Tag: Reading Challenges

2013 Reading Challenges – First Update

On By cherylmahoneyIn Ruminations6 Comments

Three months into the year already?  Really?  Must be time for an update on reading challenges…

All links go to reviews, and if you’re curious about any unreviewed books, just ask!

The Chunkster Challenge

In my efforts to overcome my fear of long books, I’m trying to read some of the LOOONG books I’ve been putting off…

1) Walden by Henry David Thoreau–on audio, but I’m counting it

2) Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (reviews Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3)

My March Chunkster plans went awry when I discovered Good Omens is not nearly as long as I always thought!  I’m set up for more chunksters though, as I read The Hobbit as a prelude to Lord of the Rings.  I’m also midway through The House on Durrow Street by Galen Beckett, which comes in at nearly 700 pages.

FTSRC

Finishing the Series

I’m continuing to work through series, after great efforts last year to reduce my number of partially-read series.  I’m making a more reduced attempt in 2013, and have made some progress…

1) The Pink Carnation series by Lauren Willig
Total books: 9 (to date)
When I began the series: February, 2011
Read prior to 2013: 7
Read in 2013: The Orchid Affair
Still to read: One book, though another’s due out in August

2) Ender’s Game series by Orson Scott Card
Total books: 6
When I began the series: February, 2012
Read prior to 2013: 1
Read in 2013: Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide
Still to read: Three books

3) The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
Total books: 2 (to date)
When I began the series: June, 2012
Read prior to 2013: 1
Read in 2013: Scarlet
Status: Up to date!

Books to Reread

Revisiting Old Friends

I have also been resolving to reread some beloved books, and have raided my own bookshelves here and there.  Some revisited favorites include:

1) Pat of Silver Bush and Mistress Pat by L. M. Montgomery

2) A Voice from the Border by Pamela Smith Hill

3) Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey

4) Star Trek: Federation by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens

5) Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

6) Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

7) Chalice by Robin McKinley

Stainless Steel Droppings: Carl’s “Experiences”

I had an excellent time with the January-February Sci Fi Experience, and went through a big stack of books.  Read my wrap-up post here.  In late March we launched the Once Upon a Time “Challenge,” and I’m already making my way through multitudes of fantasy.  I’ll post a complete list at the end of the challenge.

So far, it’s been a more low-key year in challenges…but I’ve been reading some excellent books in the process!

Springing Into Fantasy

On By cherylmahoneyIn Ruminations31 Comments

Today marks the launch of spring–and of the Once Upon a Time Reading Experience, hosted by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings.  This will be my third year participating, and I’ve been looking forward to joining in again.  If someone was going to design a reading challenge around my favorite kinds of books…it would look a lot like this one.  I mean, fantasy with an emphasis on fairy tales!  That’s what I read (and what I write too).

I’ve been telling myself that I’ll make progress on my To Be Read list over the next three months, since so many of the books on it are fantasy.  This, of course, ignores that fact that I’ll probably add tons of wonderful new books too…but shhh, let’s not talk about that right now!

I have far too many books that fall into this Experience to list them all here, but I’ll give you a few initial ideas…

~ Stardust by Neil Gaiman, for the group read-along

~ Chalice by Robin McKinley, which I started yesterday…but close enough

~ Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George (a reread) and its once-removed sequel, Princess of the Silver Woods (because I already read the immediate sequel, Princess of Glass)

~ The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, to get me set up for the real challenge…

~ The Lord of the Rings trilogy–or at least a good attempt at them

~ Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, because…Pratchett and Gaiman!  How have I not already read this?

~ The House on Durrow Street and The Master of Heathcrest Hall by Galen Beckett, as I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the trilogy, The Magicians and Mrs. Quent

~ The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley, which I read SO long ago that I’ve completely forgotten them, and now I feel like they’re a gap in my McKinley reading

~ More installments of the Sevenwaters Series by Juliet Marillier, part of my goal to complete series

And, oh, so many, many random fantasy novels…really, the list above barely scratches the surface!  Well, scratches it, maybe, but not so far as a dent.  So, I’m not worrying too much about which books I read, or how many, or which Quests they fit into.  I’ll just toss lots of books into the air (metaphorically) and let them fall where they will.  I hope you’ll come along for the fun!

Sailing For the Stars in 2013

On By cherylmahoneyIn Ruminations17 Comments

Merry Christmas!  I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday!

13sfexpI’m also looking ahead to January–time for the Sci Fi Experience at Stainless Steel Droppings!  This will be my second year participating, and after the great time I had last year, I’ve been very much looking forward to it.  My plan in 2012 was to read old Star Wars books, new Star Trek books, and Orson Scott Card.

That’s pretty much my plan this year too.  🙂  Plus Edgar Rice Burroughs.

I went through a Star Wars period in middle school, read a lot of books, and then stopped when I got tired of mopping up the last traces of the Empire again.  I remember some books fondly though, and I’ve revisited some of them in 2012.  For the Sci Fi Experience, I specifically want to reread the Callista Trilogy, about a Jedi from the past who gets involved with Luke.

P1020254I have three unread Star Trek books on my shelf that I picked up at a library book sale several months ago, and this looks like the perfect opportunity to read them.  I also want to reread Federation, because it’s been a long time for that one.

I also have the first three books of the Pellucidar series by Edgar Rice Burroughs sitting on my shelf.  It’s the last one of his series that I haven’t read, so I’ll definitely be diving into those–pun intended, since they center around a world at the Earth’s core!

And as to Orson Scott Card, last year I read Ender’s Game and this year I plan to read its sequel, Speaker for the Dead, and then decide if I want to pursue the rest of the series.  Ender’s War (pictured) has both of the first two books, if you’re wondering.

I’m also very excited to join in with the Dragonflight group-read.  It’s a wonderful book I’ve been meaning to reread for a long time.

vintage-sf-badgeThanks to the addition of Burroughs to my plans, I’ve decided to also jump in on the Vintage Science Fiction Month hosted by Andrea at Little Red Reviewer.  The plan there is to read science fiction from pre-1979, and since I’ve got Edgar Rice Burroughs and “Star Trek Lives”-era novels, I seem to be right on track for that one too…

So.  I think that should be enough to be getting started with! 🙂

2013 Reading Challenges!

On By cherylmahoneyIn Ruminations7 Comments

We’re coming in towards the end of the year, and I’ll be posting in a couple weeks about challenge results for 2012 (must finish those last Garth Nix books…!)  Today, I’m already looking ahead to 2013–which may account for my frantic efforts to finish up 2012 goals, to clear the field for next year.

I’m trying (really!) to rein in my challenge commitments for 2013, and that’s mostly down to Challenge #1…

The Chunkster Challenge

I have a fear of long books.  Well, not a fear exactly, but there are definitely books I want to read but have put off picking up because of their size.  The logic goes something like this…if it takes me three times as long to read this book as an average book, then that’s two less books I’m reading.  And there are so MANY books to read!  So, I’m trying to reduce challenges to help me fight that issue.  And I’m joining the Chunkster Challenge…which is an annual challenge that hasn’t been posted for 2013 yet, but should be soon.

If the levels are the same again this year, I plan to officially commit to Level 2, reading 6 Chunksters, mostly because the other reading levels get more complicated in terms of length-requirements.  Privately, I’m hoping to read, or at least try, a Chunkster each month, to finally tackle some long and long-waiting books.  My rule is that if I read 100 pages and hate it, I can drop it guilt-free.  And let’s be honest…I have that rule because I plan to tackle Lord of the Rings and I’m not sure how that will go!  But I think the first book on my Chunkster list will probably be Les Miserables.  After that…we’ll see.

FTSRC

Finishing the Series

I’m joining in with the Finishing the Series challenge at Socrates’ Book Reviews for another year.  This past year, I’ve finished…well, stay tuned for my 2012 Challenge update (but it’s over ten series!)  I still have a few lingering series that I want to continue to finish up, but the scope will be much reduced (see “Chunkster Challenge” above).  I’m setting the goal at three series to finish (or catch up with, if they’re still being written), and I define a series as three or more books.

Books to Reread

Revisiting Old Friends

I have far too many beloved books on my shelves that I haven’t opened in years.  I feel like I’ve been failing to stay in touch with dear friends.  So, one of my goals for the year is to reread.  I haven’t been able to find a challenge with this focus for 2013 (if you know of one, let me know!) but I thought I’d state it as a goal here anyway.  The picture shows some of the books I hope to reread…

Stainless Steel Droppings: Carl’s “Experiences”

Some of my favorite blogging experiences have involved the reading Experiences Carl hosts throughout the year.  There’s the Science Fiction Experience in January and February, the Once Upon a Time Challenge in the spring, and Readers Imbibing Peril in the fall.  I will definitely be participating again.  Keep an eye out for a more detailed Sci Fi Experience post soon.

I think that covers my plans as of now…I’m super excited to dive in!  I’ll have an update for you on 2012 Challenges before the end of the year, and of course I hope you’ll come by throughout 2013 for updates on my new challenges!

The Graveyard Book Read-Along, Week Three

On By cherylmahoneyIn Fantasy, Juvenile, Reviews9 Comments

This month, I’m participating in a read-along of Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book, as part of R.I.P.  We’re looking at a few chapters a week, with no specific questions for each post.  This week’s discussion is on the last two chapters.  See my first post here.

So much to love in these last two chapters–and so much to be desperately sad about!  Since we’re talking about the end, there will be spoilers…  Warning duly noted, let’s jump in!

Chapter seven is practically a novella, and right from the title, “Every Man Jack,” it promises us resolutions to the arching plot of the book.  I love how this chapter ties bits and pieces together from almost every earlier, disparate chapter.  A teenage Scarlett (chapter two) comes back to town, and finds her way to the graveyard and to Bod.  She also meets Mr. Frost, a soft-spoken academic…who in a brilliant twist turns out to be the man Jack.  I love that too–and you’d think I’d remember it!  But I didn’t, so I got to be surprised again.  This is why I enjoy rereading.

Meanwhile, Silas has disappeared from the graveyard on mysterious business.  We find out that he’s with Miss Lupescu (chapter three) and other comrades in a desperate fight against a group of enemies.  And I love that we have a last stand featuring a mummy, a werewolf and (though it’s never said, it’s pretty obvious) a vampire.  I love that we get all the classic horror monsters, and in this case they get to band together and be the heroes.  Love that.  I do have to admit, though, that parts of this confused me.  It eventually becomes clear they’re fighting the Jacks, but exactly where and how…I found that muddled.

Back at the graveyard, Bod finally has to confront not only the man Jack but several of his associates, the creepy men from that rather creepy convention we saw in the Interlude.  I love their names: Jack Dandy, Jack Nimble, Jack Tar.  I don’t get Jack Ketch–is that a reference I don’t know?  I love that Bod has to use all his knowledge and friendships from growing up in the graveyard to protect himself and Scarlett–he makes use of the ghoul gate (chapter three), gets help from Liza the witch (chapter four) and ultimately uses his experience of the Sleer (chapter two) to defeat the man Jack.

I love that Bod has to really embrace who he is as a child of the graveyard–realizing that he doesn’t need to “learn” his name.  He is Nobody Owens.  He uses all that he’s learned to protect himself and his friend.  And I love that Gaiman manages to handle all the men Jack without Bod actually killing any of them.  As a writer, I know that requires much more creativity than just killing the villain.

I am desperately, desperately sad about Scarlett.  Bod felt so drawn to her, and she was his only human friend…and then she becomes afraid of him…!  It’s such a tragic twist, that in the process of embracing his own identity and vanquishing his enemy, Bod ends up losing his friend.  He protected her, and then she rejects him for it.  I love the emotional tug of it–brilliant storytelling–while being so sad for him, and so disappointed that Scarlett couldn’t make the leap to accept him.

Chapter eight is very bittersweet as well.  Almost an epilogue chapter, Bod is growing up and that means leaving the graveyard.  It’s so sad that he can no longer see this community that he’s grown up in, while at the same time it’s exciting that he’s going to go explore the world beyond the graveyard.  The ghosts and the graveyard become a metaphor for childhood as he has to leave it behind to become an adult.

I get the metaphor, and it’s effective.  But I do wish the graveyard could still be there for him to go back to, the way some of the joys and wonder of childhood can still be found by adults.  And also, the idea of a sixteen year old boy with scarcely any experience of the world going out into the world alone–it sets off all kinds of screaming alarms in my head.  Silas, this is not responsible guardianship!  At least take him on a Grand Tour before sending him off by himself!

Though on the other hand…Bod set off into the world alone as a toddler, and made his way to the graveyard.  Now, at sixteen, he’s continuing that journey.

And I love his last exchange with Silas.  Love.

And I love to think that someday, after a long life full of lots of adventures and meeting people who won’t run away, I love to think that Bod comes back to the graveyard.

I’d also love to see a sequel about Bod’s adventures in the world.  Such potential for so much more.

In the meantime, I have thoroughly enjoyed taking a leisurely trip through this book again, and loved all the thought-provoking discussion on everyone’s blogs.  Big thank you to Carl for hosting, and to everyone for all your wonderful thoughts!