The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

30.6 -- Delicious Dee's task: Shakespeare Under the Stars
Recently I started reading a book about a summer festival featuring Shakespearian plays and it made me remember back to high school when ever summer plays would tour. So this task is based on that. For this task, you will roll two dice (one time only!).

First Die
1. Julius Caesar - read a biography/autobiography about a political leader or attempted leader (i.e., anyone who has lead an unsuccessful coup, leaders of guerilla movements, people who have run unsuccessfully for office, etc.). The book should be primarily focused on his or her political life and career, rather than other life experiences. Required: If the connection is not obvious in the GRs description, please explain how the book fits the task when you post.
2. Shakespeare's Sonnets - read a book of poems. The 100+ page rule still applies. You may read 2 or more books of poems to add up to the 100 page requirement if necessary.
3. The Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare's Shortest Work) - read a book of short stories or an anthology (the book must contain at least 3 stories).
4. Cymbeline (known as the most famous female character from Shakespeare's works) - read a non-fiction book about (or written by) a significant historical female that appears on at least one of these two lists: 100 Important Women in History or Scholastic's Important Women Through History. Required: State which list you used when you post.
5. Henry V - read a non-fiction book in which a war or battle is featured (the people in the book must be directly involved in the war or battle and not in a support role - i.e. Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest would be appropriate, but a book about the wives on the homefront would not)
6. As You Like It - read a book written by a comedian or a humorous book

Second Die
1. Romeo and Juliet - read a romance found on the All About Romance Top 100 Romances list.
2. Midsummer's Night Dream - Read a fantasy, sci-fi, or paranormal novel. The genre fantasy, sci-fi, or paranormal must appear on the book's home page.
3. Two Gentlemen of Verona - read a book with a specific city in the title (i.e. The Bookseller of Kabul, London Bridges (Alex Cross, #10), Orlando)
4. Hamlet - read a murder mystery. The mystery MUST involve a murder. True crime will work also.
5. King Lear - read a book (fiction or nonfiction) featuring a member of royalty
6. The Winter's Tale - read a book where a time/date/season is in the title (i.e.Winter Garden or Tuesday Night at the Blue Moon)

Required: Include the two numbers you rolled (if both dice have the same number on them, please say that) as well as any other individual requirements for your numbers when you post.

Approved
Die 1


Die 2
2.Solaris

Reserved

This thread is now open for questions.

Would Solaris by Stanislaw Lem work for second die/2?

from the description it looks like it works

Dee wrote: "from the description it looks like it works"

Thanks Im not sci-fi girl that`s why I needed confirmation:)

Ouch! I might need some help for Die 1...I got a 5? Anybody have some good recommendations?

Meghan - check out these lists - double check if you have any questions - http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/82... or http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/40...

Thanks Dee! I have been wanting to read The Things They Carried again but unfortunately it is a Fiction book...Maybe I will read Flag of Our Fathers or Black Hawk Down.

WAR is about the lives of soldiers in Afghanistan which should fit #5. It is about a journalist who makes trips over there and stays with the troops.

yep that works! having been to iraq - i'm probably going to stay clear of any books featuring those two conflicts though ;)

yes that works - since it since she plays a significant role in it

For 1-4 Cymbeline, does non-fiction by one of the women on the list work? Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, Mankiller: A Chief and Her People, On Death and Dying

yes they do

I rolled a 6 for the first book and a 5 for the second one. I am planning to read High Fidelity for the first book and The Death of a King for the second book.

both look good to me

Dee wrote: "both look good to me"

Thanks, Dee.

i rolled a 4 and a 6, so i was thinking of Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl for the 4, and was wondering if Mr. Summer's Story would work for the 6? Summer is his last name, will you accept seasons in someone's name? thanks for your help! :)

Rusty wrote: "For the second book I rolled a 6 - would Tomorrow, When the War Began work for this?"

I'm really looking for a specific day/season for this - so tomorrow, which could literally mean any day doesn't really work - sorry

Summer is fine - its a season in the title

kiki wrote: "i rolled a 4 and a 6, so i was thinking of Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl for the 4, and was wondering if Mr. Summer's Story would work for the 6? Summer is his la..."

great, thank you! :)

For die one, I rolled a 2, poetry. Does the book need to be a collection of poems, or can it be entirely written in verse (i.e. Beowulf: A New Verse Translation or other epic poetry)?

since all the sonnets were relatively short, then a collection of poems is what i'm looking for

I rolled a 5 for my second die. Can I read Undead and Unworthy since the main character is "The Queen of the Vampires"? or does it have to be real royalty?

I rolled three on both, and have questions for both:
For book a, option 3, would After the Quake work? While they all centre around the same event, they are six different stories? Would that work?

And for book b, option 3, can the city be fictional? For instance, I want to read Dhalgren, which is the name of the fictional city it is set in. Would that be okay?

@ lulu - yes to both - because while Dhalgren is fictional in the book, there is a Dhalgren, VA (lots of Navy people work there)

@ Joy - i'll accept it

will Faith of My Fathers: A Family Memoir by john mccain work for book A, #1?

I rolled a 3 for the second die. Would Jesus of Nazareth work with Nazareth being the city?

Thanks!

Heather in KS

@Lindsey - if it has to do with his political party/attempts to become president then yes - but from the description it doesn't look like it

@ Heather - yes, narareth works

My first die is a 5. Would John Brown, Abolitionist: The Man Who Killed Slavery, Sparked the Civil War, and Seeded Civil Rights work? It seems like the Civil War is a pretty significant part of the book but I haven't read it yet so I'm not certain.

@ Kate - it sounds like it would work from the description, so i'll say yes...but as your reading it, if it doesn't then let me know

Dee wrote: "@ Kate - it sounds like it would work from the description, so i'll say yes...but as your reading it, if it doesn't then let me know"

I will certainly do that. Thanks!

Dee wrote: "@Lindsey - if it has to do with his political party/attempts to become president then yes - but from the description it doesn't look like it

it is an autobiography. is that not what we are looking for?

@ Lindsey - it is, but it needs to specifically cover his political career and I couldn't tell from that one, if it focused on his political career or his time as a POW (does that make sense?)

I rolled a 2 on the second die. will this work?Peeps

and 6 for the first die. I heard that this is a funny book so want to make sure its good.How to Ditch Your Fairy

@ Jenn Renee - Peeps for sure- for the funny one, as long as you find it funny, or someone else told you it was, i'll take it...because we all have different levels of what is funny

Dee wrote: "since all the sonnets were relatively short, then a collection of poems is what i'm looking for"

OK, thanks! :)

Dee wrote: "@ Jenn Renee - Peeps for sure- for the funny one, as long as you find it funny, or someone else told you it was, i'll take it...because we all have different levels of what is funny"

Cool Thanks!

Dee wrote: "@ Lindsey - it is, but it needs to specifically cover his political career and I couldn't tell from that one, if it focused on his political career or his time as a POW (does that make sense?)"

I read this book Faith of My Fathers: A Family Memoir by John McCain a few months ago and it was first printed in 1999 if I remember right. It has nothing to do with running for President in it. The first half of the book is the military career of his father and grandfather, then it concentrates mostly on his own experience in Vietnam and as a POW. Hope this helps Dee.

I rolled a 1 and a 6

I was thinking for 1

and for 6.

Does "the night" count as a period of time?

its a bit vague...let me think on it

...it is when he heard him calling, so in my mind it works. Your call of course - I wouldnt have asked if I didnt think it might be a controversial one. :)

@ Jean Renee & Dee RE:post 31 & 41.

The task says "read a biography/autobiography about a political leader"

Either John McCain is a political leader or he isn't. Surely his time in Vietnam will have a baring as to the man he became. If you don't think it counts, why don't you clarify the task to say "read a biography/autobiography about a political leader - during his/her time in office"

Paul wrote: "@ Jean Renee & Dee RE:post 31 & 41.

The task says "read a biography/autobiography about a political leader"

Either John McCain is a political leader or he isn't. Surely his time in Vietnam will h..."

It has been clarified -- the task now reads "The book should be primarily focused on his or her political life and career, rather than other life experiences." Tasks are not final until June 12 and wording may be changed up until that time.

Hi, I rolled a 5 for my 2nd die and was wondering if When Gods Die would work. I haven't read it so I'm not sure how much a part the Prince Regent plays, but since he's mentioned in the synopsis I thought I'd give it a try.

@ Teresa - let me look into it (I got a friend who has read it and I just asked her and i'll let you know) - tenatively yes

2 Paul - i'm going to say no to night - its not specific...if it had been twilight which is a specific period of time, or midnight, then I would have said yes - but night is too vague...sorry! hope you can find something else!

I rolled a 3 for DIE 1 and was wondering if How Did You Get This Number would be acceptable being that it's a collection of stories/essays?

people have it shelves as short stories - so i'll accept it

Dee, I rolled a 1 & 3. For my first book I am considering Colonel Roosevelt which is about Theodor Roosevelt following his presidency, but it seems to focus on his diplomatic trips he took to Africa and Germany. Since he was still in the political picture, will this count?