A-Z Author Challenge

This is the official blog entry for the A-Z Author Challenge, to be updated each time a book is completed. We're going out of the order now, because it'll take a lot longer, due to books for school and stuff like that.  These will be updated as they are read. Once we complete it, a new blog post will be posted with all the books. 

Kat:

A - I, Robot - Isaac Asimov

B - The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories - Tim Burton 

C - Breakfast At Tiffany's - Truman Capote 

D

E - American Psycho - Bret Easton Ellis 

F

G

H

I

J - Suite Scarlett - Maureen Johnson

K

L

M - Atonement - Ian McEwan 

N

O - Black Water - Joyce Carol Oates 

P

Q

R

S - The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - Muriel Spark; Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck

T - A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole 

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

Gemma:

A - The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom

B - Peter Pan - J.M. Barrie 

C - All American Girl: Ready Or Not - Meg Cabot 

D

E

F

G

H

I

J - Suite Scarlett - Maureen Johnson 

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

[Categorised] Film, Television and Theatre

The following goals fit into the realms of Film, Television and Theatre, not including musicals. Musicals are listed into the Song and Dance category. Links are not available for the following goals, because I am using Google Chrome and it won't paste them like Firefox did. The list can, however, be found here: http://www.listsofbests.com/list/58642

Have a movie marathon
Watch the extended version of all 3 LOTR movies back-to-back-to-back
be an audience member for a TV show taping
Go to a drive in theatre
Attend a film premiere
See 3 movies at the cinemas in one day
Watch the sound of music, stage and screen
Watch the Monty Python films
re-create a scene from a movie with food
watch a bollywood film
watch a movie the whole way through with the directors commentary playing
watch an Audrey Hepburn film
See an arthouse film
see an iMax movie
see a 3D film
Visit Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Be an extra in a movie
attend a film festival
perform on stage
watch cartoons as an adult
Exercise to an overeager aerobics video
see a play
Attend the midnight showing of a film
Attend a movie marathon at the cinemas
go to New Zealand and experience the LOTR tour
Attend the taping of a game show
watch a foreign film in a theatre
see a Shakespeare play
Attend the Shakespeare Festival in Oregon.
Go to a theatre restaurant
Visit the Globe Theatre
go to a live comedy show
attend a Star Wars Convention
watch all six episodes of Star Wars back to back
Dress up as a character from a film at its first showing (E.g. Harry Potter)
go to the movies alone

That's all the film/television/theatre related goals I could locate.  If I've missed any, I'll edit it later, once I've finished the other categories.  I already know there's a couple of food and music ones that were accidentally missed the last time around. 

[Categorised] Song and Dance.

A list of the goals that involve music in some way, or dance. Generally, dance goes with music, so that is assumed.

Once again, clicking on the links below will take you to www.43things.com, a goal oriented site which is lots of fun, and part of the inspiration behind this project.

dance like no one is watching
See a Broadway musical, on Broadway
do karaoke
karaoke in Japan
Dance in the rain
Sing in the rain
Own a band t-shirt.
ballroom dance
go see an opera
line dance
karaoke to the spice girls
Buy a michael jackson cd
See a musical
be in a play/musical
Buy a CD of a genre I don't listen to often
dance a hora
teach a child a song
go backstage at a music event
randomly perform a duet with someone in a public place so that EVERYONE can hear
learn to dance the Nutbush
Do the macarena
Sing a Beatles song in the subway
tap dance
go christmas caroling
take a dance class
go to a jazz concert
See Cirque du Soleil
see a world music festival
do the thriller dance
mosh at a rock concert
Let go and Rock out to an Air Guitar
See a Wizard Rock band live
See a Trock band live
See Disney on ice
Go see the Rocky Horror Picture show
go to the ballet
Sing and dance along to a musical film in my living room
make a music video
Go to the Country Music Festival in Tamworth
Visit The Cleveland Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame
Sing Umbrella under an Umbrella, in the rain
Listen to 70s-90s pop music while miming into hairbrushes and wearing pjs
Go to a children's concert

The rest of the list can be found here: Steven Jay Schneider - 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die

Suggestions welcome, we need a few.

[Categorised] Reading & Writing.

The following list of goals are those goals on the list that relate to reading or writing. Looking through the list earlier, I noticed a fair few of them. Therefore, they have to have their own list.
Once again, clicking on the links below will take you to www.43things.com, a goal oriented site which is lots of fun, and part of the inspiration behind this blog.

Read 10 Classic Novels
write a song
write a book
Spend a whole day reading a great novel.
Write a will
write a love letter
join a book club
find a bookcrossing book
make a list of 5 people who have positively influenced me and write them all letters
write a letter to Santa and send it
learn how to write my name in japanese
read a manga
read a marvel comic book
Leave a letter in a library book for someone else to find
Leave a letter in a book at a bookstore for someone to buy
write a poem
listen to an audio book
read Shakespeare
write a play/screenplay and attempt to have it produced
Leave a good book somewhere public
Do the A-Z author challenge
Read a cheesy romance novel
Get someone to read and enjoy your favourite book
have a conversation with a popular published author
Sit in a coffee shop and read
Visit the largest library in the world.
Visit the world's largest bookstore
Attend a reading of a book by a favourite author
attend a poetry reading

Find the whole list here: Kat & Gem's "1001 things to do before you die"

[Categorised] Cooking, Food & Beverages

The following is a list of goals relating to cooking, food and beverages. Or eating, in the case of the tenth goal down. This is the first of several blogs that will categorise those on the list, making it easier to see them all in one go. Hopefully this will help in aide Gemma and I to pick the next goals we do. Clicking on the goal will take you to its page on www.43things.com, a goal oriented site. From there you can sign up, or if you have an account, and you've completed the goal, you can check it off!

bake a cake
bake a cheesecake
bake cookies
make sushi
bake bread
try raw fish sushi
have oreos and milk together
grow my own vegetables
ask to see the menu when ordering pizza by phone
eat snow
Go Vegetarian/Vegan for a week/month
Eat a supersized meal at mcdonalds
Try caviar
eat at an american diner
bake something for a bake sale
Roast marshmallows
attempt to order a pizza at mcdonalds
try ten different cheeses
try prawns
make a great pizza from scratch
make lemonade
drink hot chocolate
Try various types of sea food
eat fries in france
eat french toast in france
eat at a Hard Rock Cafe
drink milk right after milking it
either drink tea or eat scones in england
eat chocolate covered strawberries
Try Wasabi
Take a cooking class
try blood pudding
eat tacos in mexico
visit a chocolate factory
eat veggie meat
Eat a candied mint leaf
Pick Apples
bake ANZAC cookies
Eat Squid
pick strawberries
Go to a potato farm
Join a food related club
try green tea
try green tea ice cream
drink milk straight from the carton
learn to make chocolate in Belgium
Have afternoon tea at the Ritz
pig out at a buffet
Go a month without junk food
eat gelato in Rome
Eat with chopsticks
Drink out of a watermelon half
Offer someone Pez
Make home made ice-blocks
Make sausages in Germany
Have a bowl of Lucky Charms
decorate a cake
Buy ice cream from an Ice Cream truck
Bake and decorate delicious cupcakes.
cook a 3 course meal
Make mocktails
Make milkshakes
learn to make soup from scratch
eat fish and chips in england
Have a massive brunch with friends
Get pizza delivered
Eat cheese in a cheese shop in Amsterdam
make chocolate
eat at the world's largest McDonalds
eat Krispy Kreme donuts
Go to a Starbucks in a busy NYC street
Stomp grapes in a vineyard
Go to a café in France
Have pancakes on Pancake Day
make s'mores
squeeze my own orange juice
eat Peking Duck
Go to the most expensive restaurant in town
Visit a brewary
Eat a full english breakfast (preferably in England)
Make my own easter eggs
Visit the world's largest candy store
make a pie
Cook Christmas dinner
Take a wine tasting class
Eat yoghurt in Switzerland
make my own cheese
make candles
Eat Spaghetti in Italy
Go to a sea food restaurant that overlooks the ocean
eat Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream
Eat at a sushi train
try oysters
make fudge
Dine in a restaurant owned by a famous celebrity
eat at a revolving restaurant
eat a candy apple.
Walk thru a Drive thru
Eat a blenderised happy meal
Have a cold rock ice-cream

If there's any more you think we should add, leave your suggestions in the comments. We still have about 150 spaces empty for goals, as we're only at 850 or so.

Find the whole list here: Kat & Gem's "1001 things to do before you die"

[Write a Novel] Completed! Well, one of us.

So, while this only counts as half way done, because Gemma has yet to do so, I am now able to say that I've written a novel.
I don't think I could have ever gotten this done without NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). To only have a month to do something like this is just a task and a half, and to get it finished feels like I've actually accomplished something worthwhile. It's not exactly an easy task, completing a novel, but I'm so glad I gave it a go and got it done.

Also, I may start categorising the goals into different categories, such as Travel, Food, Arts and Literature, Film, Music, Family, Adventure and that kind of thing. Makes it easy to discern between goals. I will categorise them on this blog, and offer links to that goal on www.43things.com

That was really all I had to say for now, and I'll start doing that one soon.

Bye!

Do The A-Z Author Challenge: Update Number 1

Now incase you don't actually know what the A-Z Author Challenge is, it involves reading 26 books, each by an author who's last name begins with a different letter of the alphabet.

Now progress currently looks like this:

Katrina -

A: I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
B: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (Currently Reading, up to page 30)

Gemma -

A: The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom


Not exactly the most amazing amount of progress, but it's definitely a start. I'm going to go ask if Gemma's currently got her B book lined up, and if not I will throw something at her head. No, I won't throw something at her head, but I will make her organise her B book, because we've got to get this show on the road.

I'm going to ask now, if I'm reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte for this goal, does it also count towards the goal 'Read 10 Classics', or should a different selection of classics be read? There's an awful lot of classics, so it's not like I'm stuck for choice.

Post a comment or twitter me (katofawesome) to tell me your opinion on that matter. I don't want people to tell me I'm cheating here.

I will keep you updated as we finish books, rather than post heaps of videos about this. We will however post one at completion of this goal, because every goal must have an associated video. That's the idea.


- Kat