The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

30.5 Donna Jo's task: Climbing the Family Tree Being interested in Genealogy, I have set a choice of tasks using both my family tree and yours. Be sure and check each option you use for Required posting information. If you are adopted, you may use information from either your birth family or your adoptive family.

Please choose two of the following options and read one book from each. REQUIRED: State which options you chose when posting.

A. My parents were married on Easter Sunday, April 13, 1941. Read a book with the word Easter, Sunday, April, or wedding in the title or a book with "romance" listed as one of the genres on the book's main page. Examples: The Statues that Walked: Unraveling the Mystery of Easter Island, The Sunday Philosophy Club, April Morning

There are numerous lists of romance books - Romance lists - that may help you. If using a GR list double check that your book actually fits the task.

B. My siblings and I were born in the 1940’s and 50’s. Read a book first published between 1940 and 1959. Required: State first publication year when posting.

To help you get started: Popular 1940 books, Popular 1950 books
NOTE: these lists are examples for the years 1940 and 1950 - your book can be published in any year in the 1940's or 1950's. As with all GR lists, be sure the book you choose actually fits the task requirements.

C. Using YOUR grandparent’s first names (no nicknames), read a book whose author has the exact same first name. Required: State relationship—mother’s father, mother’s mother, father’s mother, father’s father—and first name.
Example: My grandparents were Thomas and Anna, Cora and Ralph. I could read books by Cora Harrison or Ralph A. Bellas, but NOT by Anya Seton or Tom Robbins.

D. Most people have eight great-grandparents. Read a book with the word eight in the title OR with eight words in the title OR read book eight in a series. If you are using the title words you may not use hyphenated words, compound words, derivatives (not eighty-eight or eighteen), nor numerals. Required: If reading a series book, post the series title.
Example: Eight Cousins, Yarn Harlot: The Secret Life of a Knitter, Lavender Lies (China Bayles #8)

Books okayed:
Part A. The Second Duchess

Reserved

For Part A-- This has only 12 users saying Romance on the main page-- is that okay?

The Second Duchess

Thanks

Kathy G. wrote: "For Part A-- This has only 12 users saying Romance on the main page-- is that okay?

The Second Duchess

Thanks"

Sure. As long as it is on the main page, it doesn't matter how many.

Thank you!

Great Task!
I'm adopted so I'll use the names of my parents that raised me.

For the Easter wedding option could I use The Christmas Weddingsince I didn't use it for the winter challenge?

Does 'part-time' count as one word? I am thinking of reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian for the eight-word option.

Anne (Booklady) wrote: "Great Task!
I'm adopted so I'll use the names of my parents that raised me.

For the Easter wedding option could I use The Christmas Weddingsince I didn't use it for the winter ch..."

I am also using The Christmas Wedding for the word wedding

While googling for 1940s & 1950s books, I found some Goodreads shelves for the 40s & 50s (weird, I don't even know how to find that via Goodreads itself!) if anyone needs more suggestions for option B.

http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/1...
http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/1...

(note not all of them were actually published in those decades though, some of them are SET between 1940-1959, so make sure you check - I just realized it!)

One of my grandma name is Krystyna, would you acceppt Kristin for this name?

Anne (Booklady) wrote: "Great Task!
I'm adopted so I'll use the names of my parents that raised me.

For the Easter wedding option could I use The Christmas Weddingsince I didn't use it for the winter ch..."

Sure. As long as it's a wedding, doesn't matter when.

Randi wrote: "While googling for 1940s & 1950s books, I found some Goodreads shelves for the 40s & 50s (weird, I don't even know how to find that via Goodreads itself!) if anyone needs more suggestions for optio..."

Thanks, Randi

Aleksandra wrote: "One of my grandma name is Krystyna, would you acceppt Kristin for this name?"

Sorry, Aleksandra, it needs to be an exact match.

mstan wrote: "Does 'part-time' count as one word? I am thinking of reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian for the eight-word option."

mstan, let me see what the moderators want to do with hyphenated words. I'll get back to you.

My grandmother's first name was Mary, but she hated it (no offense to any Marys out there) and only used her middle name, Agnes, her whole life. Which name should I use?

Gayla wrote: "My grandmother's first name was Mary, but she hated it (no offense to any Marys out there) and only used her middle name, Agnes, her whole life. Which name should I use?"

Please use her first name, Mary.
I have a ton of relatives that only used their middle names or only used nicknames. I search for several years for my great grandmother Jennie, before I found out her real name was Matilda Jane.

Donna Jo wrote: "Aleksandra wrote: "One of my grandma name is Krystyna, would you acceppt Kristin for this name?"

Sorry, Aleksandra, it needs to be an exact match."

Im Polish so all my grandparents got polish names, would you accept any book written by polish author with this name?
like Krystyna Janda

if not then I will choose other option :)

Aleksandra wrote: "Donna Jo wrote: "Aleksandra wrote: "One of my grandma name is Krystyna, would you acceppt Kristin for this name?"

Sorry, Aleksandra, it needs to be an exact match."

Im Polish so all my grandparen..."

Aleksandra, yes, using Polish authors will be fine with me. Just follow guidelines of moderators for using non-English books.

mstan wrote: "Does 'part-time' count as one word? I am thinking of reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian for the eight-word option."

Okay, I got the info from Sandy and she says to use hyphened words as one word. It is one word if it has an empty space on either side of it.

Thank you Donna Jo!

I plan to read The Wall, which was first published in 1950, for B and The Broken Window, which is #8 in the Lincoln rhyme series, for D.

Donna Jo wrote: "Aleksandra wrote: "Donna Jo wrote: "Aleksandra wrote: "One of my grandma name is Krystyna, would you acceppt Kristin for this name?"

Sorry, Aleksandra, it needs to be an exact match."

Im Polish s..."

That's great. Thank you.

Bea wrote: "I plan to read The Wall, which was first published in 1950, for B and The Broken Window, which is #8 in the Lincoln rhyme series, for D."

Looks good on both counts.

I will be off line for about the next 6 hours--I going to hear--and see--Juan Diego Florez perform this afternoon.

Donna Jo wrote: "I will be off line for about the next 6 hours--I going to hear--and see--Juan Diego Florez perform this afternoon."

Have a good time! Sounds like fun ;-).

Would Ten Things We Did work for D, since the full title has 8 words?

Angie wrote: "Would Ten Things We Did work for D, since the full title has 8 words?"

Yes, and it looks like a cute book.

Donna Jo wrote: "Angie wrote: "Would Ten Things We Did work for D, since the full title has 8 words?"

Yes, and it looks like a cute book."

Great, thanks! And yes it does; I'm looking forward to reading it. :)

here's a question for you! :) for option C...my grandfather is actually an author with several published books, two of which can be found here on GR....could i read one of his books?? :) he's on her with both his given names, John Reed, and his writing name, Jonreed. his first name would certainly match the author's name, hehehe. thanks for your help! :)

Jonreed Lauritzen

John Reed Lauritzen

kiki wrote: "here's a question for you! :) for option C...my grandfather is actually an author with several published books, two of which can be found here on GR....could i read one of his books?? :) he's on ..."

How cool is that! I think it only fitting that you read one of his books as long as it meets the other general criteria (at least 100 pages,etc.)

great! yes, his books definitely meet other general criteria. thanks so much! :)

Aleksandra wrote:

Im Polish so all my grandparen..."

Do you live in Poland? Some of my husband's family emmigrated from there. Last name is Przybyszewski and we are the only one's from that family who kept the spelling. Great-grandparents were Stansilav and Michelina (I'm pretty sure I misspelled them).

Does it have to be the same gender? My grandfather was George, so could I read something by George Eliot - who was, of course, a woman writing under a pseudonym.

Wendy UK wrote: "Does it have to be the same gender? My grandfather was George, so could I read something by George Eliot - who was, of course, a woman writing under a pseudonym."

As long as the first name is spelled exactly the same it will be okay. I'm sure there are other gender-crossing names that could be used. Just be sure to spell out the relationship in your post.

Hello, would The Name of the Wind work since there are 8 words in the title? Thanks!

Monica wrote: "Hello, would The Name of the Wind work since there are 8 words in the title? Thanks!"

Monica, I only count five words. The words in series names don't count as part of the eight. See The Rules effective Winter 2011 above.

Would Cell 8 work for option D, eight in title?

Dlmrose wrote: "Would Cell 8 work for option D, eight in title?"
Dlmrose, sorry but the use of numerals was ruled out. I hope you can use it for another task--it's got a good silhouette for 5.1 if you haven't done that.

"If you are using the title words you may not use hyphenated words, compound words, derivatives (not eighty-eight or eighteen), nor numerals."

Thanks, I have a few places where it could fit