The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

5 Point tasks

5.1. Name Calling!
Help Thread
Numerous awards are named after an individual - just a few examples are the Bram Stoker award, the Agatha award, the Edgar award, the Hugo award.

Read a book with a person's first name in its title/subtitle/series title. The first name must be used as a first name in the title/subtitle/series title and must be the name of an actual character in the book. Initials do not work - it must be a name.

5.2. The Maple Leaf Rag.
Help Thread
The Scotiabank Giller Prize is an award that goes to the author of a Canadian novel or short story fiction collection published in English (including translation).

Read a book set at least 50% in Canada.

5.3. The Nobel Prize in literature.
Help Thread
Read a book by an author who has won the Nobel Prize for literature - typically, this is awarded for the body of an author's work, not for a specific work, but even if a specific work is mentioned, you can read any work by this author. REQUIRED: If the author's GR biography does not mention the Nobel Prize, include the date it was awarded in your post.

5.4. That's a Strange Title!
Help Thread
The Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year, originally known as the Diagram Group Prize for the Oddest Title at the Frankfurt Book Fair, commonly known as the Diagram Prize for short, is a humorous literary award that is given annually to a book with an unusual title.

Read a book with an odd number of words in its title - subtitles are excluded.

5.5. Try to Count Them.
Help Thread
There are more awards than you can count on your fingers AND toes for science fiction/fantasy/speculative fiction - perhaps the best known are the Hugo Awards and Nebula Awards.

Read a book with a main page genre of science fiction, fantasy, or speculative fiction, standalone or embedded.

5.6. Have You Heard the One About..........?
Help Thread
It is always intriguing to see an award listed that you've never heard of and that has only one book on the list. One I found was the Montblanc-National University of Singapore Literary Award.

Read a book whose author's initials appear consecutively in the name of the award: Montblanc-National University of Singapore Literary Award.
Single author only, all initials, including middle initials, must appear in the name of the award. Initials must appear in the order they occur in the target phrase. Ignore the hyphen in the phrase. Initials MAY wrap in the phrase - so that DM will work.

5.7. Play Those Words!
Help Thread
The National Book Council Banjo Awards were presented by the National Book Council of Australia from 1974 to 1997 for works of fiction and non-fiction. The name commemorates the bush poet Andrew Barton Banjo Paterson.

Read a book with a musical instrument normally played by a person in its title/subtitle, or pictured on its cover. REQUIRED: If using the cover option, include the cover in your post.

5.8. Speaking My Language?
Help Thread
In 2018, the National Book Awards added a category for Translated Literature. https://www.nationalbook.org/2019-nat...

Read a book originally written in a language other than your primary language. REQUIRED: In your post, state your primary language and the language in which your book was originally written.


5.9. The Neustadt International Prize for Literature.
Help Thread
The Neustadt International Prize for Literature is considered to be one of the most prestigious literary awards, often compared to the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Read a book with a title of at least 3 words for which the initial letter of each word in the title can be found in Neustadt International Prize for Literature. Letters can be used only as often as they appear in the target phrase. The initial letter of EVERY word in the title (including articles, etc) must be found in the phrase. Subtitles can be ignored.

5.10. Your Personal Award!
Help Thread
Choose your own award winner! Read a book of your choice that meets the SRC rules. For this task, a book with the main page genre Childrens or Kids may be used if it is not found in AR Bookfinder.

10 Point Tasks

10.1 - Home for the Holidays
Help Thread
For many people, the holidays mean time spent with those closest to us, whether that be the family we were born into, the families we have made for ourselves, or a little (or a lot) of both. To celebrate this holiday season, read a book with HOME, HOLIDAY, FAMILY, or FRIEND found intact in title, subtitle, or series title.
Required: If using the series title, include the series name in your post.

10.2 - Comfort Food
Help Thread
One of the first things that comes to MY mind during the holidays is food! Read a book with the MPG Food and Drink, standalone or embedded.

10.3 - Let It Snow
Help Thread
Read a book with a title consisting of at least 3 words where each initial letter can be found in the phrase WINTER WONDERLAND. All title words count. Subtitles should be ignored. Letters may be used only as often as they appear in the target phrase.

10.4 - Snuggle Up
Help Thread
With all that snow outside, it's time to snuggle up with a good book! Get out that blanket and read a book with the letters GG in the title, subtitle, or author's name. The two Gs must be found consecutively in the same word or name. A single author in a work with multiple contributors may be used if the name fits the task.

10.5 - Countdown to New Year's
Help Thread
While you're waiting for the ball (or apple, or acorn, or whatever) to drop, read a book in which the digits in the page count decrease sequentially (ex: 210, 321, 432, 543, 1098, etc.).

10.6 - Fresh Start
Help Thread
Many people consider the New Year a fresh start. Let's celebrate by reading a book that is #1 in a series. The series designation (series name #1) must appear on the book's main Goodreads page.

10.7 - I Have a Dream
Help Thread
Martin Luther King Jr Day is an American federal holiday observed on the third Monday of January. The day was set aside to honor the civil-rights activist and his fight against racial inequality. To celebrate racial diversity in literature, read a book that appears on one of these lists:
Books by Black Authors
2019 Books by Authors of Color
Books with a Non-Caucasian person as the/one of the lead characters
Required: State which list and which page of that list the book is found on when you post.

10.8 - Leap Year
Help Thread
February 29, 2020 is Leap Day. This extra day makes the year 366 days long, not 365 days, like a common year. Read a book first published in a year that contains double consecutive digits (ex: 1944, 1995, 2008, 2011).

10.9 - Winter's in the Air
Help Thread
Read a book that has won or has been nominated for a literary award that begins with one of the letters found in WINTER. The award must show up on book's main page under Literary Awards. Ex:
The Bone Clocks - World Fantasy Award for Best Novel (2015)
ISAN - International Book Awards for Science Fiction (2018)
Jade City - Nebula Award Nominee for Best Novel (2017)
Required: Indicate which award fits the task when you post.

10.10 - Overlooked?
Help Thread
Read a popular book (over 10,000 ratings) that has never won or been nominated for a literary award (according to Goodreads). The book's main page should NOT include a section titled Literary Awards in the book's metadata (the section below the book description). Books first published in 2018, 2019, or 2020 are excluded since their award season is still in play. Ex: Since We Fell, Hardcore Twenty-Four, Secondborn

15 Point Tasks

15.1 - Days of Celebration
Help Thread
Select 2 options and read a book for each. You MAY use the same option twice but you MUST choose different countries.

Read a book set at least 50% in one of these countries that celebrates its national day during the Winter Challenge
Required: Identify the options.

Option 1, Read a book set at least 50% in one of these countries that celebrates its national day in December: Central African Republic, Romania, Laos, United Arab Emirates, Saba, Thailand, Finland, Tanzania, Kenya, Malta, the Netherlands, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Bhutan, Niger, Qatar, Macau, Reunion, Slovenia.

Option 2, Read a book set at least 50% in one of these countries that celebrates its national day in January: Taiwan, Cuba, Haiti, Slovakia, Myanmar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, Australia, India, Nauru.

Option 3, Read a book set at least 50% in one of these countries that celebrates its national day in February: Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Grenada, Iran, Japan, Vatican City, Serbia, Lithuania, Kosovo, Libya, Gambia, Saint Lucia, Brunei, Guyana, Estonia, Kuwait, Dominican Republic.

Required: State the setting. If the setting is not obvious on the book’s main GR page include a reference when you post.


15.2 - In The Category...
Help Thread
Using the list of Book Awards on Goodreads select an award that presents awards in multiple categories. The winning award must be present on the book’s main GR page.

Book 1: Read a book that has WON an award (no nominee, longlist, shortlist, or list award) in any category.

Book 2: Using the SAME award and the SAME YEAR read a book that has WON an award in a different category.

Ex.
Edgar Award 2019

Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original (2019): If I Die Tonight
Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime (2019) Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation

Goodreads Choice 2017

Goodreads Choice Fiction (2017) Little Fires Everywhere
Goodreads Choice Mystery & Thriller (2017) Into the Water

15.3 - Spin the Wheel
Help Thread
Wheel of Fortune premiered 45 years ago on January 6 1975. In the Bonus Round the contestant must solve the puzzle after the letters R, S, T, L, N and E have populated the spaces. Players then get to choose three more consonants plus one vowel.

Required: Identify the option.

Option 1
Book 1: Read a book with ALL the letters R, S, T, L, N and E in the title, subtitle and/or author's name
AND
Book 2: Read a book with ALL the Most Frequently Chosen Letters C, D, M and A in the title, subtitle and/or author's name.

Option 2
Read one book that fulfills book 1 AND book 2.
ex. More Than Sorrow by Vicki Delany

15.4 - Go Red
Help Thread
The first Friday in February (American Heart Month) is National Wear Red Day to raise awareness about women and cardiovascular disease.

Required: Identify the option.

Option 1
Book 1 Read a book written by an author with first and last name initials found in NATIONAL WEAR RED FOR WOMEN DAY
AND
Book 2 Read a book with a person wearing an article of red clothing on the cover. The item must be predominately red. Shoes, belts, sashes, ties, hats and other accessories qualify as items of clothing. Jewelry does not.

This list may help Red Dress Red Coat
Required:Include the cover.


Option 2
Read one book that fulfills book 1 AND book 2.
ex
Priceless by Olivia Darling initials OD, red dress cover

15.5- Lady With A Lamp
Help Thread
2020 is the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife in honor of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale.
Read a book with a nurse or a midwife as a central character. For this task a nurse is a person formally educated and trained in the care of sick or infirm people, such as a nurse-practitioner, physician's assistant, practical nurse, or registered nurse.
Required: If the nurse/midwife is not mentioned in the GR description include a reference when you post.

15.6 - Third Time's The Charm
Help Thread
Read a book that has won or been nominated for at least three literary awards. The awards must be listed in the GR metadata.
Ex. Salt to the Sea
SCBWI Golden Kite Award for Fiction (2016),
Audie Award for Young Adult (2017),
South Carolina Book Award Nominee for Young Adult (2019),
Rhode Island Teen Book Award Nominee for Honorable Mention (2018),
etc.

15.7 - Stand Alone
Help Thread
Satisfied Staying Single Day is February 11 a day to celebrate the idea that being alone is as empowering as being in a relationship.
Read a book that is a standalone- NOT part of a series or continuing story or world.

15.8 - Ice Ice Baby
Help Thread
Read a book with a word in the title or subtitle that include "ICE" or "ICY" intact.
EX "ice" intact: The Alice Network
"icy" intact: Bicycle Diaries
The Ice Twins

15.9 - A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
Help Thread
A Will Eisner Comic Industry Award is presented each year in the category Best Reality-Based Work.
Read a Non-fiction work in a sequential art/graphic format. The record may indicate "graphic novel" (novel as a work of fiction) but it must be clear that the work is non-fiction, such as a Genre of Nonfiction, History, Biography, Memoir, etc.; a statement in the description of memoir, autobiography, etc.
Ex. March: Book One, Epileptic, A Fire Story


15.10 - Get 'Em While They're Hot
Help Thread
Read a book FIRST published in 2019 or 2020.

20 Point Tasks

20.1 - Most Improved - Librarianish's Task: Beating the Winter Blues
Help Thread
This is a one-book task. Select one option and read a book that fits.
Required: Identify the option.

The decreasing daylight through the winter months in the upper midwest of the U.S. means the beginning of Seasonal Affective Disorder for me and many others. It's an annual sort of war, and I have to marshal all my resources to emerge victorious (gamification is actually kind of helpful, too!). I use a full-spectrum light every morning, try to get outside as often as I can, knit lots of colorful woolen things, get to the gym regularly, and try to get more regular sleep.

Option 1: Though my list of battle tactics is mostly sufficient, I'm always interested in learning more about how to make it through the dark days. Books like Sleep Smarter and Every Body Yoga have been game-changers for me.
For this option, read a nonfiction book with an mpg of Health, Self-Help, Food, or Nature (standalone or embedded).

Option 2: My genetic background is mostly Norwegian, and I would love to visit Norway or Sweden sometime in winter. I've also been super interested in learning more about how Scandinavian cultures deal with the long dark cold winters.
For this option, read a book found on the listopia Scandinavian Lifestyle Books.

Option 3: Every February, I try to visit my parents in Florida for at least a week, to recharge with some sunlight and lots of pool or beach reading.
For this option, read a book from any GR listopia that has the word "beach" or "summer" in its name. For instance, Best Summer Reads 2019 or Beach Reads 2019.
Required: State and link your chosen listopia, and state the page number of that list on which your book may be found.

20.2 - Rookie at the Top - Helen A's Task: Bird's Wedding
Help Thread
On January 25, 2020, the Wendish people near Dresden, Germany, will celebrate Bird's Wedding. This is the night which comes six weeks before the hatching of this year's baby birds.

My mother's ancestors are the Wendish people. They are a small group of Slavic Lutherans, who maintain their culture as they are surrounded by the German population.

Let's think about some of these cultural groups.
Read one book which includes in the title/subtitle one of the following words: Aborigine/Aboriginal, Hmong, Mien, Bedouin, Wend/Wendish, Sami/Lapp/Laplander, Aleut, Inuit, Amish.
Plurals and Possessives are fine.
Ex. Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia, The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir, The Amish Midwife

20.3 - Best Review - Joanne MI’s task-Celebrating the 90’s
Help Thread
I have always been a voracious reader, and I taught my daughter to love reading and writing just as much as I do. Obviously, I have done a good job of it as her room overflows with books and she has worked as a journalist since leaving University. She will turn 27 this January-I am still shaking my head wondering how this happened so quickly! Since she is a child of the 90’s this task is dedicated to her.

This is a one book task. Read a book from one of the options below.
No books with the main page genre Childrens or Kids may be used. Your choice of book must total at least 190 pages.

Option 1: Read a book FIRST published between 1990 and 1999 (inclusive). This shelf may help Popular 1990's Books

Option 2: My daughter was born in January 1993, and so, of course, she became a huge Harry Potter Fan-Girl then graduated to J.R.R. Tolkien. For this option read a book with a main page genre of Fantasy, standalone or embedded, AND whose page count contains a 1, 9 or 3.

Option 3: With a little pressure from her mother, her first semester at college, my daughter took a job as a reporter for the University Paper. She’s never looked back and I am a proud Mom. In honor of journalism read a book from one of the following lists:

Best Books By Journalists
Books By Journalists

Required: State which list you used and the page your book is found on.

20.4 - Golden Oldies - Perletwo's Task: Everything Old is New Again, and Again and Again
Help Thread
In 2019, the Hugo Awards startled the bookish world by presenting its Best Related Work award to An Archive of Our Own , a member-uploaded compendium of fanfiction, fan art and other fanworks. The archive's nomination and win lent an air of legitimacy to the interaction between fans, artists, and creative content of the sort promoted and protected by the Archive's parent entity, the Organization for Transformative Works.

"Transformative works" is one of the four elements the Supreme Court uses in deciding whether a work infringes on another artist's published creation or falls under the law's "fair use" protections. An Archive of Our Own focuses on not-for-profit fanworks, but transformative works can also be published works such as pastiches, retellings, parodies and recontextualizations (say, moving an old tale into a modern setting).

In honor of the Archive's Hugo Award, read a book from this list: Mythologies and Retellings of Fairy Tales and Classics.
Required: State the page on which your book can be found.

20.5 - Bigger is Better - Julia103's Task: The Name is Important
Help Thread
This is a one book task. Choose one of the options below:
Required: Indicate the option.
Required: For all options, include the award name in your post and state the page of Book Awards | Goodreads where the award is found.

Option 1: Read a book by an author who has an award named for them
Examples:
The Agatha Award is named for Agatha Christie, page 1
The Hugo Award is named for Hugo Gernsback, page 1
The Edgar Award is named for Edgar Allan Poe, page 1
The Philip K. Dick Award is named for Philip K. Dick, page 4


Option 2: Read a book by an author who shares a first or last name with the name of a book award or with the person that an award was named for. The name must match exactly.
Examples:
Les Misérables by author Victor Hugo shares name with Hugo Award, page 1
11/22/63 by author Stephen King shares name with Coretta Scott King Award, page 3
United: Thoughts on Finding Common Ground and Advancing the Common Good by author Cory Booker shares name with Booker Prize, page 1
Catch-22 by author Joseph Heller - the Pulitzer Prize is named for Joseph Pulitzer, page 1
Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown - the RITA Award by Romance Writers of America is named for Rita Clay Estrada, page 1
Required: State the name of the award or who the award was named for.

Option 3: Read a book with a word in the title (not subtitle) of at least 3 letters that is in an award name. The matching word must NOT be a person's name. The words "the", "and", "book", "award", and "prize" are EXCLUDED. The word must match exactly.
Examples:
Sophie's Choice - the word Choice is in Goodreads Choice Awards, page 1
National Security - the word National is in National Book Award, page 1
Circle of Friends - the word Circle is in National Book Critics Circle Award, page 1

20 Point Tasks

20.6 - Seasoned Reader - Zach's Task: Looking Back, Looking Forward
Help Thread
Really pleased to be creating my first SRC task. As we head into the New Year I find it’s always great to look back on the year that was. A highlight of my year was a trip to Barcelona! A lovely city that I am dying to visit again.

One of the coolest things that occurred while we were there was accidentally happening upon the Mercat del Born when we were in dire need of washrooms. Suddenly, we were staring down at the ruins of a city that was. It was unexpected and very, very cool. It had been beneath our feet that whole time. It is always interesting to think about the history of a place. How modern culture is built on the past and continues into the future.

This task will explore that idea and also tie in with the Book Awards theme for this season.

A book with the genre "Sequential Art", "Comics", "Comic Book", or "Manga" is allowed for this task.

Choose one option.
The book you choose for this task must be a winner of a book award, not just a nominee.
Required: State the option.

Option 1: Looking Back

Read an award-winning book that has a main page genre of History or Historical Fiction, standalone or embedded. The award must be present on the book's main page.

examples: The Great Alone Historical > Historical Fiction genre and Goodreads Choice Award for Historical Fiction (2018)
The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women History genre and Goodreads Choice Award for History & Biography (2017)

Option 2: Looking Forward

Read an award-winning book that has a standalone genre of "Science Fiction" OR a genre of "Science Fiction > Dystopia" or "Science Fiction > Utopia". The award must be present on the book's main page.

examples: Vengeful Science Fiction stand alone genre and winner of Goodreads Choice Award for Science Fiction (2018)
The Fifth Season Science Fiction > Dystopia genre and Hugo Award for Best Novel (2016)

20.7- Shorter is Sweeter - Queen Bee Darlene's Task: Be Better
Help Thread
"We need more kindness, more compassion, more joy, more laughter. I definitely want to contribute to that." Ellen DeGeneres

I recently found this quote and in perfection states the type of person I want to be. I definitely want my life to contribute these things to the world.

This task is a one book task. Read a book from one of the options below.
Required: Identify the option.

Option 1) Read a book with the word kindness, compassion, joy, or laughter in the title or subtitle. The word must match exactly.

Option 2) Read a book from one of the following lists:
Best Up Lit (uplifting reads)
Best Happy, Inspiring, or Uplifting books
Uplifting Fiction
Required: State which list and the number/page where your book appears on that list

Option 3) As an homage to Ellen DeGeneres, read a book written by a single author whose name contains both an E and a D.

20.8 - Nickels & Dimes - MEGSCL's Task: Title Tropes
Help Thread
I've noticed lately there are a lot of books coming out with similar title themes. New books seem to want to capitalise on the popularity of other books in the genre.
Choose one option.
Required: State the option.

Option 1: The Thrilling Woman
We've moved past Gone Girl but now it seems to always be woman or wife, e.g. The Woman in Cabin 10, My Lovely Wife, All the Missing Girls.
Read a book with mystery or thriller as a main page genre and the word 'girl" 'wife' or 'woman' in the title. Subtitles are excluded. Plurals and possessives work.

Option 2: The Feel Good Story of Quirky Fullname
You know it's going to be cute and quirky when you see a title like Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton or Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune.
Read a book with at least five words in the title including a full name (first name and surname). Subtitles are excluded. Plurals and possessives work

Option 3: The Historical Job
Read a book with the main page genre historical fiction and a title referring to a job or employee, e.g. The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Dressmaker's Gift or The Watchmaker of Filigree Street. Subtitles are excluded. Plurals and possessives work. Jobs such as "garment maker" or "cloth weaver" work.

20.9 - Moderator's Pet - Sarah Ruth's Task: Can You Keep A Secret?
Help Thread
I tried to find something that tied into the months of the challenge (Dec-Feb) that also had to do with something personal for me. I work in IT, and for a while I worked exclusively in IT security.

This is a one-book task. Select one option and read a book that fits.
Required: Identify the option you have chosen when you post.

In January of 2018 two computer vulnerabilities were disclosed to the public, Spectre and Meltdown.

Option 1: Both of these vulnerabilities had to do with hackers being able to access the private information, or *secrets*, within your computer.

For this option, read a book that has the word "Secret" found intact in the TITLE. Subtitles are excluded.

Option 2: I often find myself lost in the wormhole that is Wikipedia looking for more and more information about a topic.

For this option: Read a book with the mpg of Technology, standalone or embedded.

Option 3: What's in a name?

For this option: Read a book written by a single author whose first and last name initials can be found in either SPECTRE or MELTDOWN. Letters may be used only as often as they appear in the target word.

20.10 - Group Reads
Read ONE of the books selected as the Group Reads choices for the season:

Police Procedural: In the Woods by Tana French
Discusssion

Paranormal Romance: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Discussion

Economics Nonfiction: This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate by Naomi Klein
Discussion

REQUIRED: You must participate in the book's discussion thread with at least one post about the contents of the book or your reaction to the book after you have read the book.

25 Point Tasks

25.1 - Andy P.’s Task: Learning the Alphabet
Help Thread
In the fall my husband and I went to visit our daughter and her family. Grandpa and our youngest granddaughter had quite a long ongoing conversation about the alphabet. When she would recite the alphabet she would omit N and M, but when asked what come after L she would say M and after M comes N and then O. I finally concluded saying letters quickly made saying M and N difficult so she omitted them. In addition she loves her middle name, which is Penelope (note the LO sequence)
Anyway, in honor of a granddaughter with a strong will, I have created the following task.

This is a two book task. Please select a book that satisfies the criteria for Book 1 and another for Book 2.
Required: Identify the Book 2 option.

Both books must be written by a single author.
No books with the main page genre Childrens or Kids may be used.
The total page count for both books must exceed 500 pages. (501+)

Book 1. Read a book which does NOT contain an M or an N in the title or subtitle.
Example: A Treacherous Curse (no M or N)

Book 2.
Option 1: Read a book in which the author’s name contains both an M and an N.
Example: Hard Freeze by Dan Simmons (author's name has both N and M)
OR
Option 2: Read a book whose TITLE contains the letters LO in sequence. Subtitles are excluded.
Lone Wolf LO in LONE

25.2 - Mazza1's Task: Discussions with Santa
Help Thread
I love winter and Christmas. I have 3 sons and 7, soon to be 8, grandchildren so there are a lot of discussions with Santa. For James and Arianna, Thomas, Avelyn and Sebastian, Melissa and Hannah these discussions have become complicated this year

Choose ONE of the Following 3 options and Read BOOKS 1 and 2 from that option.
Your books should total at least 500 pages
No books with the main page genre Childrens or Kids may be used.

Option 1
My eldest Son, Andrew and his wife Vanessa have decided to go plastic free and to join something that seems to be a Toy Library called “Whirli” So no plastic presents allowed (although Lego has been given an exception to the rule).

For this option
Book 1 - Read a book with ALL the letters of NO PLASTIC in the title and / or subtitle

AND

Book 2 - Read a book which contains the word “TOY”, “LIBRARY ” or "WHIRL" in the TITLE. Subtitles are excluded. The word must match exactly.

Option 2
Michael, my middle son and his partner Emma have 3 children (2 his partners from a previous marriage) and number 4 is expected early January. Space is at a premium in their home so their stipulation for Christmas is “Nothing that takes up space”

For this option
Book 1 - Read a book set in Space - For this task Space is intended to mean on a planet other than EARTH or in the space surrounding those planets in a Spaceship. The book may be Fiction or Non-Fiction.
For example The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Required: If the setting is not evident from GR information you should provide evidence of how it fits.

AND

Book 2 - Read a book with the word “NOTHING” in the TITLE. Subtitles are excluded. The word must match exactly.

Option 3
The baby of the family, Christopher and his wife Sarah are currently based at SHAPE HQ in Belgium where he is in the RAF aerials section. Sending Parcels to a BFPO address can be fraught with delays at Christmas so Money is the order of the day here. This year their intention is to buy Water Park Tickets for their annual holiday with any money sent.

For this option
Book 1 - Read a book written by a single author whose first AND last name starts with any of the letters in MONEY. You CAN use the same letter for both names, e.g .Nuala Ellwood, Nicola Moriarty, Naomi Novik

AND

Book 2 - Read a book that has either of the words “Water” or Park” in the TITLE. Subtitles are excluded. The word must match exactly.


25.3 - TraceyL's Task: Crime Writers Awards
Help Thread
Of all the book awards out there, I think the awards for crime writers have the best names. I've based this task on some of my favorites.

This is a 2 book task. Pick two options and read one book for each option.
Required: Identify the options.

Option 1: The Scarlet Stiletto

Australia’s annual crime short story competition, the Scarlet Stiletto Awards, is open to women only. The overall winner receives a cash prize plus coveted trophy, a scarlet stiletto shoe with a steel stiletto heel plunging into a perspex mount.

Read a book with a color word in the TITLE. Subtitles are not allowed. Colors must be found on this Wikipedia List of Colors. The color word must match exactly. For colors which are two words long, you can choose one of the words.
Examples:
Into the Jungle (Jungle green)
Harlequin (Harlequin)
The Persian Pickle Club (Persian blue)


Option 2: The Gold Dagger

The Gold Dagger is an award given annually by the Crime Writers' Association of the United Kingdom since 1960 for the best crime novel of the year. Currently ten Daggers are awarded annually by the CWA and are regarded by the publishing world as the foremost British awards for crime-writing.

Read a book with a knife, sword, or other blade on the cover. Include the cover when you post.
Examples:

Required: Include the cover.

Option 3: The Glass Key

The Glass Key Award is given annually by the Skandinaviska Kriminalsällskapet (Crime Writers of Scandinavia) to the best crime novel written by a Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, or Swedish author. The award is named after the novel The Glass Key by Dashiell Hammett.

Read a book by an author born in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway or Sweden.
Required: If a place of birth is not listed on the author's Goodreads page, provide a reference when you post.

Option 4: The Whodunit Award

The Mystery Writers Key West Whodunit Writing Competition is open to writers of unpublished manuscripts. "Whodunit" is a play on the question "Who has done it?" or "Who did it?"

Read a book with a question mark "?" in the title, subtitle or series name.

Option 5: The Gumshoe Award

The Gumshoe Awards are an American award for popular crime fiction literary works. The Gumshoe Awards are awarded annually by the American Internet magazine Mystery Ink to recognize the best achievements in crime fiction. "Gumshoe" is another word for detective.

Read a book which meets SRC rules and is found on this Detective Fiction List.
Required: State the page.

25.4 - Sally M's Task: I’d Like to Thank…
Help Thread
My first challenge was Winter 2009 and in 10 years I never, ever thought I’d actually complete a challenge! I’m having a real Susan Lucci moment right now. I have so many to thank, I hope the music doesn’t cut me off!

Read two books, from two different options.
REQUIRED: Indicate the options you chose.

The total number of pages for both books combined must be at least 600.


Option 1: The Academy, er, SRC!

In the Winter 2009 - 2010 challenge, I completed 11 tasks and earned 185 points - I’ve come a long way! Shout out to the mods for being awesome! My spreadsheet tracking system in particular has evolved over time and is a huge help.

Read a book written by a single author whose initials can be found in SPREADSHEET TRACKER. All initials count. Letters can be used only as often as they appear in the target phrase.

OPTIONAL: If you use a spreadsheet or other type of template to plan or track your SRC participation, feel free to share the link!


Option 2: Harry Potter and JKR

Early on in the fall challenge, I decided to re-read the entire Harry Potter series. It gave me some nice momentum!

Read a book that features at least one witch or wizard as a character, or witchcraft or magic as a central plot point. Any type of magic or witchcraft applies, but it must be defined and treated as such in the book - it’s not enough to simply be set in a paranormal world.

Ex: The Vine Witch, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

REQUIRED: If it isn’t clear from the GR description that the book features a witch or wizard or the magic plot point, provide evidence of the connection in your post.


Option 3: Audible Escape and Scribd

Plowing through 50+ books could be expensive and take a really long time! I love being able to borrow books, and listening to audiobooks at 1.5x or 2x speed is a game-changer.

Read a book you borrowed from a friend, the library or a subscription service, such as Audible Escape, Kindle Unlimited, LibriVox, OverDrive/Libby, Scribd, Spotify, or Storytel.

For the purposes of this task, a borrowed book is one you are not meant to own or keep. It's okay if you pay for a subscription service, as long as you are not purchasing the book or purchasing credits used to own the book. The lending term or digital rights must expire or be revoked when your paid subscription ends. Note that a book purchased from Audible, Amazon/Kindle, any bookstore or other source will not work for this task. Nor will any book that you received for free that you could keep, such as a gift, a trade, a review/advance copy or a found book.

REQUIRED: State which friend, library, or service you borrowed your book from.


Option 4: Long Flights and Layovers

By the start of November, I was no longer on track to complete the challenge. What pushed me over the edge was a combination of long flights and layovers: across 9 flights and 4 layovers, I was able to get through 10 books.

Read a book with the MPG Travel, standalone or embedded.

25 Point Tasks

25.5 - Kaora's Task: All Work and Some Play...
Help Thread
Every quarter for work I get the opportunity to meet with my coworkers in some city in the US for camp where we spend 4 days reviewing the quarter, making plans going forward and having a little fun. This task is based off the cities we travelled for 2019.

Pick two places and complete the task for each.
Required: Make sure you indicate the options you have selected when you post.

Option 1: Palm Springs, CA
In Palm Springs we got the opportunity to take the tram and then hike around Mount San Jacinto State Park. Mount San Jacinto is 10,834 feet high.

Read a book with at least two of these numbers in the page total: 0, 1, 3, 4, 8.

Option 2: New Orleans, LA
This is my favorite place simply because of the food. It is also my second year in a row here, and the location of my first camp. I'm hoping we'll go again next year for the third year running.

Read a book that is the second in a series. The series designation (series name #2) must appear on the book's main Goodreads page.

Option 3: Chicago, IL
My second time in Chicago, I finally got to take a bout tour on the river. It is a fascinating city with a ton of history.

Read a book with some sort of boat on the cover. The boat must be capable of (even if they aren't visible) carrying at least two people and does not need to have a motor. Rowboats, canoes or anything larger will work. Single kayaks will not.
Ex.

Required: Include the cover when you post.

Option 4: Albuquerque, NM
My first time ever in this state. It was beautiful and our visit happened to coincide with the Albuquerque Balloon Festival, so we got to see thousands of balloons dotting the landscape.
Read a book by a single author whose initials are in ALBUQUERQUE BALLOON FESTIVAL. All initials count. Letters can only be used as often as they appear.

25.6 - Cordelia's Task: 2019
Help Thread
This is a 2 book task. Choose 2 different options from the following and read one book from each.
Required: State in your post which options you chose.

Option 1: Read a book FIRST published in 2019.

Option 2: Read a book which WON a literary prize or award in 2019. This must be the WINNER, not nominees, longlisted or shortlisted. This information must be stated on the Goodreads main book page.

Option 3: Read a book where the author's initials can be found in TWO THOUSAND AND NINETEEN. All initials count. If there is more than one author, all the initials of all the authors count. Letters may only be used as often as they appear in the phrase.

Option 4: Read a book with a word of 4 or more letters in the title/subtitle which can be found in TWO THOUSAND AND NINETEEN. All the letters in the word must appear in the phrase. Letters may only be used as often as they appear.
Required: State the word you used when you post.

Option 5: Read a book which has at least 2 of the following numbers: 2, 0, 1, 9 in the number of pages. Each number can be used only once.

25.7 - Nick KY’s Task: Double Duty – Pulitzer Prizes.
Help Thread
This is a two book task. Read one Book 1 and one Book 2.

Book 1. Read a book with at least one word in the TITLE which has a set of consecutive double letters. Subtitles are excluded.
Examples: Cloudstreet EE, Voodoo Doll OO (only one set is required) The Starless Sea SS

Book2. The Pulitzer Prizes were originated as journalism awards. Since drama and music were reviewed by journalists, those categories were added on early. Books (fiction, nonfiction, criticism) came along a little later.

Read a book written by a winning author or finalist from one of these lists:

1. Fiction, 1948 to the present..

2. General Nonfiction, 1962 to the present.

3. Criticism or Commentary (1970-72 only).

4. Criticism, 1973—present.

5. Commentary, 1973—present.


Examples:
I Like to Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV Revolution by Emily Nussbaum
From #4, Criticism 2016 Emily Nussbaum of The New Yorker

The Substance of Hope: Barack Obama and the Paradox of Progress by William Jelani Cobb
From #5, Commentary 1973- Present finalist Jelani Cobb of The New Yorker
Jelani Cobb Wikipedia

The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History or
Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature, and Climate Change by Elizabeth Kolbert
From #2, General Nonfiction 2015 for
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, by Elizabeth Kolbert

Required: State the category and year of the win/finalist. If the author uses a pen name include a reference link if it is not clear in the author's GR bio.

25.8 - Bookwrm526's Task: Celebrate Every Day!
Help Thread
Last year for Christmas, my brother made us all calendars highlighting some of the wacky holidays in each month. I was inspired by this calendar in the creation of this task. I picked a few of my favorite wacky holidays from December, January, and February and turned them into options. Enjoy!

This is a two book task. Choose two of the following options and read one book for each option. ONE book may have the genre Childrens or Kids.
Required: Identify the options.

Option 1: National Make Cut Out Snowflakes Days (December 27) – Bring out the paper and scissors, and cut out some paper snowflakes!
Read a book with at least one clearly visible six-sided* snowflake on the cover.

*A stylized snowflake with more than six sides would work as long as it is clearly a snowflake and you can count the sides, such as the eight-sided:

Required: Include the cover in your post.

Option 2: Repeal Day (December 5) and Bartender Appreciation Day (December 6) – The anniversary of the 21st Amendment, repealing prohibition, followed by a celebration of the bartending craft, I’ll drink to that!
Read a book where the author's first and last name initials can be found in BARTENDERS. Letters can be used only as often as they appear in the target word.

Option 3: National Bird Day (January 5) – I love birds and birding, and while this day is more about bringing attention to the exploitation of captive birds, I still call it a celebration of birds.
Read a book with "bird" or a specific type of bird in the title or subtitle. Plurals and possessives work.
ex. Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, Bird Box, In Robin's Nest

Option 4: Cuddle Up Day (January 6) – the perfect excuse to snuggle up with someone on a cold winters’ night!
Read a book with the MPG Romance (standalone or embedded).

Option 5: Love Your Pet Day (February 20) – a day to pamper your pet, give them special treats, maybe even adopt a new pet!
Read a book with an animal that is typically considered an indoor pet (cat, dog, lizard, fish, hamster, etc.) on the cover.
Required: Include the cover in your post.

Task 25.9 Diana K's Task: 2020 Number Fun.
Help Thread
The year 2020 has something unique to each century: two digits followed by the exact same two digits. It last happened in 1919 and repeats every 101 years from the year 1010 to 9999. Let's have some fun with this and the number 20.

This is a two book task. Choose two of the following options and read one book for each option.
Required: State the option.

Option 1: Read a book that has a consecutive repeating pair of letters in a word in the title, subtitle or author's name. Examples are: Mama, The Papal Secret (PA|PA) and Jojo Moyes.

Option 2: The sum of the first four even numbers is 20. Read a book where the digits in the page number count add up to 20, ex. 299 (2+9+9 = 20), 398 (3+9+8 = 20).

Option 3: The number 20 was the base for the Mayan numeral system which is known as a "vigesimal" number system. Read a book by an author whose first and last name initials appear in the word VIGESIMAL. Letters may be used only as often as they appear in the target word.

Option 4: 20/20 in vision is the goal that eye doctors aim for when prescribing glasses or contacts. Read a book that has a pair of glasses on the cover. Sunglasses, monocles, lorgnettes, etc. work.

Required: Include the cover when posting.

25 Point Tasks

25.10 - Kristina Simon's task: Rewards of Awards
Help Thread
Some people adore book awards. Others abhor them. No matter which camp you fall into, book awards can help an author gain the attention of readers, librarians, and (if they're lucky) the media.

This is a two book task. Choose two of the following options and read one book for each option. One of your books may have a MPG of Sequential Art, Comics, Manga, or Graphic Novel. The combined page count for both books must be at least 500 pages.

Option 1: Readers
Some book clubs read only award winning books. I don't know about yours, but my book club picks are all over the place. Some are award winners. Some most assuredly are not. For this option, read a book found on the list of Popular Book Club Books.
Required: State which page the book can be found on when you post.

Option 2: New-to-Me Genre Readers
When graphic novels first came to my attention, I relied heavily on awards lists to find ones I might like. For this option, read a graphic novel that has won or been nominated for at least one literary award. The award(s) much show up under the Literary Awards section of the books main page. Graphic memoirs (or other graphic nonfiction tagged "graphic novel" on GRs) will work.

Option 3: Librarians
The American Library Association has a robust awards list but one of my favorite awards presented by the ALA is the Alex Award. The Alex award is given to books that are written for adults but that have some special appeal to young adults. I've found many wonderful reads perusing the Alex Award lists. For this option, read a book found on the Alex Award Winners list.
Required: State which page the book can be found on when you post.

Option 4: The Media
Sure, all authors hope to land a spot on Oprah's TBR list but there are other influencers out there. For this option, choose one of the media stars below and read a book found on her book list.
Oprah Winfrey
Reese Witherspoon
Emma Roberts
Required: State which celebrity you chose and, if the list has more than one page, state which page the book can be found on when you post.

25.11 - SandyL's Task: Rescue Me!
Help Thread
A couple of friends and I are in the process of setting up a non-profit dog rescue, and hope to be up and running by the first of the new year. Who knew there was so much paperwork involved!! But I know it will be worth it when we can start the fun part of rescuing and rehoming dogs in need.

This is a two book task. Choose two options and read one book from each. Your books should total at least 500 pages.

Option 1: Read a book found on the Great "Dog" Books list.
Required: State the page.

Option 2: Read a book that has a MPG of Animals, standalone or embedded.

Option 3: Read a book written by an author whose first and last initials can be found in the phrase RESCUE DOGS.
Letters can be used only as often as they appear in the target phrase.

Option 4: Read a book with a dog on the cover. The dog can be a photograph, drawing, cartoon or silhouette and does not have to show the entire dog, but must clearly BE a dog.

Required:: Include the cover in your post.
Optional: Post a picture of your rescued pet in the help thread!

25.12 - CathyG’s Task: Challenge Addict
Help Thread
I am addicted to reading challenges. I am always involved in several at the same time. Luckily, I can usually find books that will fit multiple challenges. While this one is definitely the most difficult to finish (due to volume), it requires so many different books that I can find somewhere to fit books needed for other challenges.

Read two books, from two different options.
Required: Indicate the options you chose.

Option 1- The Quest- My longest running challenge is an individual quest where reading books levels up my sword and wand and completes challenges. Doing this enables me to collect items, kill monsters, and gain experience. I have been playing this challenge since it started January 22, 2015 and have accumulated 2877 experience points.
Read a book FIRST published in 2015 with at least two of the numbers from 2877 in the page count. ex. 280, 377, 427.

Option 2- Pick for me- For this challenge, another player chooses a series for me to read, from ones that I have selected.
Using a series that you started before the Winter Challenge began (12/1/19), read a book in the series #2 or higher. The series information must appear on Goodreads after the title (series #2+).
Required: State that you have read previous book(s) in the series before the Winter Challenge began.

Option 3- Turf Wars - This is a team challenge that recently ended. Team challenges really encourage me to read outside my comfort zone. In this one, extra points were earned for reading books found on selected lists.
Read a book from one of these lists:

#1 Books About Melbourne and Victoria
#2 Great Chinese Historical Fiction
#3 Natural Disaster Fiction

Required:State the list and the page (for #1 &2)

25.13 - Rina's Task: Christmas Markets
Help Thread
My favorite tradition during Christmas time are the Chrismas Markets. Even though I usually don't celebrate Christmas, I love visiting Chrismas Markets with their charming and festive atmosphere.

This is a two book task. The combined page count for both books must be at least 500 pages.

Choose one Chrismas Market from the The Most Charming Christmas Markets in Europe list and complete both tasks for your chosen market.

The Christmas Markets are listed in post 2 of the Help Thread.

Required: Identify the Christmas Market you chose when you post.

Book 1 - Read a book with ALL the letters of the city, where your chosen Christmas Market is held, found in either the title/subtitle OR series name. Letters may only be used as often as they appear.
Required: If using the series title, include the series name in your post.

Book 2 - Read a book set at least 50% in the country where your chosen market is held.
Required: If the setting is not obvious on the book’s main GR page, include a reference when you post.

Examples:

Chosen Market - Basler Weihnachtsmarkt in Basel, Switzerland.
Book 1 - Les Misérables - all letters from Basel in the title
Book 2 - The Pledge - set in Switzerland

Chosen Market - Dresden Striezelmarkt in Dresden, Germany.
Book 1 - Storm Front (The Dresden Files, #1) - all letters from Dresden in the series name
Book 2 - Three Comrades - set in Germany

25.14 - Cat's Task: Celebrating Trafalgar Square
Help Thread
Trafalgar Square in London, which I cross every day to get to work has a slightly confused set of priorities during December: art, retail and religion - covering Christian and Jewish holidays.

Option 1: Choose two options and read a book for each.
Option 2: Read one book that meets the requirements of 2 options. The book must be at least 500 pages.
Required: Indicate the options.

A - Christian holiday
Each year Norway sends a huge tree to be erected in Trafalgar Square and various community choirs will sing in front of it each evening to generate funds for charity. The church on Trafalgar Square, St Martin in the Fields, works to provide food, shelter and support to the homeless rough sleepers in the area, and this time of year is particularly hard.
Read a book by an author whose first and last name initials are found in CHARITY CAROLS

B - Jewish holiday
The Mayor of London has a large Hannukah menorah put up in Trafalgar Square, with a lamp lit during each of the eight days of Hannukah.
Read a book from the list Jewish Fiction and Literature
Required: State which page you found the book on.

C - Retail
This year there is a small winter market in front of the National Gallery, selling food, drink and various knick-nacks, from Alpine chalet style huts. The look is frankly incongruous, but the scents of churros and mulled wine go a long way to generate seasonal warmth!
Read a book with a TITLE of at least 3 words, where the beginning letter of each word is found in SEASONAL WARMTH.
Subtitles should be ignored.

D - Art
The National Gallery presides splendidly over Trafalgar Square, with it's impressive collection of Western art, from the Impressionist all the way back to 13th Century works. Inevitably the older works are very heavy on themes of the Virgin and Child.
Read a book from the list Novels about Motherhood
Required: State which page you found the book on.

25.15 - Sarah E's Task: Do You Want to Build a Snowman?
Help Thread
Let's celebrate winter and the arrival of Frozen II by building our own tribute to Olaf.

This is a two book task. Pick two different options and read one book for each option.

Required: State which options you chose.

Option 1: Snow
The essential beginning of a snowman is, of course, snow. Find the snow by reading a book from the Books With Snow, Ice or Frost on the Cover or in the Title list.
Note: While I would love it if The Snowman worked, please note that some books on the list do not meet the SRC requirements for length or for children's books.
Required: State the page.

Option 2: Coal for the eyes and buttons
To find the coal, read a book with black text anywhere on the cover. The text may be part of the title, subtitle, author name, or any other text.
Examples:

Required: Post the cover

Option 3: Carrot for the nose
Hunt out a carrot by reading a book with all the letters of CARROT found in the title (subtitles are excluded).
Examples:Carrot Cake Murder , The Double Comfort Safari Club, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Option 4: Sticks for the arms
Find some arms by reading a book by a single author whose first and last name initials are found in STICKS or TWIGS.

Option 5: Olaf is complete
Say "Hello" to Olaf by reading a book with a complete snowman on the cover. Your snowman should have a face and at least one other component from the following list: arms, buttons, hat, scarf, or other accessory.
Examples:

Required: Post the cover

30 Point Tasks

30.1 - Ava Catherine’s Task: Celebrating Louise Erdrich
Help Thread
This is a two book task. Read one book from two different options or two books from one option.

Required: Identify which option or options you select when you post.
No books with the genre Childrens or Kids may be used.

Louise Erdrich, one of my favorite authors, is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, a federally recognized tribe of the Anishinaabe (also known as Ojibwe and Chippewa) and is recognized as one of the most notable writers of the Native American Renaissance. She was awarded the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction in 2015.

Option 1: The Plague of Doves
In 2009 Louise Erdrich's novel The Plague of Doves was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for fiction and received an Anisfield-Wolf Book Award. Read a book with mpg historical fiction, mpg sociology, or mpg race (or racism). mpg may be stand alone or embedded.

Option 2: The Round House
In 2012 Erdrich received the National Book Award for Fiction for her novel The Round House.
Read a book from this list Native American Fiction.
Required: State the page of the list where your book was found.

Option 3: Birchbark Books
Louise Erdrich is also the owner of Birchbark Books, a small independent bookstore in Minneapolis, that focuses on Native American literature and the Native American community. Read a book by a single author whose first and last name initials can be found in BIRCHBARK. Letters can be used only as often as they appear in the target word.

Option 4: Literary Influence
Louise Erdrich’s greatest literary influence is William Faulkner. Read a book by a single author whose first and last name initials are either LE or WF, emulating either Erdrich or Faulkner.

30.2 - Amanda A & Amy FL's Task: Two Women Honoring a Remarkable Woman
Help Thread
We've all heard about the great work done by Martin Luther King, Jr., but his wife, Coretta Scott King, was an American author, activist, and civil rights leader who received many honors and awards for her own achievements.

Choose two different options and read a book for each option. The combined total of both books must be at least 500 pages.

REQUIRED: State the options you chose in your post.

Option 1: The Coretta Scott King Book Awards annually recognize outstanding books for young adults and children by African American authors and illustrators that reflect the African American experience.

Read a book by a single author whose initials can be found in CORETTA SCOTT KING. All initials count.

Option 2: Coretta Scott King worked tirelessly to have the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday established. That day is celebrated in January of each year. Mrs. King passed away in January 2006.

Read a book FIRST published in January of any year. Goodreads uses January 1 as a placeholder so a first published date of January 1 of any year is NOT eligible for this task.
If information in a Goodreads record is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask a Goodreads librarian to update the record if possible. Information required for a task should be corrected before you post.

Option 3: In 2004, Coretta Scott King was awarded the prestigious Gandhi Peace Prize by the Government of India.

Read a book with a title of at least three words where the first letter of each word in the title can be found in GANDHI PEACE PRIZE. Subtitles should be ignored.

Option 4: Coretta Scott King has two sets of double letters in her name (TT in Coretta and Scott).

Read a book with at least two sets of double letters in the title and/or author name (single authors only.) Subtitles should be ignored. The sets of double letters can be the same or different.

Ex: Blue Moon by Lee Child (oo in Moon and ee in Lee)
Criss Cross (two sets of ss)

30.3 - TessaVanessa’s Task: Get Hooked on Yarn
Help Thread
It is that time of year again when I retrieve one of my many bags of crochet projects. I love to crochet and long to learn how to knit well, but I may have to realize that knitting is not my thing.

Crochet has been around for a very long time. Research suggests that crochet probably developed most directly from Chinese needlework, a very ancient form of embroidery known in Turkey, India, Persia and North Africa, which reached Europe in the 1700s and was referred to as "tambouring," from the French "tambour" or drum.

Choose 2 different options and specify which ones when you post.

Option 1: Ball of color

The definition of yarn is a thread made of natural or synthetic fibers and used for knitting and weaving.

Read a book with a ball or skein of yarn on the cover.


Required: Include the cover when you post.

Option 2: Tell me a story

YARN can also be defined as a tale, especially a long story of adventure or incredible happenings:

Read a book from this list: Spinning A Romantic Yarn—Heroes and Heroines Who are Weavers, Spinners, and More


Option 3: Step back from the yarn

If you are involved with crochet or knitting you may find yourself wandering the aisles of the local craft store and staring at all the beautiful skeins of yarn. Even though you have tons at home, you leave with another full bag.

For this option read a book that has a word of at least 4 letters in the title or subtitle that can be made from the letters in STEP BACK FROM THE YARN. All the letters in the word must appear in the phrase. Letters may only be used as often as they appear.

Required: State your word.

Option 4: Patterns

Sometimes reading the pattern is like reading another language. That’s because crochet patterns are written using many abbreviations and terms, which save space and make patterns easier to read. So the first thing you need to do is become familiar with the abbreviations and terms.
Using the list: Crochet Abbreviations read a book with a word from one of the crochet terms in the title or subtitle that ALSO has the letters from the abbreviation in the author’s name. Only one word of the term needs to be in title. The word must match exactly.

REQUIRED: State the abbreviation and the crochet term that was abbreviated.

Example:
WS=Wrong side
Title: Side by Side by Jenni L. Walsh
Side in title, WS in author name

Option 5: I NEED to crochet

Crocheting and other forms of needlecraft or handicraft are proven to have several health benefits including reducing stress and anxiety. Studies show that the constant repetition of hand movement helps keep the mind calm and distracts the brain from the stresses of life. When crocheting, the brain releases serotonin that helps calm the mind and improve mood. Crocheting and similar activities are shown to improve Alzheimer's disease, insomnia, and depression. The colors and textures of the yarn are usually pleasing to the senses, and the finished product can give a person a sense of accomplishment.

Read a book with Health or Mental Health as a MPG, standalone or embedded.

30.4 - Dlmrose's Task: Old MacDonald Had a Farm
Help Thread
Read one book 1 and select an option for Book 2.
Required: Indicate the option.

Book 1: Here and There
Read a book with ALL these letters E, I, E, I, O (2 Es, 2Is) in the title, subtitle, and/or author's name.
ex, Becoming by Michelle Obama EIO in Becoming, EI in Michelle

Book 2 On That Farm

Option 1
Read a book with a word in the title or subtitle that matches an animal from this list of Animal Sounds. The animal word may be used in the singular or plural form.
ex. Hummingbird, Water for Elephants

Option 2
Read a book with a word in the title or subtitle that matches an animal sound from this list Animal Sounds. The word must match exactly. "And" is not an animal sound.
ex. Cry: Don't You Cry, Bark: Bark of Night

30.5 - Sandy's Task: As Easy as 1 and 2 (not even 3!)
Help Thread
Choose 2 of the following 3 options and read one book for each of your choices. Your total pages must equal at least 600. No books with the main page genres children or kids may be used for this task.

The months in the winter season are numbers 12, 1, and 2 of the year, so those are the numbers we'll use for our options.

Option 1. Read a book that contains both a 1 and a 2 in the total number of pages.

Option 2. Read a book that has a series number consisting only of 1 and/or 2 - i.e. 1, 2, 11, 12, and so on. If a book belongs to more than one series, you may use any series that is noted in the book's main page metadata. To qualify, a series must have at least 3 already published books.
REQUIRED: Specify in your post the series name and number.

Option 3. Go to the individual page for the last book you gave a 5 star rating to (i.e. if the last book you rated 5 stars was Oryx and Crake you would go to the book's main page. Scroll down to the section for community reviews and click on "filter" for 5 stars...then click on "sort" to organize the list by most recent first. Once you do that you will need to click on page 1 or 2 of the list and select a person. Visit that person's profile and select another book (one that you haven't read before) that they gave 5 stars to and that will be the book you need to read for this option.
REQUIRED: State in your post your 5 star book, the person's name you selected and that this book is new to you.

30.6 - Aprilleigh’s Task: The World of Xanth
Help Thread
One of the first things I purchased with money earned at my first job was a book. No-one that knew me was surprised by this. That book, Crewel Lye: A Caustic Yarn by Piers Anthony, launched a life-long love of this author’s work. This task is dedicated to that serendipitous event.

This is a two-book task.
No books with the main page genre Childrens or Kids may be used.
Each book should be a minimum of 200 pages with a combined total of at least 500 pages.

Required: Identify the option you select for each book when you post.

Book 1: The Magic of Xanth

Pier’s Anthony’s most well-known series, this is an alternate-universe high-fantasy series liberally sprinkled with puns as an integral part of the story. Humans (and some non-humans) are all born with a unique magical talent. The “adult conspiracy” is a major theme with interesting consequences (many of which poke fun at current societal conventions). The geography resembles the state of Florida with many place names being puns on Mundane locations and a dragon named Stanley Steamer guarding one of the cross-over points between Xanth and Mundania. The entire series is loads of fun, or maybe I should say “loads of pun.”

Option 1: Read any book in the Xanth series, currently over 40 books and still growing. My favorite is still Crewel Lye: A Caustic Yarn.

Option 2: Read any book on Goodreads’ list of Popular Punny Books.
Required: State the page number on the list where your book appears.

Book 2: The King of Xanth

One of the things I love most about Piers Anthony is the incredible versatility of his fantasy. He ranges from punny high-fantasy (Xanth series), to deeply thoughtful fantasy (Incarnations of Immortality series and the epic Geodyssey series), to an insanely creative fusion of science fiction and fantasy (Apprentice Adept series). There’s something for just about everyone in here.

Option 1: Read any Piers Anthony book for which he is listed as the sole author. The list of titles includes non-fiction works about the author’s life as well as short story compilations.

Option 2: Read a book by a single author whose initials are found in PIERS ANTHONY (All initial count, and letters can be used only as often as they appear in the target phrase) AND that has MPGs of BOTH Science Fiction and Fantasy (Science Fiction Fantasy as an MPG will count as both).

30.7 - Tien's task: Sesame Street 50th
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Our group of friends always have a dress-up party to celebrate Christmas and this year, the theme is Sesame Street. We've been planning for this particular theme years ahead to coincide with their 50th anniversary. So, I'd love it if you'd celebrate with us too ;)

This is a 2 book task. Choose two different options, and state in your post which options you chose.

Option 1: 50 years
Read a book first published in 1969 to 2019 inclusive.

Option 2: The Sesame Street Muppets
Read a book that has been shelved as Anthropomorphism
Required: Include the page number where your book can be found in your post

Option 3: Human Sesame Street characters
Read a book written by a single author whose first or last name matches a human Sesame Street character's name. Individual name parts may be used, i.e. Susan Robinson = Susan or Robinson. Names must match exactly. The character name may be used as a first or last name. Titles such as Dr,. Mr., etc. may not be used.
Examples:
Susan Hill - author's first name matched character, Susan Robinson
Robinson Jeffers - author's first name matched character, Susan Robinson
Mary Hooper - author's last name matched character, Mr. Harold Hooper
Kate Gordon - author's last name matched character, Gordon Robinson
Required: State character's name used.

30.8 - Brooke TX's Task: Worlds Without End
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As a collection development librarian managing the Science Fiction/Fantasy collection at a public library, I spend a lot of time keeping up with all the various SFF awards. Enter the website Worlds Without End, which aggregates all of the award winners/nominees in one place!

Read 2 books, one book 1 and one book 2
The total number of pages for both books combined must be at least 500.

Book 1: Read a book which has won or been nominated for any of the awards listed on the Worlds Without End site, from any year.

Book 2: Read a book which has won or been nominated for a different award from the site, in any year. The award used for Book 1 may not be repeated.
REQUIRED: Include the name of the award and the year it was nominated for both books.

50.1 - Delicious Dee's Task: Diversify Your Reading
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In 2019, I undertook a challenge to diversify my reading both in characters and authors. This led me down the path of discovering many new authors that I never would have found.

For the purpose of this task, diverse characters/authors are divided into 6 categories:

1) Person of Color/Diverse Background* see HT post 2;

2) Refugee/Immigrant;

3) LBGTQIA*;

4) Religion Other than Own;

5) Neurodiverse* or having a Mental Health Disorder*; and

6) Physical Disability

For this task you will read 3 books; all books MUST be by different authors and each must be written by a single author. At least TWO of the authors must be new to you, i.e. no book by the author has been read before. You MAY REPEAT one of the diversity categories ONCE.
Your books must total at least 750 pages.
No books with the genres children or kids on the main book page may be used.

Required: Identify the category for each book.

Book 1: Read a fiction book where the main character falls into one of the diversity categories.
Required: State the character and how the character fits the diversity category.

Book 2: Read a fiction book where the Author falls into one of the diversity categories.
Required: If the author’s Goodreads data doesn’t clearly indicate how the author fits the diversity category provide an outside verification link.

Book 3: Read a non-fiction book that is about one of the diversity categories

Required: State the 2 authors who are new to you.