local Flavor

Read two books with local flavor from two different options below. For this task, “local” is where you live: your city, your state/province/region, whatever defines where you live. In most cases, it should be more specific than a country, unless you live in a really small country.

Option A. Read a book by a local author. The author may have spent significant time in your area and be considered a local author, even if not currently living there.

Option B. Read a book that takes place in your local area or, if non-fiction, is about some aspect of your local area.

Option C. Read a biography or autobiography of a local person. As in Option A, if the person has significant roots in your area but is not currently living there, that’s still fine.

REQUIRED:For all options, please state where you live and how your choices are local.

Reserved

Reserved

This thread is now open!

Would this work? I live in Kern County, CA- my little town is only 20 miles from Bakersfield. Bakersfield is the hub of this area--- I have to do my shopping and everything in Bakersfield.

Well, I wanted to read a biography about Buck Owens. He and some other country singers created the Bakersfield Sound, if you will--- and he has his
Crystal Palace Night Club there.

Check out this link to the book.
If you read the blurb about the book, it mentions the
Bakersfield sound.

Also, here a link to the Chrystal Palace.

Thanks---

http://www.amazon.com/Buck-Owens-Biog...

http://www.buckowens.com/aboutbuck.html

Kathy G. wrote: "Would this work? I live in Kern County, CA- my little town is only 20 miles from Bakersfield. Bakersfield is the hub of this area--- I have to do my shopping and everything in Bakersfield.

Well,..."

Oh, yes, that would be good!

Thank you!

I love tasks like this! On my drive into work every morning - about 10 minutes from my house, there is a sign for the Samuel a Mudd house - but I didn't know how that was - apparently he was involved in Lincoln's assassintation - and there is a book published about him! SCORE!

I live about 20 miles outside St. Louis. Could I read a book by Elaine Viets who was born in St. Louis and had a column in the St. Louis newspaper for many years before moving to the East Coast?

Dee wrote: "I love tasks like this! On my drive into work every morning - about 10 minutes from my house, there is a sign for the Samuel a Mudd house - but I didn't know how that was - apparently he was invol..."

Oh, yeah! Y'know the saying "Your name is mud"? That's where it comes from!

Sue T wrote: "I live about 20 miles outside St. Louis. Could I read a book by Elaine Viets who was born in St. Louis and had a column in the St. Louis newspaper for many years before moving to the East Coast?"

Sue, with roots in St. Louis, she certainly sounds local enough, so go for it!

Ms Anderson wrote: "Dee wrote: "I love tasks like this! On my drive into work every morning - about 10 minutes from my house, there is a sign for the Samuel a Mudd house - but I didn't know how that was - apparently ..."

didn't grow up in the US - i have barely a working knowledge of US history - didn't even learn about the Alamo until college ;)

just learnt what "drinking the kool-aid" referred to in the current challenge

i live in the monterey bay/salinas valley area and steinbeck is a local legend/hero. could i use him for option A AND option B? or are you looking for us to use different authors for each? he was born and raised in the salinas valley, and many of his books are centered around the monterey bay and salinas valley. thanks for your help! :)

I live in CT (USA) and discovered a list of CT writers. I had to scroll through scanning it as it includes poetry, non-fiction and all kinds of writers. However, I discovered an old favorite (Patricia Cornwell) live and writes in CT. So one of my books will be hers.

I also ended up with a list of 9 writers (mostly mytery writers) that I will definitely try out...if not for this task, sometime in the future.

Thanks for this task...otherwise I might not have found these.

BTW, I am looking at CT as local as you can get to any of the borders of the state from the center (where I live) in one hour....so I consider that a local distance.

kiki wrote: "i live in the monterey bay/salinas valley area and steinbeck is a local legend/hero. could i use him for option A AND option B? or are you looking for us to use different authors for each? he wa..."

No, it doesn't necessarily have to be different authors, as long it's two different books and they meet the requirements. Steinbeck will be great!

Bea wrote: "I live in CT (USA) and discovered a list of CT writers. I had to scroll through scanning it as it includes poetry, non-fiction and all kinds of writers. However, I discovered an old favorite (Patr..."

Bea, that sounds good. I'm glad you found some good ones to try!

Lois wrote: "kiki wrote: "i live in the monterey bay/salinas valley area and steinbeck is a local legend/hero. could i use him for option A AND option B? or are you looking for us to use different authors for..."


oooh, fabulous! thank you! :)

Can we read two books by the same author? I have a local author who writes about the area where I live, so she'd fall into A and B. Thanks.

Jayme VA wrote: "Can we read two books by the same author? I have a local author who writes about the area where I live, so she'd fall into A and B. Thanks."

Yes, both books can be by the same author, as long as each meets one of the requirements. Enjoy!

Thanks for the quick response, Lois!

Andy P.
I have two homes, a winter one and a summer one. The summer one is my permanent address and I will only spend about a month this winter in the winter one, but the winter one is Tucson which has many more local authors than my more rural Michigan place. Can I claim Tucson as my home for this task? We own a home there and pay taxes, etc. I read most of the books (and virtually all the mysteries set in Michigan) so if I do the Michigan scenario I'd have to reread books, which I'd rather not do.

Is it the town I live in currently or can I use the County I live in?

Andy wrote: "Andy P.
I have two homes, a winter one and a summer one. The summer one is my permanent address and I will only spend about a month this winter in the winter one, but the winter one is Tucson which..."

Either one is fine.

Fiona (Titch) wrote: "Is it the town I live in currently or can I use the County I live in?"

The county where you live is well within the scope of "local" for this task. Even broader, if needed. It's really up to you as to what feels local in your area.

I live in the London Borough of Hillingdon which is counted as part of London so I am assuming I can use books set in London and authors living in/born in London.

I'm hoping to use
A. Before I Met You by Lisa Jewell- Born & still living in London
B.Private Games by James Patterson- Set in London

Sam wrote: "I live in the London Borough of Hillingdon which is counted as part of London so I am assuming I can use books set in London and authors living in/born in London.

I'm hoping to use
A. Before I Me..."

Great choices, Sam!

Lois, will Dragonwyck work for Option B? It's set in both Connecticut and New York. I stay in Stamford, Connecticut which borders New York...

Chiatra, if it works for you, in terms of a local feel to the setting, then it is perfectly fine for this task. Be sure to explain how it is "local" when you post it.

Thank you! I'll do that.

Option A. Read a book by a local author in your area.

I live in Thailand, so I should read Thai novel by Thai author who lives near me?
(I know a few of them who live just a few blocks away. But they all wrote in Thai.)

Night wrote: "Option A. Read a book by a local author in your area.

I live in Thailand, so I should read Thai novel by Thai author who lives near me?
(I know a few of them who live just a few blocks away. B..."

Night, if you don't read the Thai language, are there books by authors who live in Thailand, or who have lived there, that are translated or written in English (or another language you read)? Also, you could choose the other two options if a local author is a problem. I hope you can find two options that will work for you.

Night, if you don't read the Thai language, are there books by authors who live in Thailand, or who have lived there, that are translated or written in English (or another language you read)?

Lois, I want to read the Thai language coz getting the book will be easy and there'll be so many choices for me.

Just want to make sure it's ok coz I've always thought that I have to read only English-language novel in the challenge.

Night wrote: "Night, if you don't read the Thai language, are there books by authors who live in Thailand, or who have lived there, that are translated or written in English (or another language you read)?

Loi..."

*mod note*

Night, books in Thai are fine, but you may need to give us some extra information when you post. Here's the general rule:

Books in languages other than English may be used. Please provide information on the book and/or title to your English speaking moderators so they can understand how the books fit the tasks. Any task requiring a specific title (number of letters, number of words, specific word in title, etc.) should apply to the title that you use.

Ok, thanks!

I am originally from Canada but at the moment live in Basel, Switzerland. Would Swiss Watching: Inside Europe's Landlocked Island work for option #2?

Housewife on Top - Alison Penton Harper (I've met her and she lives in Northamptonshire, UK), can I re-read this?

Sandra wrote: "I am originally from Canada but at the moment live in Basel, Switzerland. Would Swiss Watching: Inside Europe's Landlocked Island work for option #2?"

Sounds good, Sandra!

Fiona (Titch) wrote: "Housewife on Top - Alison Penton Harper (I've met her and she lives in Northamptonshire, UK), can I re-read this?"

Re-reads are acceptable.

Hi Lois,
I'd like to read Pioneer, Go Home! and I was wondering if it'd fit Option B. Apparently it's set in "Columbiana, a fictional state that resembles Florida" and based on the author's experience in South Florida near where I live. (see the Wikipedia page)

Tonks wrote: "Hi Lois,
I'd like to read Pioneer, Go Home! and I was wondering if it'd fit Option B. Apparently it's set in "Columbiana, a fictional state that resembles Florida" and based on the author's experi..."

Hi Tonks,
Not being personally familiar with the book, I wouldn't veto it if you feel it is a "local" setting, because I really wanted the task to be meaningful for each reader based on wherever each of us lives. If it's your best South Florida-setting option, then go ahead with it.

Lois wrote: "Tonks wrote: "Hi Lois,
I'd like to read Pioneer, Go Home! and I was wondering if it'd fit Option B. Apparently it's set in "Columbiana, a fictional state that resembles Florida" and based on the a..."

Thanks. I haven't read it yet either :) My mom recommended it to me as a book set locally, and I only realized looking online that it's not actually named as Florida.

I'm going to read Apples by Richard Milward and Secrets by Freya North are both an author & book set in the North East of England x

does the entire book need to be set in my local area. Reunited is a road trip from east coast to Austin Texas (which is where i live)

JennRenee wrote: "does the entire book need to be set in my local area. Reunited is a road trip from east coast to Austin Texas (which is where i live)"

I have not read it, so it's really up to you as to whether or not you feel it is a book with a local setting. Lots of books take place in a variety of settings, so not all books for this task will be set exclusively in one place. If very little of this book takes place in Austin, you may be able to find something that is more local. If you can't find anything else, or enough of the story takes place there, then it's fine. Just explain what is "local" about it when you post.

Does the book have to be set in my actual town or can it be in a fictionalized version of my town? Specifically, I am talking about Miss Zukas and the Raven's Dance by Jo Dereske. Jo sets this series in the town of Bellehaven, WA. She bases this on Bellingham, WA, where she lives and worked for years at the public library. In her books, Bellehaven is Bellingham, Washington Bay is Bellingham Bay, the Nettles tribe is the local Lummi tribe, the Nixsum River is the Nooksack River, etc and I also recognize various streets, stores and restaurants that she renames in her books.

Deanna wrote: "Does the book have to be set in my actual town or can it be in a fictionalized version of my town? Specifically, I am talking about Miss Zukas and the Raven's Dance by Jo Dereske. Jo sets this seri..."

That sounds like plenty of local flavor! It's fine--go for it.