Reading with Style discussion

Mario Vargas Llosa, a prolific author, was one of the presenters at the National Book Festival in 2012. Read any book by an author who has published at least 20 book-length titles (100+ pages) of either fiction or nonfiction, or a combination of the two mediums.

Please post any questions, comments, or suggestions about task 20.3 in this thread.

I’m trying to find a task to fit The Three R's by Ruth Beechick. She is shown as the author of 30 books on Goodreads. 16 of them meet the 100+ page requirement, a few are less than 100 pages, but many of the other books don’t have page counts shown on Goodreads. Can I do anything to verify whether enough of the other books are 100+ pages, or will this not work for this task? Thank you!

I can see about getting page counts for you. Can you give me some titles to look at?

Thank you! These are some of the titles that are missing page counts (and also one that has a page count of 0 which I assume is incorrect!).

World History Made Simple: Matching History with the Bible

Teaching Preschoolers: It's Not Exactly Easy but Here Is How to Do It (I’ve borrowed this from the library before and I’m almost certain it’s over 100 pages)

Three R S-Set of 3 Gr K-3

Parent Teacher Guide for the Original McGuffey Readers (the most popular edition doesn’t have a page count but another edition is 100+ pages)

Teacher's Handbook of Instant Activities (this has 0 as the page count)

The Man Who Was Reading and Other Bible Stories

Songs for Young Children

The Story of David and Other Bible Stories

Bryony wrote: "Thank you! These are some of the titles that are missing page counts (and also one that has a page count of 0 which I assume is incorrect!).

[book:World History Made Simple: Matching History with ..."

I was able to add page counts for nearly all of these. Unfortunately only 3 of them had at least 100 pages.

However, if I may be permitted to observe: you are in the lead for Most Strategic. Not all of the scores are in, but I think it is unlikely that someone else will pass you. You might consider how you can write a tasks that would include this book.

Thanks so much for checking all of those Elizabeth. So only one book short of prolific status!

I will definitely think about that if nobody overtakes me for most strategic reader. Perhaps that will be my reward for reading those long books this summer. Well, actually my reward was that I discovered a new favourite author and really enjoyed all the books I read this season, but this would certainly be a nice bonus!

Would Henry James fit? Here's Wikipedia Henry James Bibliography. Looks like it, with 19 novels, plus 2 posthumously published novels, and many shorter works that have been combined into various short story collections.

Update: I missed The Outcry, that would make novel #20. :) So I've answered my own question.

Good, Deedee. It would have surprised me if he were not eligible for this task.

I'm wondering if Aristophanes fits the bill here. It looks like his surviving plays and datable non-surviving plays add up to 22.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristop...

Valerie wrote: "I'm wondering if Aristophanes fits the bill here. It looks like his surviving plays and datable non-surviving plays add up to 22.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristop..."

I'm going to say no to this one. Some of his non-surviving plays have not been published separately, so there is no way to check if they meet the page requirement.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Valerie wrote: "I'm wondering if Aristophanes fits the bill here. It looks like his surviving plays and datable non-surviving plays add up to 22.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristo..."

Oh right. No harm in asking!

Could you check John Boyne, please? I get 20, but that includes one that is exactly 100 pages.

Karen Michele wrote: "Could you check John Boyne, please? I get 20, but that includes one that is exactly 100 pages."

Without checking page counts, Wikipedia lists only 19 titles. Is it missing something?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bo...

I don't see 50 very short stories, The Dare or The Second Child (100 pages). Also, I had missed Beneath the Earth and Next of Kin. I think that will put it over 20. Do you have a fast way you use to check page numbers? I just put it in Goodreads page number order and counted up from The Second Child and that's how I missed Beneath the Earth and Next of Kin as the top edition on both didn't have page numbers, so I had to look at the editions.

Karen Michele wrote: "I don't see 50 very short stories, The Dare or The Second Child (100 pages). Also, I had missed Beneath the Earth and [book:Next of Ki..."

That'll do it, Karen. No, I don't have a quick way of checking page counts, which is one of the reasons I use Wikipedia for some things. Books listed as novels I just assume full-length, poetry and plays I'll check over here.

This was the first time I tried the sorting by page numbers to check, and it seemed efficient except for missing the ones without page counts. I also use fantastic fiction for this task. It works similar to Wikipedia.

I have also used Fantastic Fiction - but I don't expect to see nonfiction there, which would be part of the prolific count.

Goodreads isn't very good for things like this and very prolific authors who haven't published series.

I'm not sure how to check on Tennessee Williams...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenness...

Here's the wiki link but the goodreads page is a mess of all the works he has anthologized in as well as the foreign language editions.

He's got more than 20 plays but sometimes plays are under 100pgs.

Thanks for the assistance!

Rachel wrote: "I'm not sure how to check on Tennessee Williams...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenness...

Here's the wiki link but the goodreads page is a mess of all the works he has anthologized in a..."

Yay! thanks for the Wikipedia link. I was able to spot check to find 20 titles. I'll add him to the prolific list.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Rachel wrote: "I'm not sure how to check on Tennessee Williams...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenness...

Here's the wiki link but the goodreads page is a mess of all the works he has an..."

Thanks! You're the best :)

David Macaulay has more than 50 books on the GoodReads list, but when I counted ones with more than 100 pages, I did not quite reach 20. Need someone else to check, please. Thanks.

Can you also check Beckett for me?
OR! Clarify which books/works are acceptable? Is it meant to be how they were originally published as opposed to second editions that may have combined plays and poems?

Thanks!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_...

Rachel wrote: "Can you also check Beckett for me?
OR! Clarify which books/works are acceptable? Is it meant to be how they were originally published as opposed to second editions that may have combined plays and ..."

I'm sorry, I can't get to 20.

He looks like he may have 20.... Thomas King

Do you think so??

Valerie wrote: "He looks like he may have 20.... Thomas King

Do you think so??"

We'll give him the edge with the books he has edited.

Don't forget to include him in 20.10!

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Valerie wrote: "He looks like he may have 20.... Thomas King

Do you think so??"

We'll give him the edge with the books he has edited.

Don't forget to include him in 20.10!"

Yes, thanks Elizabeth! I happened to notice his birth year when I was trying to figure out how many books he was responsible for!

Are we counting edited books? I am interested in Politics and the Papacy in the Modern World by Frank J. Coppa

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_J...

Mary wrote: "Are we counting edited books? I am interested in Politics and the Papacy in the Modern World by Frank J. Coppa

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_J..."

We have counted them when it was only 1 or 2 to make the 20 minimum. This is too far a stretch.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Mary wrote: "Are we counting edited books? I am interested in Politics and the Papacy in the Modern World by Frank J. Coppa

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_J..."


Thanks. I appreciate the help

Requesting approval for Bernd Heinrich. Twenty-one books on this Wikipedia list for 1975-2017 plus the 2018 one I'm reading now, so about 22, I think: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernd_H...
Thanks.

Could you please add A.N. Wilson to your list of prolific writers?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._N._W...

Connie wrote: "Could you please add A.N. Wilson to your list of prolific writers?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._N._W..."

Be glad to!

Thanks, Elizabeth.

Could you add Bernd Heinrich to your list? I think he wrote 22 books.

Owlette wrote: "Could you add Bernd Heinrich to your list? I think he wrote 22 books."

Yes, I'm sorry I didn't post a response earlier.

No problem. Thank you!

I'm wondering if Charles Dickens fits the bill. He wrote ALOT, but it isn't clear to me if they all meet the page count requirement.

Valerie wrote: "I'm wondering if Charles Dickens fits the bill. He wrote ALOT, but it isn't clear to me if they all meet the page count requirement."

His novels combined with short story collections appear to be enough.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Valerie wrote: "I'm wondering if Charles Dickens fits the bill. He wrote ALOT, but it isn't clear to me if they all meet the page count requirement."

His novels combined with short..."

Oh, ok good! I'll adjust my task post when I get home.

I have a hard time sorting out books that qualify. Does China Miéville qualify?

Kathleen (itpdx) wrote: "I have a hard time sorting out books that qualify. Does China Miéville qualify?"

Yes. I think this is one of the things Goodreads doesn't do as clearly as other sites. I used the titles at Fantastic Fiction, including collections but not counting Novellas and children's titles.

Thank you

Philip K. Dick bibliography

"44 novels, 121 short stories, and 14 short story collections"

Denise wrote: "Philip K. Dick bibliography

"44 novels, 121 short stories, and 14 short story collections""

Definitely!

Margaret Laurence squeaks in at 20 full-length publications.

Would Dolores Hitchens qualify?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolores...

Connie wrote: "Would Dolores Hitchens qualify?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolores..."

Very much so!

Do all the names an author writes under count towards the total? I just started The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher , the adult-book pen name of Ursula Vernon

(ETA - And if so, does this author meet the criteria? )

Ann wrote: "Do all the names an author writes under count towards the total? I just started The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher , the adult-book pen name of [author:Ursula Verno..."

Yes. All of them. Even if they published under a 1/2 dozen names. ;-)

I'll add T. Kingfisher to the list. Will you need Ursula Vernon too?

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Ann wrote: "Do all the names an author writes under count towards the total? I just started The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher , the adult-book pen name of [author:..."
Just Kingfisher for me, thanks!