The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

15.3. “Summer Romance”
Option 1:
A. “The Boys of Summer” – read a book with a noun meaning a male person in the title/subtitle – man, boy, gentleman, etc. A noun will also work if it’s male by normal usage – husband, brother, nephew, etc. AND
B. “Girls in Their Summer Clothes” – read a book with a noun meaning a female person in the title/subtitle – woman, girl, lady, etc. A noun will also work if it’s female by normal usage – wife, sister, niece, etc.

OR
Option 2: Read one book with both a male and female noun in the title/subtitle.
Examples: Dropped Names: Famous Men and Women As I Knew Them; The Sisters Brothers

For purposes of this task, common nouns only -no proper names, like "Tom" or "Susie." If the word itself is normally used as a common noun, it will work even if it is used as a proper noun in the context of the book title. For example, Sister Carrie would work, since "sister" is a common, gender specific noun, altho used as part of a name in the title of this book.

Plural and possessive forms of the nouns are fine.

reserved

reserved

Would Witch(girl) and Wizard(boy) work?

Haha! I was just thinking the same thing.

Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "Would Witch(girl) and Wizard(boy) work?"

yes, since that's the customary gender use of the words.

I'm thinking of Mother Earth Father Sky for the one book option.

Bea wrote: "I'm thinking of Mother Earth Father Sky for the one book option."

mother and father certainly work

Sandy wrote: "Bea wrote: "I'm thinking of Mother Earth Father Sky for the one book option."

mother and father certainly work"

Thanks, Sandy. I did not get to this book for Spring so will try for Summer. :)

Bea wrote: "Sandy wrote: "Bea wrote: "I'm thinking of Mother Earth Father Sky for the one book option."

mother and father certainly work"

Thanks, Sandy. I did not get to this book for Spring so will try for..."

I always wind up moving books from one challenge to the next.......and then trying to fit them in somewhere........and then moving them to the next challenge.....

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat & Other Clinical Tales, does this work for the one book option for man and wife?

Judy wrote: "If we choose the two book option, do the titles have to be direct opposites- like boy/girl or could we use the word boy for the first and a female word like lady or woman for the second title?"

The words do not have to be opposites - just one denoting male gender and one female gender.

Katrina wrote: "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat & Other Clinical Tales, does this work for the one book option for man and wife?"

Yep - one male term, one female - they don't have to match up.

Can we use Duke or Prince since those are male gender titles?

Katrina wrote: "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat & Other Clinical Tales, does this work for the one book option for man and wife?"

That is a FASCINATING book! A lot of technical medical-like stuff, but really interesting!

Will either one of these work for option 2?

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment

The Battle Lord's Lady

Boy Meets Girl - This is a fun one!
Smart Boys & Fast Girls

Sara ♥ wrote: "Boy Meets Girl - This is a fun one!
Smart Boys & Fast Girls"

Valorie wrote: "Will either one of these work for option 2?

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment

The Battle Lord's Lady"

All of these work.

Kings & Queens just want to check. I got it as a giveaway

★Meghan★ wrote: "Kings & Queens just want to check. I got it as a giveaway"

yes, those words are fine

Do pronouns work? And Then He Kissed Her?

Also on my shelf- Hippie Boy: A Girl's Story

Fran wrote: "Do pronouns work? And Then He Kissed Her?

Also on my shelf- Hippie Boy: A Girl's Story"

no pronouns - the task calls for nouns. Boy and girl's works, though

Sandy wrote: "Fran wrote: "Do pronouns work? And Then He Kissed Her?

Also on my shelf- Hippie Boy: A Girl's Story"

no pronouns - the task calls for nouns. Boy and girl's works, though"

Thanks Sandy :)

Would "diva" work for a female word ?The Diva Runs Out of Thyme

Christine US wrote: "Would "diva" work for a female word ?The Diva Runs Out of Thyme"

that will work - by definition, a diva is female.

Hi Sandy. Would All He Saw Was The Girl work for both options in 1 book?

Anne (Booklady) wrote: "Hi Sandy. Would All He Saw Was The Girl work for both options in 1 book?"

Sorry, "he" is a pronoun - you need nouns for both genders.

Is Mr Palomarand Sister Carrie ok?

Ritika wrote: "Is Mr Palomarand Sister Carrie ok?"

Mr. Paloar is a proper noun, so this won't work.

@Sandy
Ok :(. I'll have to think of something else. Me don' likey reading 2 books for 15 Points. But, thank you.

Sandy wrote: "Ritika wrote: "Is Mr Palomarand Sister Carrie ok?"

Mr. Paloar is a proper noun, so this won't work."

Was going to ask if Mr wasn't a male noun, but it's being used as an adjective here, as is Sister. Is that the rational or am I making this too weird?

Was going to ask if Mr wasn't a male noun, but it's being used as an adjective h..."

Ooh, is Sister gone too? Must find one book which has both such words then.

Monk would work for 'male by normal usage,' right? (Specifically this book: Acedia & me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer's Life) It's funny, that's the ONLY one that fits under A on my to-read shelf, but I have TONS with references to girls.

Becca wrote: "Monk would work for 'male by normal usage,' right? (Specifically this book: Acedia & me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer's Life) It's funny, that's the ONLY one that fits under A on my to-read sh..."

monk works

Please note that I am slightly revising my responses to this - it still must be a common noun, but the use of the word is going to be the "common" use of the word, regardless of the context in the title.

That is, "Mr. Paloar" will work, because "mister" is a common noun. So will "Sister Carrie" because "sister" is a common noun. "Carrie" would NOT work, however, because it isn't used as a common noun. The noun still must be gender specific.

So, take the word out of context. Is it normally used as a common noun? In that case, it works, even if it is used as part of a name in the book title.

Does that make sense to everyone?

Ritika wrote: "Is Mr Palomarand Sister Carrie ok?"

See post 36

Donna Jo wrote: "Sandy wrote: "Ritika wrote: "Is Mr Palomarand Sister Carrie ok?"

Mr. Paloar is a proper noun, so this won't work."

Was going to ask if Mr wasn't a male noun, but it's being used as an adjective h..."

see post 36

Ritika wrote: "

Was going to ask if Mr wasn't a male noun, but it's being used as an adjective h..."

Ooh, is Sister gone too? Must find one book which has both such words then."

see post 36

came across this one in the library - I'm with Stupid: One Man, One Woman, 10,000 Years of Misunderstanding Between the Sexes Cleared Right Up...can't resist it lol

How about Father Knows Less Or: "Can I Cook My Sister?": One Dad's Quest to Answer His Son's Most Baffling Questions?

Dee wrote: "came across this one in the library - I'm with Stupid: One Man, One Woman, 10,000 Years of Misunderstanding Between the Sexes Cleared Right Up...can't resist it lol"

LOL - sounds like fun!

Michelle wrote: "How about Father Knows Less Or: "Can I Cook My Sister?": One Dad's Quest to Answer His Son's Most Baffling Questions?"

that works.

Hey:) would "scoundrel" and aristocratic titles work?

Melanie wrote: "Hey:) would "scoundrel" and aristocratic titles work?"

scoundrel doesn't work, because it doesn't denote gender. For "aristocratic titles," that's a pretty general question - if the specific term denotes gender, then yes.

great, thanks:) and I was thinking Marquess/Duke/Baron/Earl, etc. I think these'd work though:)

This is a fun & challenging task! Lots of good ideas here though!

How about...The Wizard, The Farmer, And The Very Petty Princess?

Kim wrote: "This is a fun & challenging task! Lots of good ideas here though!

How about...The Wizard, The Farmer, And The Very Petty Princess?"

since wizard is generally male, and princess female, it works.

Aunt Dimity and the Duke - is aunt/duke OK for option 2?

Rosemary wrote: "Aunt Dimity and the Duke - is aunt/duke OK for option 2?"

yep

Would The King's Mistress work for option 2?