The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

22 letters:

Trustee from the Toolroom

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

S. A Novel about the Balkans

Truth & Beauty A Friendship

38 Letters:

The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Daughter of the Saints Growing Up in Polygamy

Deedee wrote: "Subtraction - Subtract The Number Of Letters Found In Your Whole Name (First, Middle, Last) From Your Age Hmmmm, that means 53 - 15 = 38. Anybody have a suggestion for 38 letters? Thanks!"

Hi Deedee:

This title has 38 characters....(Not counting 'A Novel' tacked onto the end of the title which I'd ignore.)

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe A Novel

Any suggestions for 11 letters? For the subtraction task (I am SO bad with counting and get frustrated and start counting over and over) So help!

Also for division I got 90, (1987/22) so what is the procedure for zeros? Does that mean we read a standalone, or should I round it to 91?

April wrote: "Any suggestions for 11 letters? For the subtraction task (I am SO bad with counting and get frustrated and start counting over and over) So help!

Also for division I got 90, (1987/22) so what is..."

For the division, Cynthia gave this answer for using the 0.

"For 0 you would read a singular novel written by an author who primarily is know for series."

Rachel Lee wrote: "April wrote: "Any suggestions for 11 letters? For the subtraction task (I am SO bad with counting and get frustrated and start counting over and over) So help!

Also for division I got 90, (1987/..."

Oh wow, I am slow. Thanks Rachel!

April wrote: "Any suggestions for 11 letters? For the subtraction task (I am SO bad with counting and get frustrated and start counting over and over) So help!

Also for division I got 90, (1987/22) so what is..."

Hey April, here are some from my shelves.

Orientalism - Said
The Namesake - Lahiri
Common Sense - Paine (probably not long enough)
July's People - Gordimer
As I Lay Dying - Faulker
Wolf Whistle - Nordan
Into the Wild - Krakauer
My Happy Life A Novel - Millet

All of those were four and five star reads, except for the Millet, which I didn't care for (though others did), and the Said, which I haven't read yet.

Also, you can use eleven word books. If hyphenated words count as two, I would recommend:
Salvation on Sand Mountain Snake-Handling and Redemption in Southern Appalachia

Really fascinating stuff.

April wrote: "Any suggestions for 11 letters? For the subtraction task (I am SO bad with counting and get frustrated and start counting over and over) So help!"

Go back a page--messages 29 and 38...

Sara ♥ wrote: "April wrote: "Any suggestions for 11 letters? For the subtraction task (I am SO bad with counting and get frustrated and start counting over and over) So help!"

Go back a page--messages 29 and 38..."


I skim really quickly so unfortunately I must have just glanced over those messages!

But, I've found books which satisfy both tasks

So yay, thanks everyone!

April wrote: "Any suggestions for 11 letters? For the subtraction task (I am SO bad with counting and get frustrated and start counting over and over) So help!"

Lord of Light
Dying Inside
The Art of War
White Apples
Dark Harvest
Under My Roof
Already Dead
Pandemonium
Neuromancer
Santa Olivia

Other 11-Letter Titles (I read a lot of YA):


Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
As You Like It by William Shakespeare
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (book 1)
City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare (book 2)
City of Glass by Cassandra Clare (book 3)
Darkest Hour by Meg Cabot (4th in series)
Enchantment by Orson Scott Card
Enna Burning by Shannon Hale (2nd in series)
Four to Score by Janet Evanovich (4th in series)
Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr (2nd in series)
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
Pants on Fire by Meg Cabot :)
A Perfect Day by Richard Paul Evans
Princess Mia by Meg Cabot (9th in series)
Rebel Angels by Libba Bray (2nd in series)
Spin Control by Niki Burnham (2nd in series)
Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich (12th in series)
The Wish List by Eoin Colfer

Katie wrote: "Also, you can use eleven word books."

You can?? *checks rules* Wow! I really need to read the tasks more carefully! Now I'm wondering what my subtraction came out to.... 8... hmmm... Oh... I've already read one of the books for that task, and wouldn't change the other one if someone paid me... haha! :) Nice thought though!

kiki wrote: "if anyone needs a 22 letter title for subtraction here you go:"

Far from the Madding Crowd
Love in the Time of Cholera
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Stranger in a Strange Land
The Man with the Golden Arm
The Privilege of the Sword
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

oooh, more good recs! thanks! i wish i hadn't just re-read Cholera earlier this year...i love that book, but can't do it twice in one year!

thanks, Liz! :)

Thanks krista and patricia for your suggestions for 38 letters! I read "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe" A Novel in 2001, and "The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" in 2004, and while both were good, neither are on my re-read list. I'm not sure about "Daughter of the Saints Growing Up in Polygamy". I guess I'll have to keep looking (either that or do one of the other options for Math).

I have a question: what about "Julian Comstock: A Story of 22nd-Century America" by Robert Charles Wilson? The title has thirty-eight letters and two numbers (22). The number of letters = 38; the number of letters plus the number of numbers = 40; and I'm looking for a 38-letter title. I'll abide by the group's decision.

i'm wondering if Animal,Vegetable, Miracle could count for the 22 word title....it's got the little subtitle "a year of food life" which would put it way over 22? just curious if anyone knew the protocol on subtitles???

kiki wrote: "oooh, more good recs! thanks! i wish i hadn't just re-read Cholera earlier this year...i love that book, but can't do it twice in one year!

thanks, Liz! :)"

You're welcome. I created a letter-count spreadsheet to make my own choices, so it's not a problem to use it to find suggestions for other people.

A letter-count spreadsheet? Hmmmm.... *interesting*

another 22 word title:

Picture of Dorian Gray, The

i'm so excited this is 22 words...i've been wanting to re-read it and now i have the perfect excuse! :)

okay after explaining and reexplaining how decimals work and WHY oh WHY are there such stupid rules for moving that dot, I need some math help LOL

after rereading the instructions

my first and last name 13 letters
with midddle name 16

so for addition I can read tess gerristen right?

and now that I understand the division task

1969 divided by 40 equals 49 r 9 I read 4th OR 9th in a series, so I could read the fourth Percy jackson book here?

Am I thinking this right?

Teresa in Ohio wrote: "Am I thinking this right?"

Yes on both counts.

Deedee wrote: "I have a question: what about "Julian Comstock: A Story of 22nd-Century America" by Robert Charles Wilson? The title has thirty-eight letters and two numbers (22). The number of letters = 38; the number of letters plus the number of numbers = 40; and I'm looking for a 38-letter title. I'll abide by the group's decision. "

If the instructions are taken absolutely literally, then one would look only at the letters and ignore the symbols and number both, making it count as 38. I would cross-post this in the "FALL CHALLENGE 2009 QUESTIONS" thread to make sure Cynthia weighs in on the question.

kiki wrote: "i'm wondering if Animal,Vegetable, Miracle could count for the 22 word title....it's got the little subtitle "a year of food life" which would put it way over 22? just curious if anyone knew the protocol on subtitles???"

I've been operating under the assumption that we can incorporate or discard subtitles as needed for the math task (as opposed to Cindy's task where they have to be counted), but I don't know if there was ever an explicit ruling.

Greyweather wrote: "Teresa in Ohio wrote: "Am I thinking this right?"

Yes on both counts.
thanks : )

thanks for the input, greyweather, i appreciate it! :)

Addition
Sophie (6) + last name (8) (I'm not telling you that!) = 14 letters

Subtraction
First (6) + Middle (2) + Last (8) = 16
19 - 16 = 3!

Multiplication
19 x 16 = 304

Division
1990 divided 19 = 124

ANY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE NICE! Espeacially for Subtraction!

You were looking for a spot to put Dead to the World right? It fits your Multiplication subtask (your total +/- 25 pages) or your Division subtask (fourth in a series).

For Subtraction, remember you can use a three letter OR three word title. So from your to-read shelf:
The Golden Compass
Pride and Prejudice
Sense and Sensibility
The Princess Bride
The Nanny Diaries
The Last Battle
The Vile Village
Last Vampire Standing
Antony and Cleopatra
The Three Musketeers
The Plot Thickens
Mao's Last Dancer
Brink of Death
The Thirteenth Tale
The Book Thief
City of Bones
Bras & Broomsticks
Darkly Dreaming Dexter
Scones and Sensibility
Dead Witch Walking
The Witching Hour

Greyweather wrote: "You were looking for a spot to put Dead to the World right? It fits your Multiplication subtask (your total +/- 25 pages) or your Division subtask (fourth in a series).

For Subtraction, remember ..."

THANKYOU! THANKYOU! THANKYOU!

Another 3 letter title
Run by Ann Pratchett

Deedee wrote: "Another 3 letter title
Run by Ann Pratchett"
I think the author for this book is 'Patchett'. :-)

Run