Updates
12/27/2018: Completed Tasks 1, 2, 3.
Task 1
“Africa” was originally the name of the Roman province originating from the North African empire of Carthage, which was mythologically founded by Queen Dido and blossomed into Ancient Rome’s only lasting opponent and nemesis (until it was finally conquered by Rome in the Punic Wars). So: who are your five favorite book heroes and their respective nemeses?
-- COMPLETED 12/27/2018 --
1. Carswell Thorne vs Queen Levana / The Lunar Chronicles series -- I don't know if he would be considered a hero in other people's eyes, and obviously he wasn't the only hero in this series, but I see him as a hero, helping to fight against the evil Queen Levana. He was my favorite hero in this series!
2. Verity Price vs The Covenant / InCryptid series -- Okay, I know that The Covenant is this big, faceless enemy with an organization of members. But I still think this one is apt. Especially in the second book, as Verity fights for her life as well as the lives of all her cryptid friends and family.
3. Ella vs The Gift of Obedience / Ella Enchanted -- I think this was a pretty significant opponent for our young heroine of the infamous Ella Enchanted. She fights and she fights hard to find loopholes around her gift/curse that makes her obey every command given to her. Even without her willful breaking of the curse on her own at the end, every little rebellious act she does against the gift of obedience was great!
4. Dashti vs Lord Khasar / Book of a Thousand Days -- I'm actually not sure who to put down as the actual nemesis for Dashit, as she spent a good part of the book fighting against a lot of things: her lady's stubborn slothfulness, the outside world's status quo... But Lord Khasar indeed looms as a physical enemy who endangers both her and her lady's livelihoods, so I figure it's fitting.
5. Nobody Owens vs the man Jack / The Graveyard Book -- The man Jack wasn't much of a presence in this book, but he was the ultimate enemy of Bod, the only obstacle keeping him from leaving the Graveyard and living a normal life as he should, no matter that Bod seemed to love his life the way it is with all his family of the Graveyard.
Task 2
In Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose, the “Finis Africae” is the hidden center of the labyrinth which constitutes the monastery’s library, protected by a number of intricate, misdirecting devices. Tell us: Where have you recently encountered clever misdirection or a labyrinthine plot in a book?
-- COMPLETED 12/27/2018 --
To be honest, I don't know if this book would count as clever misdirection, but the entire plot of the story and the conclusion certainly had me flabbergasted. I never really saw any of that coming. O.O And while I'm still totally conflicted about how I felt about that ending... well, in a way, I'm rather impressed with it.
Especially while listening to the audio book... Hugh Fraser handled that transition very, very well.
Task 3
Tell us: If you could travel to Africa (for those living on the African continent: to a part of Africa that you don’t know yet): Where would you want to go?
-- COMPLETED 12/27/2018 --
I thought about saying Egypt, for the obvious reason of being interested in Egyptian culture, pyramids, the like. But I recently watched a Chinese travel show that took the hosts to Morocco, and it was an extremely interesting presentation, so now I'm interested in Morocco as well. The shopping districts and a lot of the Moroccan architecture looked like it would be wonderful to see in person. There were even a lot of sights that were breathtakingly beautiful.
Task 4
Have a meal involving vegetables (= crops) and / or corn, or another form of traditional Kwanzaa dinner. Recipe suggestions here: https://kwanzaaculinarians.com/
-- SKIPPING --
No reason. Just skipping.
Book Task
Read a book set in Africa or the Caribbean; OR by an African, Caribbean, or African-American author; OR a book with a green, red, or black cover.
-- SEARCHING --
Don't know yet...
6
9
