Currently Reading
Find me elsewhere:
The Festive Tasks in Calendar Form - November
I'm a visual person, and after all the planning, writing up and editing, I've long lost track of which book themes and which tasks are associated with which holidays, so I made this up for myself. I'm posting it here in case anyone else might find it useful.
December is in a separate post.
Square #1
Book themes for Día de Muertos and All Saint’s Day:
A book that has a primarily black and white cover, or
A book that has all the colours (ROYGBIV) together on the cover.
Tasks for Día de Muertos and All Saint’s Day: create a short poem, or an epitaph for your most hated book ever.
Tasks for Calan Gaeaf: If you’re superstition-proof, inscribe your name on a rock, toss it in a fire and take a picture to post –OR–
Make a cozy wintertime dish involving leeks (the national plant of Wales) and post the recipe and pictures with your thoughts about how it turned out.
Book themes for Calan Gaeaf:
Read any of your planned Halloween Bingo books that you didn’t end up reading after all, involving witches, hags, or various types of witchcraft –OR–
Read a book with ivy or roses on the cover, or a character’s name/title of book is/has Rose or Ivy in it.
Square #2
Book themes for Guy Fawkes Night: Any book about the English monarchy (any genre), political treason, political thrillers, or where fire is a major theme, or fire is on the cover.
Tasks for Guy Fawkes Night: Post pictures of past or present bonfires, fireworks (IF THEY’RE LEGAL) or sparklers. –OR–
Host a traditional English tea party, or make yourself a nice cup of tea and settle down with a good book to read. Which kind of tea is your favorite? Tell us why.
Book themes for Bon Om Touk: Read a book that takes place on the sea, near the sea, or on a lake or a river, or read a book that has water on the cover.
Tasks for Bon Om Touk: Post a picture from your most recent or favorite vacation on the sea (or a lake, river, or any other body of water larger than a puddle), or if you're living on the sea or on a lake or a river, post a picture of your favorite spot on the shore / banks / beach / at the nearest harbour.
Square #3
Book themes for St. Martin’s Day: Read a book set on a vineyard, or in a rural setting, –OR–
A story where the MC searches for/gets a new job. –OR–
A book with a lantern on the cover, or books set before the age of electricity. –OR–
A story dealing with an act of selfless generosity (like St. Martin sharing his cloak with a beggar).
Book themes for Veteran’s Day/Armistice Day: Read a book involving veterans of any war, books about WWI or WWII (fiction or non-fiction). –OR–
Read a book with poppies on the cover.
Tasks for St. Martin’s Day: Write a Mother Goose-style rhyme or a limerick; the funnier the better. –OR–
Take a picture of the book you’re currently reading, next to a glass of wine, or the drink of your choice, with or without a fire in the background. –OR–
Bake Weckmann; if you’re not a dab hand with yeast baking, make a batch of gingerbread men, or something else that’s typical of this time of the year where you live. Post pics of the results and the recipe if you’d like to share it.
Tasks for Verteran’s Day/Armistice Day: Make, or draw a red poppy and show us a pic of your red poppy or other symbol of remembrance –OR–
Post a quote or a piece of poetry about the ravages of war.
Square #4
Book themes for Penance Day: Read a book that has a monk, nun, pastor / preacher or priest as a protagonist, or where someone is struggling with feelings of guilt or with their conscience (regardless over what).
Book themes for Thanksgiving Day: Books with a theme of coming together to help a community or family in need. –OR–
Books with a turkey or pumpkin on the cover.
Tasks for Penance Day: Tell us – what has recently made you stop in your tracks and think? What was a big turning point in your life? –OR–
Compile a catalogue of theses (it needn’t be 95) about book blogging! What suggestions or ideas would you propose to improve the experience of book blogging?
Tasks for Thanksgiving Day: List of 5 things you’re grateful for –OR–
Post a picture of your thanksgiving feast; or your favourite turkey-day recipe. –OR–
Be thankful for yourself and treat yourself to a new book and post a picture of it.
Bonus task: share your most hilarious turkey-day memory.
