Once Upon a Time VIII Challenge Sign-up

March 20, 20146 Comments

It’s the first day of spring! The calendar says so, and even the weather is cooperating (for now)…which means it’s time for Carl’s annual Once Upon a Time Challenge!

But while it may be called a “challenge,” the rules are very simple: Read one or more books that fit within the genres of fantasy, fairy tales, mythology, or folklore. There are many different levels of participation, so even if you can only read one book that fulfills the criteria, you should still join!

I’m going to attempt Quest the First, which requires me to read five books. I’m not 100% sure what I’ll read, but possibilities include The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman, Transformations by Anne Sexton, and The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold.

Historical Fiction 2014 Challenge Sign-up

January 2, 2014Leave a comment

A new year means a new historical fiction challenge hosted by Historical Tapestry!

The goal is very simple: read a certain number of historical fiction books in 2014. Any subgenre is welcome, including YA, fantasy, and mystery. There are several levels for this challenge, and I’m once again going to attempt Ancient History (at least 25 books). As always, I have tons of historical fiction on my TBR list, so my goal shouldn’t be too hard to accomplish! Click here for more information and to sign up.

Historical Fiction 2013 Challenge Wrap-up

December 27, 20137 Comments

The 2013 Historical Fiction Challenge at Historical Tapestry isn’t officially over until December 31, but since I know I won’t be reading any more historical fiction this year, I’m doing my wrap-up post a little early.

I chose to complete the Ancient History level of this challenge, which required me to read 25 or more books of historical fiction. Any subgenre of HF was welcome, including YA, fantasy, mystery, and romance. Here’s what I read:

Since historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, it was easy for me to complete this challenge. I read books whose settings ranged from the 12th century to the 1980s, and I really enjoyed most of them! Perhaps next year I’ll aim for 40 works of historical fiction. 🙂

Around the World in 12 Books Challenge Wrap-up

December 20, 20132 Comments

With less than two weeks to spare, I have completed the Around the World in 12 Books Challenge at Giraffe Days!

The goal was to read a book for each of the 12 selected countries, one per month, and here’s what I read:

January (France) — Anna Gavalda, Hunting and Gathering
February (Sudan) — Tayeb Salih, The Wedding of Zein
March (Wales) — Peter Ho Davies, The Welsh Girl
April (South Pacific Islands) — Jill Shalvis, The Trouble with Paradise
May (Belgium) — Dorothy Dunnett, Niccolò Rising
June (South Korea) — Samuel Park, This Burns My Heart
July (Israel) — Etgar Keret, Suddenly, a Knock on the Door
August (Palestine) — Matt Beynon Rees, The Collaborator of Bethlehem
September (Brazil) — Luis Fernando Verissimo, The Club of Angels
October (China) — Dai Sijie, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
November (Egypt) — Mary Doria Russell, Dreamers of the Day
December (Argentina) — Adolfo Bioy Casares, Asleep in the Sun

This was a really interesting challenge for me, since I normally stick to British and American authors. I enjoyed reading outside my geographical comfort zone and will make an effort to read more globally in the future.

My favorite books from the challenge were Hunting and Gathering, a charming love story with depth; The Wedding of Zein, which seemed both specific to Sudan and yet also universal; and The Club of Angels, which was bizarre and sinister and philosophical — but funny! On the other hand, I didn’t particularly enjoy The Welsh Girl, and I HATED Niccolò Rising!

Anyway, I won’t be participating in this challenge next year — I think I’ve already overcommitted myself! — but if you’re interested in broadening your literary horizons, the sign-up post for 2014 is here (and there are some format changes, so take note!).

What’s in a Name 2014 Challenge Sign-up

December 10, 2013December 10, 20132 Comments

Time to sign up for next year’s What’s in a Name Challenge, hosted by The Worm Hole!

The rules are simple: Read a book for each one of the designated categories sometime in 2014:

A reference to time (Eleven Minutes, Before Ever After)
A position of royalty (The People’s Queen, The Last Empress, The Curse Of The Pharaoh)
A number written in letters (The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, A Tale Of Two Cities)
A forename or names (Rebecca, Eleanor & Park, The Unfinished Work Of Elizabeth D.)
A type or element of weather (Gone With The Wind, Red Earth Pouring Rain)

Categories and examples are taken verbatim from the host’s web page.

I have really enjoyed this challenge in the past, and I’m looking forward to finding titles for each one of these categories! Click here for more information and to sign up.

2014 Monthly Motifs Challenge Sign-up

November 11, 20132 Comments

What do you know, I found another 2014 challenge that looks like fun! This one’s called the Monthly Motifs Challenge, hosted by Bookmark to Blog:

The challenge host has picked a different theme for each month, and the goal is to read at least one book per month that fits that month’s theme. Here are the motifs (taken verbatim from the challenge sign-up post):

Jan- Around the World
Choose a book to read that takes place in a country different than the one you live in or choose a book written by an author that is from a country different than your own.

Feb- Award Winner
Read a book that has won recognition or a literary award. Here’s a list of literary awards to help you get started on your search: Literary Awards.

Mar- Fairy tales or Fairy Creatures
Read a fairy tale retelling or a book with fey/fairies in it.

Apr- Short & Sweet
Read a collection of short stories or anthologies.

May- Mystery, Murder, & Mayhem
Read a murder/mystery book, a book in which someone dies of mysterious causes, or a book in which a mystery must be solved.

June- A Long Journey
Read a book in which the character(s) take a trip, go on a quest, or find themselves on a journey toward something, etc.

July- Assassins, Warriors, & Rebels
Read a book in which the main character is one of these things or fights against one of these things.

Aug- Alternate Reality
Read a book that’s set in the future, on another planet, in another dimension, or in an unknown world. A Dystopian book will count this month as well.

Sep- Book to Movie
Read a book that has a movie based off of it. For an extra challenge, see the movie as well.

Oct- The Witching Hour
There’s been a lot of zombies lately, but this year include a ‘witchy’ book in your scary reads- a book about a witch or a book that has witches in it.

Nov- An Oldie but a Goodie
Pick a book published before 2000 that you’ve always wanted to read, but just never got to. Or pick a book set in the past (before 2000).

Dec- That’s a Wrap
Finish a series you’ve been meaning to finish or read the next book in a series you started but never finished.

I’ve definitely got some ideas for most (if not all) of these motifs already! If you’re interested, go here to get more info and sign up!

2014 TBR Pile Challenge Sign-up

November 11, 20132 Comments

As someone whose TBR pile is out of control, I think the 2014 TBR Pile Reading Challenge will be not only fun, but necessary!

The basic idea is to read books that have been sitting on your shelves unread for a while. Pretty much everything counts, as long as it’s something you owned before January 1, 2014. There are many levels for this challenge, and I’m going to aim for “First Kiss,” which entails reading 21-30 books from my TBR shelves. It looks like there will be monthly discussion posts and an opportunity to win prizes, so click here for more information and to sign up!

Vintage Mystery Bingo Sign-up

November 11, 20135 Comments

Once again, it’s that special time of year…time to sign up for next year’s reading challenges! And my first pick for 2014 is one of my favorites, the vintage mystery challenge hosted by Bev at My Reader’s Block.

Every year, the basic idea is the same: Read a bunch of vintage mysteries, with “vintage” being defined as anything published before 1960. But every year, Bev spices things up a bit with some sort of interesting twist on the theme. This year, challenge participants will be playing BINGO on either the Golden Age card, the Silver Age card, or both! Click here to see the cards, get more information about the challenge, and sign up!

I’m going to commit to a fairly simple challenge: one straight-line BINGO (either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) on the Golden Age card.

It will be a challenge, but I’ve got a lot of vintage mysteries on the TBR list for 2014! I know I’ll be starting off the year with Rex Stout’s Fer-de-Lance, which could work for a number of spaces. Beyond that, I’ll just have to see how it goes!

What’s in a Name 6 Challenge Wrap-up

November 10, 20132 Comments

I’ve completed the What’s in a Name 6 Challenge at Beth Fish Reads!

The goal was to read 6 books, one in each of the categories below. Here’s what I read:

Up or down (or equivalent): Niccolò RISING by Dorothy Dunnett
Something you’d find in your kitchen: The CRYSTAL Cave by Mary Stewart — I was thinking fancy crystal glassware here
Party or celebration: The WEDDING of Zein by Tayeb Salih
Fire (or equivalent): FIRE and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones
Emotion: LONESOME Dove by Larry McMurtry
Lost or found (or equivalent): They FOUND Him Dead by Georgette Heyer

My favorite read for this challenge was probably Fire and Hemlock, although Lonesome Dove and The Wedding of Zein were also very good. On the other hand, I couldn’t stand Niccolò Rising! But I like this challenge because it’s completely based on titles rather than content, which is pretty unique among reading challenges. Hopefully it will continue next year, in which case I’ll most likely sign up!

2013 Vintage Mysteries Challenge Wrap-up

November 10, 20132 Comments

I recently completed the annual Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge at My Reader’s Block! The general goal is to read mysteries published before 1960, and this year’s twist was to fit them within certain pre-arranged categories, à la Scattergories.

Here’s what I read, along with a brief explanation of why each book fits within its specified category:

World Traveler: Patricia Moyes, Dead Men Don’t Ski — Set in the Italian Alps.
Repeat Offenders: Georgette Heyer, Death in the Stocks — Because I love me some Heyer!
Murderous Methods: Anthony Berkeley, The Poisoned Chocolates Case — Makes me think twice about eating food I get in the mail…
Staging the Crime: Michael Innes, Hamlet, Revenge! — An amateur performance of Hamlet turns deadly.
Country House Criminals: Georgette Heyer, Behold, Here’s Poison — I love a good English country house murder!
Murder Is Academic: Isaac Asimov, A Whiff of Death — Chemistry professors and their murderous impulses.
Yankee Doodle Dandy: Ellery Queen, The Roman Hat Mystery — New York, New York, it’s a hell of a town.
Malicious Men: Georgette Heyer, They Found Him Dead — Only male victims in this one!

I really enjoyed my reading for this challenge! The Roman Hat Mystery was probably my least favorite read, but I still liked it — and The Poisoned Chocolates Case in particular was absolutely wonderful! Can’t wait to sign up for the 2014 Vintage Mystery Challenge…you’ll probably be seeing that post in the next day or two! 🙂

You Book Me All Night Long

Category: Challenges

Historical Fiction 2013 Challenge Wrap-up

Around the World in 12 Books Challenge Wrap-up

What’s in a Name 6 Challenge Wrap-up

2013 Vintage Mysteries Challenge Wrap-up