R.I.P. VIII Challenge Wrap-up

November 6, 20132 Comments

I’m a bit late to the game here, but the eighth annual R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril event officially ended on October 31.

The purpose of this event was to read books that fell within the genres of mystery, suspense, thriller, dark fantasy, gothic, horror, supernatural, or anything else sufficiently dark/spooky/autumnal. I attempted Peril the First, which asked me to read at least 4 books that met the challenge criteria.

Fortunately, I managed to do a lot of perilous reading in September and October! Here’s what I read:

Links will take you to my reviews. Overall, my favorite books were The Club of Angels, Chimes at Midnight, and The Dream Thieves. My least favorite was undoubtedly Something Wicked This Way Comes.

Did you participate in R.I.P. VIII? If so, what did you read? What were your favorite and least favorite books of the challenge? (Also, don’t forget to link to your wrap-up posts here!)

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril VIII Sign-up

August 26, 201322 Comments

The long-awaited R.I.P. VIII reading event is here!

R.I.P. is a bookish event that happens every year from September 1 through October 31. To get into the spirit of fall, readers choose books that fit into one (or more) of the following genres:

Mystery.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural.
Or anything sufficiently moody that shares a kinship with the above.

One of the great things about R.I.P. is that you can pick your degree of difficulty. There are multiple levels for the challenge — including an option to read only one book that fits the criteria — and you can also choose to watch movies or read short stories within the above genres.

As you can see, I’ve chosen Peril the First, which requires me to read at least 4 books that qualify for the challenge. I am planning to read: (1) The Club of Angels by Luis Fernando Verissimo; (2) Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire; (3) A Whiff of Death by Isaac Asimov; (4) Royal Blood by Rhys Bowen; (5) The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater; (6) Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury; (7) The Roman Hat Mystery by Ellery Queen; (8) Million Dollar Baby by Amy Patricia Meade; and (9) Shadows by Robin McKinley.

Are you planning to participate in R.I.P. VIII? What are you going to read?

Once Upon a Time VII Wrap-Up

June 21, 20131 Comment

Today marks the end of Carl’s Once Upon a Time VII event, which takes place every spring and which asks participants to read books from the genres of fantasy, fairy tales, mythology, and folklore.

As always, there were many challenge levels to choose from, and I picked Quest the First: Read 5 books that fit into any of the requested genres.

I achieved my goal by reading the following:

Mary Stewart, The Crystal Cave — The first book in a series retelling the Arthurian legend from Merlin’s point of view.
Diana Wynne Jones, Fire and Hemlock — A contemporary (in the 1980s) interpretation of the folk ballads “Thomas the Rhymer” and “Tam Lin.”
Robin LaFevers, Grave Mercy — A YA historical fantasy featuring romance and convent-trained assassins.
Marie Brennan, A Natural History of Dragons– — A fantasy novel set in a world similar to 19th-century England, but with dragons.
Robin LaFevers, Dark Triumph — Book 2 of the killer nuns!

I wasn’t a big fan of The Crystal Cave, but I liked all the other books I read for this challenge! Spring is the perfect time for a little magic, in my opinion. Looking forward to Carl’s R.I.P. challenge this fall!

Once Upon a Time VII Challenge Sign-up

March 20, 2013March 20, 201310 Comments

Contrary to what the weather gods would have us believe, it’s springtime once again…which means it’s time for Carl’s annual Once Upon a Time Challenge!

The purpose of the challenge is to celebrate the joy and wonder of spring by reading books in the following four genres: fantasy, fairy tales, mythology, and folklore. There are many different ways to participate in the challenge, but I’m going to aim for Quest the First, which requires me to read 5 books that fit into the above genres.

I’m hoping at least to read Mary Stewart’s Merlin books, which would certainly fit within the mythology category. Also on my “maybe” list are The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen, Spirit’s End by Rachel Aaron, Graceling by Kristin Cashore, Child of the Prophecy by Juliet Marillier, and Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire. Looking forward to a magical spring!

Back to the Classics 2012 Challenge Wrap-Up

December 15, 2012December 15, 20122 Comments

With only two weeks to spare, I’ve finally finished the Back to the Classics Challenge hosted by Sarah Reads Too Much!

The challenge was to read nine classics, one in each of the following categories. The definition of a “classic” was kept pretty open, but I tried to limit myself to books that are widely acclaimed, frequently studied, and/or generally accepted as Western classics. Here’s what I read:

19th century classic: Jules Verne, Around the World in Eighty Days
20th century classic: Evelyn Waugh, A Handful of Dust
Reread a classic: Jane Austen, Emma
Classic play: Tennessee Williams, The Glass Menagerie
Classic mystery/horror/crime: Dashiell Hammett, The Maltese Falcon
Classic romance: Daphne Du Maurier, Jamaica Inn
Classic in translation: Aristotle, Poetics
Award-winning classic: Booth Tarkington, Alice Adams
Classic set in a country you’ll never visit: Edwin A. Abbott, Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions

My favorite book of the challenge was definitely Emma (is anyone really surprised by that?), but I also really enjoyed Around the World in Eighty Days. My least favorites were The Maltese Falcon (sorry, Dashiell!) and Jamaica Inn. I’m glad I participated in this challenge, since it gave me the motivation I needed finally to pick up some of these books!

Vintage Mysteries 2012 Challenge Completed!

December 14, 2012December 14, 20122 Comments

Today I completed the 2012 Vintage Mystery Challenge hosted by My Reader’s Block!

The challenge was to read eight vintage mysteries (published before 1960) that fit within a particular theme. I chose the “Golden Age Girls” theme, which required me to read eight vintage mysteries written by women. Here’s what I read:

Strangely enough, my favorite and least favorite books from this challenge were both by Josephine Tey! I really liked Brat Farrar, but The Man in the Queue did nothing for me. I enjoyed this challenge overall, though, and I look forward to starting the 2013 Vintage Mystery Challenge in a few short weeks!

Around the World in 12 Books Sign-up

December 6, 2012December 6, 20122 Comments

I wavered a lot before taking the plunge, but I’ve finally decided to join the Around the World in 12 Books Challenge at Giraffe Days!

The goal of this challenge is to read one book per month, with each month being dedicated to a different country or political entity. The book must be set in the assigned country, and ideally it should also be by an author from that country. Books must be literary fiction or memoirs — no genre fiction. Children’s and YA books are OK. Be sure to click the link above for additional rules and to sign up!

Here are the country assignments for this year:

JANUARY = France
FEBRUARY = Sudan
MARCH = Wales
APRIL = Fiji (Note: it’s hard to find literary fiction set in Fiji, so any kind of book is fine.)
MAY = Belgium
JUNE = South Korea
JULY = Israel
AUGUST = Palestine
SEPTEMBER = Brazil
OCTOBER = China
NOVEMBER = Egypt
DECEMBER = Argentina

Some of these will clearly be more difficult than others. I’ve already pretty much decided on what I’ll read for France (Hunting and Gathering by Anna Gavalda) and China (Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie), but I have NO CLUE about Fiji or Sudan. I guess finding an appropriate book will be part of the fun! 🙂

Historical Fiction Challenge Sign-Up

November 28, 2012November 28, 20122 Comments

It’s time to sign up for one of my favorite challenges, the 2013 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge at Historical Tapestry! Historical fiction is probably my favorite genre, and it always commandeers a large portion of my reading each year, so I’m definitely looking forward to this challenge.

The premise is simply to read a certain number of works of historical fiction in 2013. Any subgenre within historical fiction counts (historical YA, historical fantasy, etc.). A new post will appear each month where you can post your reviews for that month.

There are different “levels” of this challenge, so you can pick whatever number of books works best for you. I’m going to attempt the highest level, Ancient History, which will require me to read 25+ works of historical fiction. Hopefully I’m up to the challenge!

What’s in a Name 6: Challenge Sign-up

November 21, 2012November 27, 20122 Comments

Time to sign up for the What’s in a Name 6 Challenge at Beth Fish Reads!

This challenge asks participants to read a total of six books in 2013, one in each of the following categories:

A book with up or down (or equivalent) in the title: Deep down True, The Girl Below, The Diva Digs up the Dirt
A book with something you’d find in your kitchen in the title: Loose Lips Sink Ships, The Knife of Never Letting Go, Breadcrumbs
A book with a party or celebration in the title: A Feast for Crows, A Wedding in Haiti, Cocktail Hour under the Tree of Forgetfulness
A book with fire (or equivalent) in the title: Burning for Revenge, Fireworks over Toccoa, Catching Fire
A book with an emotion in the title: Baltimore Blues, Say You’re Sorry, Dreams of Joy
A book with lost or found (or equivalent) in the title: The Book of Lost Fragrances, The World We Found, A Discovery of Witches

Click the link above for more info and to sign up. I’m looking forward to finding clever ways to fill these categories!

Vintage Mystery 2013 Challenge: Scattergories!

November 14, 2012November 28, 20122 Comments

It’s finally time to sign up for the 2013 Vintage Mystery Challenge, hosted by Bev at My Reader’s Block!

Basically, the challenge is to read eight vintage mysteries in 2013. “Vintage” means published prior to 1960, and “mystery” includes everything from cozies to thrillers, spy yarns to police procedurals. This year, there’s a unique twist on the challenge: each book must fit within one of the enumerated categories on the sign-up page. Click the picture above to sign up and see all the categories — there are far too many to list here, which means there’s something for everyone!

Personally, I don’t know which categories I’m going to choose yet. I think I’ll just read whatever vintage mysteries look good to me, and then try to squeeze them into the appropriate categories! Georgette Heyer will almost certainly make an appearance, as will Josephine Tey — and I’ve been wanting to dive into the Nero Wolfe books…

You Book Me All Night Long

Category: Challenges

R.I.P. VIII Challenge Wrap-up

Once Upon a Time VII Wrap-Up

Back to the Classics 2012 Challenge Wrap-Up

Vintage Mysteries 2012 Challenge Completed!