Themis-Athena's Garden of Books

(Yule task (Germany / Scandinavia): Burn a Yule log – or if you don’t have a fireplace, light a candle to chase away the winter and welcome in the longer days.  If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, light a candle to mourn the slow but inexorable retreat of the sun.)

December 13! We're revealing this now, because it is also revealed "beneath the fold."

 

Door 16:  St. Lucia's Day

 

Task 1: Famous first words: Tradition has it that the winners of the Nobel Peace Prize are woken up by the St. Lucia maidens, as St. Lucia's Day (Dec. 13) is just three days after the Nobel Peace Prize awards ceremony and many laureates stay long enough to be able to take in the St. Lucia festivities. Imagine one of your favorite (fictional) characters had won that prize: How would you think (s)he would greet the maidens? (If you've used the Nobel Peace Prize for Door 15, Task 3, this can be the same character, of course … or a different one, just as you wish.)

 

Task 2: Compile a list of five or more carols, poems, short stories, novels or other pieces of writing that feature sleigh rides.

 

Task 3:  Trolls, gnomes, dwarves and similar beings (some evil, some less so, almost all of them mischievous) are a staple of Scandinavian mythology and folklore, as well as other folklores and mythologies around the world and, of course, fantasy and speculative fiction. Who is your favorite such creature and why? (No matter whether mythological, fictional or from whatever other source.)

 

Task 4: The historic (3d century AD) St. Lucia was Italian; yet, like those of many other saints (including, e.g., St. Andrew and St. Nicholas), the most important celebrations of her holiday don’t occur in her place of origin but somewhere else in the world.

 

Book:  Read a book set in Scandinavia / Northern Europe, by a Northern European / Nordic author, with a predominantly white cover (or white with red lettering), newly released in November or December of this year, or set in the candle-lit world (i.e., before the discovery of electricity – roughly, that is, before the late 19th century).

 

NEW: Once you've completed a task or tasks, please use the handy form, located in the spoiler tags (to keep things tidy) to let us know. This will make tracking points MUCH easier for the 24 Tasks Team.

Previous door's tasks are "beneath the fold"

MARKERS:

Books: Candles

Tasks: Stars

DOOR 1: DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS

Book:  Ngaio Marsh: Death and the Dancing Footman (audio version, read by James Saxon)

Task 1: Miss Marple limerick.

Task 2:

Task 3: Epitaph for The Disappearing Spoon.

Task 4: Gaby in Mexico (& Guatemala).

Points: 4

DOOR 2: JAPANESE CULTURE DAY

Book: Michael Innes: Death at the President's Lodging (audio version, read by Stephen Hogan)

Task 1: Beethoven Festival.

Task 2: KitKat flavors.

Task 3:

Task 4: Teriyaki Chicken.

Points: 4

DOOR 3: MELBOURNE CUP DAY

Book: Ellis Peters: The Rose Rent (audio version, read by Nadia May)

Task 1: Pick your ponies.

Task 2: Ross are red, violets are blue: Shakespeare, Much Ado.

Task 3: Cheshire Cat mug.

Task 4:

Points: 4

DOOR 4: GUY FAWKES NIGHT

Book: Joy Ellis: The Stolen Boys (audio version, read by Richard Armitage)

Task 1:

Task 2:

Task 3:

Task 4: Bookshelf ordering system.

Points: 2

DOOR 5: BON OM TOUK

Book: Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None (audio version, read by Dan Stevens)

Task 1: Favorite Rainy Day Books.

Task 2:

Task 3:

Task 4: Books on my shelf with antonym titles.

Points: 3

DOOR 6: VETERANS' / ARMISTICE DAY

Book: E.C.R. Lorac: Murder by Matchlight (audio version, read by Mark Elstob)

Task 1: Sunrise photos.

Task 2: Authors who died this year I'll miss the most.

Task 3:

Task 4: Sunset walk in the woods.

Points: 4

DOOR 7: INT'L DAY FOR TOLERANCE

Book: Chris Ewan: The Good Thief's Guide to Paris (audio version, read by Simon Vance)

Task 1: Redeeming feature of a DNF'd book (Renee Ahdieh, The Wrath and the Dawn).

Task 2:

Task 3:

Task 4: My one UNESCO world heritage site to visit: Machu Picchú.

Points: 3

DOOR 8: INT'L CHILDREN'S DAY

Book: Cyril Hare: An English Murder

Task 1: Favorite children's and middle grade books.

Task 2:

Task 3:

Task 4:

Points: 2

DOOR 9: WORLD PHILOSOPHY DAY

Book:

Task 1: Reading philosophy.

Task 2: Rating and reviewing policy.

Task 3:

Task 4:

Points: 2

DOOR 10: RUSSIAN MOTHERS' DAY

Book: Lesley Cookman: Murder in Steeple Martin (audio version, read by Patience Tomlinson)

Task 1:

Task 2: Fiction about royalty "moonlighting" as commoners.

Task 3:

Task 4:

Points: 2

DOOR 11: THANKSGIVING

Book:

Task 1:

Task 2: The books I am most thankful to have found this year.

Task 3:

Task 4:

Points: 1

DOOR 12: ST. ANDREW'S DAY

Book: Ann Cleeves: White Nights (audio version, read by Kenny Blyth)

Task 1: Favorite Scottish writers.

Task 2:

Task 3: 2019 Reading: greatest "catches" from my TBR.

Task 4:

Points: 3

DOOR 13: ADVENT

Book: Louise Penny: Still Life (audio version, read by Adam Sims)

Task 1:

Task 2:

Task 3:

Task 4:

Points: 1

DOOR 14: ST. NICHOLAS' DAY

Book: Joy Ellis: Five Bloody Hearts (audio version, read by Matthew Lloyd Davies)

Task 1:

Task 2:

Task 3:

Task 4:

Points: 1

DOOR 15: INT'L HUMAN RIGHTS DAY

Book: Nancy Mitford: Christmas Pudding (audio version, read by Kristin Atherton)

Task 1:

Task 2:

Task 3:

Task 4:

Points: 1

DOOR 16: ST. LUCIA'S DAY

Book:

Task 1:

Task 2: Sleigh rides.

Task 3:

Task 4:

Points: 1

DOOR 17: WINTER SOLSTICE
(YULE/ YALDĀ NIGHT/ DONGZHI/ SOYAL)

Book: Agatha Christie: Three Blind Mice and Other Stories (audio version, read by Simon Vance, Hugh Fraser, David Suchet, and Joan Hickson)

Task 1:

Task 2:

Task 3:

Task 4:

Points: 1

DOOR 18: HANUKKAH

Book: Nicholas Blake: Thou Shell of Death (audio version, read by Kris Dyer)

Task 1:

Task 2:

Task 3:

Task 4:

Points: 1

DOOR 19: FESTIVUS

Book:

Task 1:

Task 2: Battle of the Books: Pippi Longstocking vs. Anna Karenina.

Task 3:

Task 4:

Points: 1

DOOR 20: CHRISTMAS

Book: Agatha Christie: Hercule Poirot's Christmas (audio version, read by Hugh Fraser)

Task 1:

Task 2:

Task 3:

Task 4:

Points: 1

DOOR 21: KWANZAA

Book:

Task 1:

Task 2: Favorite books where music is an important feature.

Task 3:

Task 4:

Points: 1

DOOR 22: NEW YEAR'S EVE

Book: Candace Robb: A Gift of Sanctuary (audio version, read by Stephen Thorne)

Task 1:

Task 2:

Task 3:

Task 4:

Points: 1

DOOR 23: HOGSWATCH

Book:

Task 1:

Task 2: Favorite Discworld characters.

Task 3: Discworld subseries world I'd like to visit: The Witches.

Task 4:

Points: 2

DOOR 24: EPIPHANY

Book:

Task 1:

Task 2:

Task 3:

Task 4:

Points:

BOOK JOKER

Used for:

RUNNING TOTAL SCORE:

      46 points

Admittedly I wrote this quite a while a go, but since anything involving Pippi Longstocking will almost automatically be a match for a holiday featuring "feats of strength" ... here is, rather unapologetically, my Goodreads Celebrity Death Match Review Elimination Tournament entry of long ago featuring the match-up of Pippi Longstocking vs. Anna Karenina (spoiler: Pippi wins hands down):

Girl Power, or:

Celebrity Death Match Review Elimination Tournament Review:
Anna Karenina (12) vs. Pippi Långstrump (21)

A countryside railway station in indistinctly northern surroundings. Count Vronsky and Anna Karenina are standing together, both looking into the distance but in opposite directions.

VRONSKY (contemplative): Now, look at that … a girl carrying a horse …

ANNA (turning): What’s that you said – a girl?

VRONSKY: … carrying a horse.

ANNA (talking over him): Of course, I should have known – you’re looking at another woman. Again. So what’s so special about this one, huh? (She takes a closer look at the figure in the distance and curls her lips in contempt.)

Her freckles? Those ridiculous reddish braids of hers? Or – or – her shoes? Oh my God, they must be at least two sizes too large!

VRONSKY (to himself): Here we go again. – (Soberly, to Karenina): Anna, please …

ANNA (still not listening): I bet you can’t wait to take those shoes off her and clothe her feet in some sort of delicate slippers. Silk, or damast, or something. Or velvet. Or nothing – and then just kiss them. And go on kissing her all the way up her legs, and then … and then … (She breathes heavily, unable to continue.)

VRONSKY: Anna, for God’s sake, she’s just a girl! She can’t be more than, what, nine or ten … or, well, at least she doesn’t look … (He casts a doubtful glance at the horse, which is now standing on solid ground again.)

ANNA: Ah, but you don’t know, do you? And I am sure you would love to find out …

VRONSKY (exasperated): Anna, please! Do you seriously think I’d be interested in a woman who can carry a horse?!

ANNA (pouting): Oh, so she’s a woman now to you already, is she? A few seconds ago she was still merely a girl … I should have known I would never be able to trust you! You’ll always find a way to betray me! I should never have followed you! Why, oh why did I ever abandon my beloved son for your sake? Oh, Seryozha … (She bursts into tears.)

VRONSKY (after contemplating her for a long moment): Look, Anna, I don’t think this is going anywhere. I …

ANNA (howling): You’re leaving me! (After a pause, with a baleful look at the figure in the distance): For HER!

VRONSKY (through his teeth, struggling for composure): I am going to my club.

(He turns on his heels and leaves.)

ANNA (sobbing uncontrollably): I’ve lost him. And after I gave up everything for his sake. I am nothing without him! Oh, what shall I do??

A humming from the tracks, first gentle but with a steadily increasing volume, announces the arrival of a train. With a desperate sob, Anna Karenina throws herself onto the tracks. The sudden, harsh squeal of the train’s breaks alerts Pippi Longstocking, who up to now had been blissfully unaware of the scene at the station. She comes rushing over, placing herself in front of the train, and tries to stop it with her bare hands. All she manages, alas, is to slow it down; but not before it has severed Anna’s head, which rolls sideways and comes to a stop at Pippi’s feet. Pippi contemplates it with a half-sad, half puzzled expression.

PIPPI (bemused): It’s a pity she never knew my Pappa. He would’ve told her just to sing to herself. Whatever it is, there’s nothing so bad that it can’t be made right again by singing a song, he always said …

(Alerted by a monkey’s chatter, she looks to the roof of the station house.)

PIPPI: Mr. Nilsson! What are you doing up there? Come down at once!

Laughing, Pippi climbs onto the roof herself to retrieve her monkey, leaving Anna’s severed head and body behind on the tracks.

(Task: Battle of the Books:  pick two books off your shelf (randomly or with purpose); in a fair fight, which book would come out on top?  The fight can be based on the merits of the book itself, its writing, or full-on mano a mano between two characters.  Which would win the feat of strength?)

On the minus-twentieth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ...
Two Christmas carols, one orchestral dance, one fairy tale, and two novels:

Two Christmas Carols:

* Jingle Bells

* Sleigh Ride

One Orchestral Dance:

* W.A. Mozart: Three German Dances Dance No. 3 ("Sleigh Ride")

One Fairy Tale:

* Hans-Christian Andersen: The Snow Queen

   (The snow queen's preferred mode of travel ... and abduction.)

Two Novels:

* Leo Tolstoy: War and Peace

   (Rostov and Sonya's Christmas Eve troika ride.)
* Terry Pratchett: Hogfather

   (DEATH and Albert doing their Santa stunt.  Umm, I mean Hogfather stunt.)

(Task: Compile a list of five or more carols, poems, short stories, novels or other pieces of writing that feature sleigh rides.)

Well, this may be stretching the spirit of the holiday a bit (unless St. Nick should count either murderers or policemen among the many groups of people whose patron saint he is), but the dominant color of the cover definitely qualifies, and I might as well get caught up with everything Joy Ellis (sans Nikki Galena) before the year is out.

Plus, I now have an inkling why Ellis picked a cop on the brink of retirement for this new series ... I'd been wondering what she was doing, creating a third Fenland series focused on yet another detective, but this one looks like it's going to take a bit of a different direction eventually.  Intriguing!

(Task: Read a book with an orange or red cover, set in the Netherlands or Germany, by a Dutch or German author, or with nuts, chocolate, coins, canals or beer on the cover.)

Rather easy choice, this one ...

And notwithstanding the fact that there's a fairly obvious giveaway to the "who" very early on -- and I'm beginning to clue in on Cleeves's approach in terms of construction, writerly perspective and character POV -- I actually liked this at least as much as the first book in the series, if not more.

(Task: Read a book set in Scotland.)

(Updated 12/4/19 with additional thoughts shared in the comments)

I've been thinking about this.

Spam is the bane of our existence. We all hate it. We all want it to go away.

Spammers love our attention, whether it be positive or negative. The more we respond to spammers, the happier they are and the more they want to keep posting here.

In light of the fact that for all intents and purposes this community is entirely without moderators who can deal with spam and delete spam accounts, here is what we should do with spammers: We should make this place as uninviting as possible for spammers, a place where they are entirely ignored.

The more of us who follow the non-engagement plan, the less inviting we will become.

If you think this plan will work, please feel free to pass it along. The more times this is re-blogged, the more active members will see it --and maybe even a few spammers.

I've been thinking about this.

Spam is the bane of our existence. We all hate it. We all want it to go away.

Spammers love our attention, whether it be positive or negative. The more we respond to spammers, the happier they are and the more they want to keep posting here.

In light of the fact that for all intents and purposes this community is entirely without moderators who can deal with spam and delete spam accounts, here is what we should do with spammers: We should make this place as uninviting as possible for spammers, a place where they are entirely ignored.

1. DO NOT respond to them. Do not add a comment to any discussion.Do not comment on any post. Do not engage. Period. (Yes, I know this is hard but don't do it! Not even to warn others that we have a new spammer; we are smart enough to figure it out for ourselves.)

2. DO NOT block them unless they are following you, because to block them you have to follow them first and following is engaging.

3. The only reason to visit a spammy looking discussion is to change the notification setting to "no notifications" -- and then only when you receive a notification. Out of sight, out of mind.

4. Check your follower page regularly and block spammers.

5. DO NOT keep returning to spam discussions. Do not add to the visitor count. Do not feed the spammer ego. Make this place as unfriendly as possible.

The more of us who follow the non-engagement plan, the less inviting we will become.

If you think this plan will work, please feel free to pass it along. The more times this is re-blogged, the more active members will see it --and maybe even a few spammers.

In no particular order, books (of all genres, except for artist biographies)* that I love where music plays an important role:

Thomas Mann: Dr. Faustus

Mann's gut-punch take on Faustian bargains; in this instance, by a composer who pays the price of syphilis-induced madness for a few years of success -- and whose deal with the devil simultaneously symbolizes that of the German people with Adolf Hitler.

Peter Shaffer: Amadeus

The play that reached an even wider audience when adapted for the screen by Miloš Forman: all about the punk rock genius of classical music and his rival, the "patron saint of mediocrity", Antonio Salieri.

Martin Goldsmith: The Inextinguishable Symphony

Goldsmith's biography of his musician parents (and their families), who met in Nazi Germany and, after much hardship, eventually managed to emigrate to the U.S. and establish a new life for themselves and their children there.

Colum McCann: Dancer

McCann's novelized biography of Rudolf Nureyev -- from the time before McCann moved to the U.S. and went all politically correct.  Lyrical, muscular and visually powerful prose to match the art of its protagonist.

Sharon Maas: Speech of Angels

The story of a musically gifted orphan who is taken to Europe from the streets of Bombay and has to find out who she is (Indian, European or ...?) and what exactly music means to her life. 

Ellis Peters: The Sanctuary Sparrow

A young musician takes sanctuary in the abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul after having falsely been accused of murder, and it is up to Brother Cadfael to find out what really happened.

Peter Grainger: An Accidental Death

Music may not exactly be central to the mystery, but blues music is definitely key to the protagonist's (D.C. Smith's) personality.

Anne Rice: Cry to Heaven and Violin

Cry to Heaven, a novel set in the world of the baroque castrati, just might be the best thing Rice ever wrote (when she was still listening to her editors).  Violin was the last book of hers that I liked; it occasionally borders on the melodramatic, but the translation of the (autobiographically-based) mental anguish of losing a loved one into music is by and large very well done.

... and Ngaio Marsh's mysteries set either in the world of opera or otherwise involving (performances set to) music:

     * Overture to Death

     * Death and the Dancing Footman

     * Off With His Head (aka Death of a Fool)

     * Photo Finish

Honorary mention to two movies (and screenplays) focusing on music:

     * Jane Campion: Piano

     * Andrée Corbiau: Farinelli

... and to the movies which I discovered and / or love twice as much solely because Mark Knopfler (fomerly of Dire Straits) wrote the score:

     * Local Hero

     * The Princess Bride

     * Cal

_______________

* If I'd include artist and composer biographies, this list would be endless.

(Task: Music is an important part of a Kwanzaa celebration.  Which is / are your favorite book(s) where music plays an important role in the plot?)

Now, this one really is a no-brainer.  The one Discworld subseries I'd like to spend some time in is the Witches -- simply because any place that includes (and listens to the opinions of) Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick just has to be worth looking into.  And I guess being ruled by a Duke who has had his moral frame of reference and his sense of decency shaped by being the former ruler's fool (and butt of his jokes) can't exactly hurt, either ...

(Task: If you could spend time in the world of one of the Discworld sub-series (or one of the standalone Discworld novels), which one would you pick – and why?)

Hmmm.  Until I read Pyramids two months ago, this one would have been a no-brainer.  Then I met You Bastard ...

OK.  This may be slightly unfair, since Granny simply gets more page time than You Bastard, but:

1. Granny Weatherwax

2.  Runners-up, on an equal footing:

     * You Bastard

     * DEATH

     * Angua

     * HEX

     * The Librarian

Total badasses and hilariously funny, the lot of them -- and all of them can expose humanity's (and society's) utter inanity more effectively with a single word, facial expression or gesture than most other characters even by Pratchett himself.

ETA: AND the Librarian of course, for all of the above reasons.  How could I possibly forget the awesome Librarian of Unseen University?!

(Task: Who is your favorite Discworld character and why?)

What else?

As a Christmas book it only works so-so (there's a Christmas party somewhere in the middle, but quite a bit of stuff before and after it, which is actually much more the focus of the book than said Christmas party), but it features one world class heavyweight dragon of a matriarch, so it works perfectly as my book for International Human Rights Day.

(Task: Read a book featuring a strong female character (or characters), by an author from any minority group, a story about a minority overcoming their oppressors, or revolving around the rights of others either being defended or abused, a book set in New York City, or a book originally written in a language other than English and / or your mother tongue or by anyone not Anglo-Saxon.)

It's our last door - ::sniffle:: - I hope everyone has had a good time with the game this year and that everyone will continue to share their tasks with us throughout the rest of the holidays, as time allows.

 

Door 24:  Twelfth Night / Epiphany

 

Task 1: Prepare your favorite spicy dish or drink; share a picture and enjoy. (Sharing the recipe is optional.)

 

Task 2: Have you ever had an “epiphany” of your own, in the sense of a sudden revelation or insight? If so, share that “ah-HAH” moment with us.

 

Task 3:  George and Martha Washington were married on Twelfth Night in 1759. She wore purple silk slippers (https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/martha-washington/george-marthas-courtship/ ). In honor of the first FLOTUS, wear purple socks or slippers and share a picture of them with us.

 

Task 4:  In Ireland, Epiphany is also sometimes called “Nollaig na mBean” or Women's Christmas. Traditionally the women get the day off and men do the housework and cooking! It is becoming more popular and many Irish women now get together on the Sunday nearest Epiphany and have tea and cakes. (https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/epiphany.shtml ) Take a picture of your book for this square (Epiphany) or of the book you are currently reading with a mug of tea and snack or enjoy a cream tea.

 

Book: Read a book featuring three main characters, about traveling on a journey to a faraway place, a book that’s part of a trilogy, with a star on the cover, with the word “twelve” or “night” in the title, or concerning kings or spices.

 

NEW: Once you've completed a task or tasks, please use the handy form, located in the spoiler tags (to keep things tidy) to let us know. This will make tracking points MUCH easier for the 24 Tasks Team.

Previous door's tasks are "beneath the fold"

 

Door 20:  Christmas

 

Task 1: Share a picture of your holiday decorations.

 

Task 2: Watch a favorite Christmas movie.

 

Task 3:  Did your Christmas celebrations include books? Share your book haul pictures with us!

 

Task 4: What was the best Christmas / holiday present you ever received – the one that meant the most to you or gave you the greatest joy? (This can be anything; objects / material gifts as well as something someone did for you, or anything else – whatever made that particular holiday especially memorable.)

 

Book: Read a Christmas book.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!  

NEW: Once you've completed a task or tasks, please use the handy form, located in the spoiler tags (to keep things tidy) to let us know. This will make tracking points MUCH easier for the 24 Tasks Team.

Previous door's tasks are "beneath the fold"