The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

20.5 - Bigger Is Better - Book Concierge’s Task: Family Vacations

Required Book must be a minimum of 250 pages
Restrictions - NO books with main page genre “Childrens” or “kids.”

My parents didn’t have a lot of money, but we always managed to take a family vacation each summer. Memories of those vacations inspired this task.

Option A: Probably our most often used vacation plan was camping. There were a couple of state parks fairly near to us, and it was a low-cost option. As kids, my brothers and I loved being outdoors, going swimming, hiking, fishing, etc. Having gone camping a couple of times as an adult, I now realize just how much WORK this was for my parents!
• Read a book with an outdoor nature scene on the cover, including water scenes. No buildings should be visible. Animals and people are fine." REQUIRED: Post the COVER.

Option B: A couple of times we took advantage of vacation time to visit relatives who lived in other cities, states or even Mexico. I loved getting together with these cousins, especially the ones in California and Mexico because we rarely saw them.
• Read a book that is set at least 50% in either California or Mexico. If the setting is not in the metadata or main page description, cite a reference to prove location.

Option C: All vacations, whether long or short, were driving vacations. And Daddy did virtually ALL the driving. We’d leave on Friday evening to take advantage of as many hours of vacation time as possible. After he got home from work, he’d pack up the car and off we would go, Daddy driving all night, while the rest of us slept in the car.
• Read a book by a MALE author whose first and last initials are in ROAD TRIP.

Option D: Our last family vacation occurred when I graduated from college. My parents and brothers drove up to Wisconsin for the ceremony and afterwards we drove “the long way” back … visiting Indianapolis, the Smokey Mountains, and New Orleans before returning to Texas. The big difference on this trip is that my oldest brother and I shared the driving responsibilities with Dad.
• Read a book with a main page genre of FAMILY.

Approved

OPTION A - Outdoor nature scene on cover


OPTION D - Mpg FAMILY
Lost & Found by Brooke Davis
I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery
Swords and Crowns and Rings by Ruth Park
Put Out to Pasture by Amanda Flower
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid








.

Sorry - these do NOT work

OPTION A
(seems to be a village in the background)
(not much "nature" even though outside)

This thread is now open.

My childhood vacations were so similar!!

Mine, too. And I made sure my children had similar experiences (and the grandkids!)

My dad was a teacher so all our summer vacations were like this.

Highlight: One of my uncles joined us one year. He drank quite a lot but he wasn't a mean drunk or a slobbery drunk, he was a generous drunk. He'd wait until my parents turned their backs and give me some cash. One night he slipped me a twenty. I was rich beyond my wildest dreams!

Lowlight: We drove several hours in sweltering heat in a car that didn't have air conditioning, so by the time we arrived, I had a terrible heat rash. I spent the first few days covering myself with calamine lotion and sitting in the icy waters of Slocan Lake.

Would you lock in Lost & Found for MPG of Family?
Thank you

Can I lock in I'll Give You the Sun for family?

Can I lock in family for The Summer Getaway? It's currently second to last.

Deborah wrote: "Would you lock in Lost & Found for MPG of Family?
Thank you"

mod note
genre noted

Heather(Gibby) wrote: "Can I lock in I'll Give You the Sun for family?"

mod note
genre noted

KmarieD wrote: "Can I lock in family for The Summer Getaway? It's currently second to last."

mod note
genre noted

Dlmrose wrote: "KmarieD wrote: "Can I lock in family for The Summer Getaway? It's currently second to last."

mod note
genre noted"

Thank you!

Thank you KmarieD for checking those genres. Somehow I wasn't getting notified of new comments in this thread. Hoping that's fixed now.

Wayne wrote: "Lowlight: We drove several hours in sweltering heat in a car that didn't have air conditioning, so by the time we..."

We didn't have AC either. Daddy would time our drives to California so that we'd be crossing the desert at night. We'd even stop on "this side" of the desert for several hours of rest (and so he could take a nap). He'd make sure the radiator was full and we had extra water on hand and then he'd drive beginning around 11p and go straight through til morning.

Could you please verify MPG Family for The Dutch House-thanks!

Joanne wrote: "Could you please verify MPG Family for The Dutch House-thanks!"

CONFIRMED - 261 users

Please could you confirm if this will count for option 1: the nature scene

I can't see any obvious buildings but obviously there might be a tiny farmhouse in the background!

Lucy-Bookworm wrote: "Please could you confirm if this will count for option 1: the nature scene

I can't see any obvious buildings but obviously there might be a tiny farmhouse i..."

Thanks for asking, Lucy. I don't see any obvious buildings and I "embiggened" it to try to check further. I'll accept this cover for Option 1.

Can I please lock Family MPG for Swords and Crowns and Rings?

Thank you

Tien wrote: "Can I please lock Family MPG for Swords and Crowns and Rings?

Thank you"

I see it ... last one with only 2 people tagging it ... but it IS there.

Can I please lock this in for MPG of family? Thank you

Robin (Saturndoo) wrote: "Can I please lock this in for MPG of family? Thank you

"

I see FAMILY - 3 users. CONFIRMED.

Can I confirm Dial A for Aunties for option B set in California? Thank you

Gita wrote: "Can I confirm Dial A for Aunties for option B set in California? Thank you"

If it is in the main book description or metadata you do not need confirmation. This information does not change.

If it is not evident from the book's main page, provide a reference to support your claim.

Can I please lock in for MPG Family?

Insiyah wrote: "Can I please lock in for MPG Family?"

Confirmed.

can you please approve this for nature scene - I cannot see clearly the background and want to be sure there are no buildings

Marie (UK) wrote: "can you please approve this for nature scene - I cannot see clearly the background and want to be sure there are no buildings

"

It's very hard to tell, Marie. I enlarged the image and to me it looks like there might be a seaside village in the distance. Can you find another book to satisfy this challenge?

Can you approve My Life in and out of the Rough: The Truth Behind All That Bull**** You Think You Know About Me for a nature scene. I assume this will work, as there are no buildings.

Thank you!

Shawn wrote: "Can you approve My Life in and out of the Rough: The Truth Behind All That Bull**** You Think You Know About Me for a nature scene. I assume this will work, as there are no buildings...."

You will need to post the cover image for the task. But if you are certain it meets the requirements there is no need for me to pre-approve it.

I am not certain if it works. - I apologize I didn’t post a link to the book cover. Here it is -

Shawn wrote: "I am not certain if it works. - I apologize I didn’t post a link to the book cover. Here it is - [bookcover:My Life in and out of the Rough: The Truth Behind All That Bull**** You Think You Know Ab..."

Okay, I see what you mean, Shawn ... even though it's clearly outdoors and there are no buildings, there's not much "nature" on this cover. Perhaps you can find a different book for this task and use this book elsewhere in the seasonal challenge.

Book Concierge wrote: "Marie (UK) wrote: "can you please approve this for nature scene - I cannot see clearly the background and want to be sure there are no buildings

[bookcover:A Line Above the Sky: On Mountains and M..."

I will try thanks

Does this cover work for Option A?


Thanks.

Kathy wrote: "Does this cover work for Option A?


Thanks."

Yes, it does.

Can I get this cover approved for Option A?

I don't see any buildings so it should be okay, Aprilleigh

Is this enough of an outdoor scene?

Thank you.

Kim wrote: "Is this enough of an outdoor scene?

Thank you."

Yes.

Kathy KS

Please verify "nature scene":

Kind of hard to see, but includes rocks, hills, frozen water. The book takes place in the Lake District (UK).

Thanks!

It IS hard to see, Kathy ... and the "new" and NOT improved Goodreads book page no longer allows me to enlarge the image.

I do not see any obvious buildings but can't say for certain they are not there.

Perhaps one of the mods with younger eyes than mine can verify.

Book Concierge wrote: "It IS hard to see, Kathy ... and the "new" and NOT improved Goodreads book page no longer allows me to enlarge the image.

I do not see any obvious buildings but can't say for certain they are not..."

I don't see any buildings either. So, are you saying "wait for someone else to look at it"?

This link might help.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/393287901763...

Kathy wrote: "Book Concierge wrote: "It IS hard to see, Kathy ... and the "new" and NOT improved Goodreads book page no longer allows me to enlarge the image.

I do not see any obvious buildings but can't say f..."

That link is very helpful, Kathy, and I don't see any buildings either. My eyes are certainly not "younger" but I wouldn't have any problems with taking this cover for this task.

Thank you, Sandy.

And thank you, Kathy, for providing that link.

Between the MPGs being partly hidden and the loss of enlarging covers, GR has certainly made many SRC challenges more challenging!

Book Concierge wrote: "Thank you, Sandy.

And thank you, Kathy, for providing that link.

Between the MPGs being partly hidden and the loss of enlarging covers, GR has certainly made many SRC challenges more challenging!"

Thanks, both Sandy and Book Concierge, for your attention to this, since I'm planning my strategies for the rest of the month!

And, I agree entirely that the site is more difficult to use; for the Challenges and day-to-day.