Historical Fictionistas discussion

Here's the thread for mini-challenge point reporting. Remember, this starts September 1 - any points reported before then will NOT be counted.

Heather will be scorekeeping this round. If you have any questions, let us know in the general mini-challenge thread (http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/6...). :)

Mini-Challenge #3 - September 2011

How this challenge works:
Each book read must touch at least one task from at least one of the category lists below. Each book can have multiple tasks counted, if eligible, but no duplicates. (If there are two of the same thing, points are only counted once.)
============================
Scoring example:
Read Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Points --
Published Time Period: 1914-1960 (+1 point)
Genre: Historical Fiction (+1 point)
Title: Weather word (+1 point)
Themes: War (+1 point)/ Slavery (+1 point)
Random: Favorite Author (+1 point)
September Events: Charity [Melanie] (+1 point)
Total task points: 7
Page Bonus: 10
Total: 17
============================

RULES:
Participants may join at any time during the challenge. The challenge last from September 1st until September 30th. All points must be reported by 11:59pm EST on September 30, 2011 to be counted.

1) Books must be at least 200 pages long. Eligibility for this is determined by the most popular edition on Goodreads. If the most popular edition is 197 pages, it will not count, even if the edition read is 215 pages.

2) ALL books must be completed and points recorded by 11:59p EST on September 30, 2011 to count. Books started prior to September 1st will not be counted.

4) Re-reads and audiobooks are accepted. Audiobook page counts will be determined by the most popular edition on Goodreads.

SCORING:
***Please report all points in the Reporting Points Thread*** (This thread will be opened closer to the challenge start.)

5) To obtain points your book must touch at least one task in one or more of the challenge categories. Each item underneath the category is worth one point unless otherwise noted. Categories and items can be repeated as many times as you want throughout the course of the challenge, but cannot be duplicated for a single book. It is your responsibility to tell us what items came up in your book.

6) Bonus points will be awarded based on the length of each book read, as follows:
200 to 300 pages = 2 bonus points
301 to 500 pages = 4 bonus points
501 to 750 pages = 6 bonus points
751 to 1,000 pages = 8 bonus points
1,000+ = 10 bonus points

Bonus points will be awarded PER BOOK READ.

7) Page length used to determine task bonus points is determined by the most popular edition on Goodreads -- NOT the edition you actually read.

8) Cover requirements will be determined by the most popular edition on Goodreads. (This is a change from the last mini-challenge to make it more consistent for reporting and verification purposes.)

9) HAVE FUN!!!
---------------------------------------------

THE CHALLENGE

Setting Time Periods
Ancient History (B.C)
1500s
1700s
1900s
Future

Published Time Period
1500-1630
1770-1815
1850-1875
1914-1960
2001-2011

Genre
Historical Fiction
Memoir
Non-fiction
Paranormal
Western
Mystery
Adventure

Locale
Australia
Egypt
Rome
China
Russia/USSR
Sweden
US States:
Iowa
Vermont
Pennsylvania
Washington State
Hawaii
Louisiana
Michigan


Themes
Coming of Age
War
Epistolary
Retelling (fairytale or classic, adaptation, etc)
Slavery
Time-travel
Magic

Titles
"September" in the title
Numbers "2", "4", or "24"
Three word title
A Fall Color (yellow, brown, orange, red)
A weather word (rain, sunshine, hurricane, wind, etc)
Day of the week

Book Cover – This will be verified using the most popular GR edition
A Ruler
Newspaper
River
Snowflake(s)
Park Bench
The color green
Candle(s)

Random Tasks
Read a book with a one word title that can be formed into at least two words using each letter only once. (Example: Abhorsen = Horse & Ban / Soulless = Soul & Less)
Edit: Subtitles are allowed, such as "Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption", as long as the two words can be formed from the single "main" title word, in this case "Unbroken" = Broke & Nun.
Read a book with a red title (either red letters or containing the word "red")
Read a book from Popular/New Releases page: http://www.goodreads.com/book/popular...
Read a book by an author with an animal name (Wally Lamb, etc)
Read a book by your favorite author

September Events
In honor of Los Angeles founded by the Spanish in September 1781 - read a book featuring angels
In honor of Labor Day - Read a book about a trade union or strike
In honor of Princess Diana - Read a book that features charity work
In honor of William the Conqueror - Read a book featuring immigration
In honor of Glenn Miller's last performance - Read a book featuring music or musicians

Embers

224 pages - 2
Time Period: 1900s - 1
Published: 1942 - 1
Themes: Coming of Age - 1
Book Cover: Green - 1
Random: Embers (Be Rems) - 1
Total = 7

Margaret

220 pages - 2
Genre - HF, Western - 2
Themes - Coming of Age - 1
Random - Margaret (Rage Mart) - 1
Total = 6

Challenge total = 13

Two books in one day? Jeez. Save some for the rest of us!

Cover:
Book: The Last Princess of Manchuria by Lilian Lee
Pages: 240
Time Period: 1 pt - 1900s
Genre: : 3 pt - Historical Fiction, Mystery, Adventure
Locale: 1 pt - China
Themes: : 3 pt - Coming of Age, War, Slavery
Random Tasks: 1 pt - Red Title
Sept Events 3 pt - Union/Strike, Immigration, Music/Musicians
Task points: 12
Page Bonus: 2
Total: 14

(edited to remove One Word points marked invalid by Becky)

Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie



Pages: 320
Setting Time Period = 1900s = 1 point
Genre = Mystery = 1 point
Task points = 2
Page points = 4
Total points = 6
Total challenge points = 6

Cover:
Book: The Ginger Tree by Oswald Wynd
Pages: 312
Time Period: 1 pt - 1900s
Published Time Period: 1 pt - 2001-2011
Genre: : 1 pt - Historical Fiction
Locale: 1 pt - China
Themes: : 3 pt - Coming of Age, War, Epistolary,
Titles: 2 pt - Three word title, A Fall Color (yellow, brown, orange, red)
Cover: 2 pt - River, The color green,
Sept Events 1 pt - Immigration
Task points: 12
Page Bonus: 4
Total: 16

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Published Time Period: 2001-2011 (1 point)
Themes: Coming of Age (1 point)
Book Cover: Park Bench/Green (2 points)
Page Count: 4 points (372 pages)
Total Book Points: 8 points

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Page count - 230 - 2 points
Published Time Period - 2001 to 2011 (2007) - 1 point
Themes - coming of age - 1 point
Locale - Washington state - 1 point
Book cover - green - 1 point

Total for task - 6 points
Total for challenge - 6 points

by Sarah Addison Allen

Published 2007 1pt
Theme - Magic 1pt
Cover - Color Green 1 pt
Random - One word made into two - Gar/Den 1 pt
290 pgs - 2pts

Book total 6 pts
Challenge total 6 pts

Manic: a memoir by Terri Cheney
256 pages-2pts
Setting 1900s-1
Pub 2008-1
Genres-NF, memoir-2
Theme-coming of age-1
Cover-river, green-2
Total: 9
Challenge total: 9

The World According to Garp by John Irving
Setting Time Period: 1900's (1 point)
Page Count: 6 points
Total Book Points: 7 points

Total Challenge Points: 15 points

Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan

Pages: 400
Setting Time Period: 1500s (1 point)
Published: 2008 (1 point)
Genres: historical fiction, paranormal (2 points)
Themes: war, magic (2 points)
Title: three words (1 point)

Task points: 7
Page points: 4
Total this task: 11
Challenge total: 17

by Janet Evanovich

Bonus Points: 4 (313pp)
Setting: 1900's-1
Genre: Mystery-1
Titles: Numbers 4 spelled Four-1, Three Word Title-1, A Fall Color (yellow,orange)-1
Random-Read a book by your favorite author-Janet Evanovich-1

Task Points: 10
Grand Total: 10

Beauty bySheri S. Tepper
463pgs: 4pts
Time Period: 1900's/Future (2pts)
Themes: Coming of Age/Retelling of a fairy tale/Time-travel/Magic (4pts)
Random: One word title into two words (Beauty - aye, but) (1pt)

Total: 11pts
Grand Total: 11pts

by Juan Gomez-Jurado

384 pgs: 4pts.
Time Period: 1920's 1 pt.
Published: 2011 1 pt.
Genre: Historical fiction 1 pt.
Themes: Coming of age, War 2 pt.
Book cover: green 1 pt.
3 word title: 1 pt.

Total: 11 pts.
Grand Total: 11 pts.

Burnt Offerings by Laurell K. Hamilton
Genre: Paranormal (1 point)
Themes: Magic (1 point)
Page Count: 4 points (400 pages)
Total book points: 6 points

Total Challenge Points: 21 points

The Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith



Pages: 214
Published Time Period - 2008 (1 point)
Genre: mystery (1 point)
Book cover: has green on it (1 point)

Task points: 3
Page points: 2
Total this task: 5
Total challenge points: 22

Same Kind of Different as Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together by Ron Hall

224 pages-2
Setting 1950-1970s-1
Pub 2008-1
Genres-NF, memoir-2
Location-LA (& TX)-1
Themes-Coming of age, slavery-2

Task total-9
Challenge total-18 points

The Lords of Discipline by Pat Conroy

Pages - 512 - 6 points
Time periods - 1999s (1963 to 1967)- 1 point
Themes - coming of age and war - 2 points
Book cover - green - 1 point

Task total - 10 points

Challenge total - 16 points

Blackberry Wine by Joanne Harris

Pages: 368
Setting Time Period: 1900s (1 point)
Themes: coming of age, magic (2 points)
Book cover: green (1 point)

Task points: 4
Page points: 4
Book total: 8
Total challenge points: 30

Cover:
Book: Cocaine Blues (Phryne Fisher #1) by Kerry Greenwood
Pages: 326
Time Period: 1 pt - 1900s
Genre: 3 pt - Historical Fiction, Mystery, Adventure
Locale: 1 pt - Australia
Cover: 1 pt - The color green
Sept Events: 1 pt - Charity
Task points: 7
Page Bonus: 4
Total: 11
Total Challenge Points: 41

(edited to remove "One Word" points and update totals per Becky)

by Sarah Addison Allen
Published 2008 1pt
Theme - Magic 1pt
Title - 3 word title 1 pt
Random - One word made into two Us/Gar 1 pt
276 pgs 2 pts

Book total 6 pts
Challenge total 12 pts

Naked City: Tales of Urban Fantasy edited by Ellen Datlow

Pages: 539
Published in 2011 = 1 point
Genre: historical fiction, paranormal, mystery = 3 points
Locale: Washington State = 1 point
Themes: magic = 1 point
September events: immigration, musician = 2 points (one of the stories in this collection has a main character who is a flute player who emigrates from Ireland)

Task points: 8
Page points: 6
Book total: 14
Challenge total: 44

A Year on Ladybug Farm by Donna Ball

Pages: 400
Published in 2009 = 1 point
Book cover: green = 1 point
Random: red lettered title = 1 point

Task points = 3
Page points = 4
Book total = 7
Challenge total = 51

Blue Moon by Laurell K. Hamilton
Genre: Paranormal (1 point)
Themes: Magic (1 point)
Page Count: 4 points (418 pages)
Total Book Points: 6 points

Loretta Lynn - Coal Miner's Daughter by Loretta Lynn
Setting Time Period: 1900's (1 point)
Genre: Memoir/Non-Fiction (2 points)
Locale: Washington State (1 point)
September Events: In honor of Glenn Miller's last performance - Read a book featuring music or musicians (1 point)
Page Count: 2 points (224 pages)
Total Book Points: 7 points

Total Challenge Points: 34 points

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

754 pages-8 points
pub 2008-1
genre-paranormal-1
location-Washington State-1
theme-coming of age, magic-2
random-book from Popular Releases page-1

Total-14 points

Challenge total-34 points

Well... I'm off to a killer start. O_o LOL

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
305 pages: 4 points
Published Time Period: 1920 +1
September Tasks: Read a book featuring music or musicians +1

So that's a whopping 6 points for me.

Murder of a Bookstore Babe by Denise Swanson
Published Time Period: 2001-2011 (1 point)
Genre: Mystery (1 point)
Cover: Green (1 point) (title of yellow book is green)
Random Tasks: Read a book with a red title(1 point)
Page Count: 2 points (243 pages)
Total book points: 6 points

Total Challenge Points: 40 points

Scoreboard:
Butterflycager 51
Shay 40
Kiri 40
Luckngrace 32
LemonLinda 16
Rachel 13
Christy 11
Diane 11
Cheryl 10
Jayme 10
Becky 6

Some notes:
Kiri, going forward, can you mark the September tasks as "immigration" or "charity" etc? It makes it easier to mark since my sheet has shortened versions of the tasks on it (I cut out the "in honor of ____" parts). ;)

Also for The Ginger Tree, there isn't a "Fall color" in the title, so I couldn't give the point for that.

Finally, Cheryl and Kiri, the in order to get points for the "One word into two" task, the title must be one word ONLY, with the exception of a subtitle. I couldn't give points for any of those either.

I clarified this one further in the Q&A thread since it's a little confusing:

OK to use:
"Desperation" = Deep & Ration
"Unbroken" (Main single word title): A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption (subtitle/ignored)= Broke & Nun

Not OK to use:
The "Notebook" = Bone & Took (Not ok because "The" is part of the title)

If a title (or the title in the "main" part of a subtitled book) is more than one word, including A, An, The, etc, it will not count for the "One word that can make two words" task.

I hope that makes sense! :)

Becky as of post 13, I have 10 points and you have me down as 9. Did I do the math wrong?

Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "Becky as of post 13, I have 10 points and you have me down as 9. Did I do the math wrong?"

No, I added wrong. You're right. I'll edit.

Thanks, Becky, for the clarification. I made a note to myself...I was coming up with all kinds of words!!

by Jenny Wingfield

330 Pgs. (4 pts)
1950's setting (1 pt.)
2011 Published (1 pt.
Coming of age theme (1 pt.)
Green on cover (1 pt.)

Total 8 pts.
Challenge points 19 pts.

Becky wrote: "Sepetember tasks..."
I'll make a note and do my best. =) Anything to make the tyoing easier!

Becky wrote: "One word"
So your saying that if the title i more than a single word - it will not qualify. Even if you take the main word from it (which is how it read when I made my notes)

Well THAT makes that easier. no points! *scratches that off list* :D coming up with those anagrams takes TIME!

Ginger Tree / color title.. well that I will quibble with because Ginger is an red-orangey color and appears fall-like in tone. It isn't a big deal but I do think it fits the criteria stated.

Oh! OK... I was thinking "ginger" as in the root, not "ginger" as in what British people call redheads. ;)

I'll give you that one. LOL

Becky wrote: "Well... I'm off to a killer start. O_o LOL"
:D We know all bout your "innocence" Becky ;) Killer indeed! (seriously with modding here I wonder how you manage to get much of anything read! Yay! 6 points!)

Becky wrote: "Oh! OK... I was thinking "ginger" as in the root, not "ginger" as in what British people call redheads. ;) I'll give you that one. LOL
I was wondering! *hug* Ok then we both have at 41 points total? (so I know we're on the same virtual page) If not drop me a pm and we'll sort it out that way.

Have a lovely day!

The Steampunk Bible: An Illustrated Guide to the World of Imaginary Airships, Corsets and Goggles, Mad Scientists, and Strange Literature by Jeff VanderMeer

Pages: 224
Published 2011 = 1 point
Genre: non-fiction = 1 point

Task points: 2
Page points: 2
Book total: 4



A Queer History of the United States by Michael Bronski

Pages: 288
Setting time periods: 1700s, 1900s = 2 points
Published in 2011 = 1 point
Genre: non-fiction = 1 point
Locale: Pennsylvania = 1 point
Themes: war, slavery = 2 points

Task points: 7
Page points: 2
Total book points: 9

Total both books: 13
Challenge total: 64

You were at 39 and the Ginger point upped you to 40.

Here's what I have for you:

Last Princess of Manchuria
240 pages - 2 points
1- 1900s
1- Historical fiction
1- mystery
1- adventure
1- China
1- coming of age
1- war
1- slavery
1- Trade union
1- immigration
1- Music
= 13 total points

Ginger Tree
312 pages - 4 points
1- 1900s
1- pub 2001-2011
1- historical fiction
1- China
1- Coming of age
1- war
1- epistolary
1- Three word title
1- Fall Color
1- River on cover
1- Color green
1- Immigration
= 16 total points

Cocaine Blues
326 pages - 4 points
1- 1900s
1- Historical fiction
1- mystery
1- adventure
1- Australia
1- Color Green
1- Charity work
= 11 total points

13+16+11 = 40 points

Am I missing anything?

Becky wrote: am I missing anything?"

Yep somehow for Last Princess of Manchuria
Random - Red Title for 1 point got dropped.
(the chinese characters are red)
    (full) English Title: Last Princess of Manchuria
    (full from English) Chinese Simplified: 对满洲的最后公主
    Chinese Title: 公主 (this is on the cover)
These are the pictograms for
      Princess - 公主
      Last - 最后
      The / of Manchuria - 对满洲的
    This isn't a hard and fast transliteration - but it works to get the point across.

that should bring you to 41

The Painted Boy by Charles de Lint
431pgs: 4pts
Pubished Date (2010): 2001-2011 (1pt)
Theme: Coming of Age/Magic (2pts)
Title: 3 word title (1pt)
Total: 8pts

Grand total: 19pts

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

Published: 2001-2011 (+1)
Genre: Paranormal, Adventure, Mystery (+3)
Themes: Coming of Age, War, Magic (+3)
Cover: candles (+1)
Random: favorite author, GR Popular link (+2)
Pages: 870 (+8)
Book total = 18

Challenge total = 18

byLouise Murphy

320 pgs. 4 pts.
1940's setting 1 pt.
copywright 2003 1 pt.
Historical fiction genre 1 pt.
War, retelling and coming of age themes 3 pts.
snow flakes book cover 1 pt.

Total 11 pts.
Challenge total 30 pts.

Diane, can you please be sure to list the cover image in addition to the text title? Thanks!

Diane wrote: " byLouise Murphy

297 pgs. 2 pts.
1940's setting 1 pt.
copywright 2003 1 pt.
Historical fiction genre 1 pt.
War, retelling and ..."

Diane, the most popular edition on GR for this book has it at 320 pages. So, the page count bonus should be 4 points.

Irresistible Forces by Brenda Jackson

256 pages-2 pts
pub 2008-1

Total: 3

Challenge total: 37

Obsidian Butterfly by Laurell K. Hamilton
Genre: Paranormal (1 point)
Themes: Magic (1 point)
Page Count: 6 points (596 pages)
Total book points: 8 points

Total Challenge Points: 48 points

Witch Hunt by Shirley Damsgaard
Published 2007 1 pt
Genre - Mystery, Paranormal 2 pts
Locale - Iowa 1 pt
Theme - Magic 1 pt
Cover - Candle 1 pt
Title - Fall Color (yellow) 1 pt
292 pgs 2 pts
Book Total 9 pts


The Rites and Wrongs of Janice Wills by Joanna Pearson
Published 2011 1 pt
Theme - Coming of Age 1 pt
Title - Fall color (Orange/Red) 1 pt
Cover - Green 1 pt
224 pgs 2 pts
Book total 6 pts

Challenge total 25 pts

Shay wrote: "Diane wrote: " byLouise Murphy

297 pgs. 2 pts.
1940's setting 1 pt.
copywright 2003 1 pt.
Historical fiction genre 1 pt.
War, ..."

Thanks, They probably included the reading guide and acknowledgements, which I didn't>

Becky wrote: "Diane, can you please be sure to list the cover image in addition to the text title? Thanks!"

Okay will do.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Setting: 1900s = 1
Published: 2010 = 1
Genre: Non-Fiction = 1
Fall Colour: red/orange = 1
Page bonus: 369 pages = 4

Book points = 8
Total points = 8