Category: Phantom Challenge

The Phantom of the Opera Reading and Viewing Challenge – 2nd Update

On By cherylmahoneyIn Phantom Challenge2 Comments

It’s (somehow) July 1st, meaning we are halfway through 2020 already!  It has been a strange and unusual several months, and I hope you all are staying safe and well.  If you’ve been escaping from the weirdness of the present moment by visiting below the Opera Garnier, this post is for you!  At the halfway point of the year, it’s time to share about our Phantom of the Opera reading and viewing so far.

I started the year off with rereading Gaston Leroux’s Phantom of the Opera.  In the last few months, my Phantom focus has shifted to getting my own retelling out.  I published Nocturne (Guardian of the Opera Book 1) on June 5th, which was of course very exciting!  I’ve also recently reread Book 2 (which will be out in September!) and am currently midway through Book 3.

I’ve posted quite a few videos on Phantom topics, including a review of the 2004 Phantom of the Opera movie, starring Gerard Butler.  Check out my Phantom videos here.

Lately I also bought a Phantom-themed coloring book, and have been having a lot of fun with that.  Here’s a few photos, just because.

         

That covers my recent Phantom adventures – now I want to hear about yours! If you’d like a refresher on the challenge, check out the launch post here.  And please share in a comment below.  I look forward to seeing what you’ve been exploring this year!

The Many Versions of the Phantom of the Opera (Part Two)

On By cherylmahoneyIn Phantom Challenge3 Comments

I posted last week about different versions of the Phantom of the Opera, from Gaston Leroux to Andrew Lloyd Webber – which only brought us up to the late 1980s.  Today I’m sharing Part Two of a trip through my Phantom collection, exploring just some of the many versions that came after Webber’s play.  It really changed things in the Phantom world – and there are far more versions after it than before!

Click here if you missed Part One, and see below for Part Two with a stack of more recent Phantom of the Opera stories, including Susan Kay, Terry Pratchett, and not one but two novels where the Phantom meets Sherlock Holmes.

The Many Versions of the Phantom of the Opera (Part One)

On By cherylmahoneyIn Phantom Challenge2 Comments

I’ve shared (often!) about various versions of the Phantom of the Opera story, and I’m hosting a reading and viewing challenge this year that’s all about exploring those many different retellings and sequels.  I’ve also shared some videos visiting different portions of my bookshelves.  I recently made a video sharing and discussing my Phantom collection – or at least, part of it!

See below for Part One, because I have a big Phantom collection.  This video goes through the major versions from Gaston Leroux to Andrew Lloyd Webber, with a little about how my own version is similar or different from them.  I’ll post next week with another video on the many versions that came after Webber.  Enjoy!

2020 Reading Challenges – First-Quarter Update

On By cherylmahoneyIn Phantom Challenge, Ruminations2 Comments

Already into April, it’s time to check-in about how 2020 reading goals are going!  I hope you are all enjoying nice weather, staying safe in a weird time, and reading as much as you’d like to.

My overarching goal this year was to read more, with a number goal of 125 books.  I read a lot in January, starting me off well for the year.  I’m at a total of 32 books for the first three months of the year, though it has been dropping off.  Now that I’ve been following “stay at home” orders for a few weeks, my audiobook listening has reduced (very little driving!) and I don’t seem to be doing a lot of extra print reading…but I’m still going through some books, and wondering how long my last-minute stock-up pile from the library will last!

Here’s my monthly totals:
January: 14 books
February: 11 books
March: 7 books

Now onto the specific challenges…

The Phantom of the Opera Reading & Viewing Challenge
Host: Tales of the Marvelous
Goal: Lon Chaney Level

I already posted the check-in post for the Phantom challenge I’m hosting.  So far, I’ve reread the Gaston Leroux Phantom.  I have a modest goal for this one, so I’m currently on track.  I’m hoping to re-watch the 25th Anniversary Webber play next.  We’ll see!

Continue reading “2020 Reading Challenges – First-Quarter Update” →

The Phantom of the Opera Reading and Viewing Challenge – 1st Update

On By cherylmahoneyIn Phantom Challenge2 Comments

It’s April 1st, a quarter of the way through 2020 already, and that means it’s time for an update on Phantom reading and viewing adventures.  I hope you and yours are staying well in the midst of the pandemic situation, and maybe having time for some extra reading.  And remember – social isolation may be hard, but donning a mask and crashing chandeliers is never the answer!

I kicked off my Phantom exploration for the year with a reread of the original story, Gaston Leroux’s Phantom of the Opera.  This was my…third? fourth? time reading the book, and I enjoyed it immensely–and had lots of thoughts about the unreliability of the narration.

Read my written review of Leroux’s Phantom.

Watch my video review of Leroux’s Phantom.

If you’d like a refresher on the challenge, check out the launch post here.  And please share about your Phantom adventures so far in 2020 in a comment below.  I look forward to seeing what you’ve been exploring this year.

Shameless self-promotion: As a further update on my own retelling of the Phantom, The Guardian of the Opera: Nocturne will be out June 5th, and the cover reveal is this Friday, April 3rd.  Drop by Friday and see the awesome cover I can’t wait to share!