Category: Reading Challenges

More challenges for 2012

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Despite saying that I wasn’t going to sign up for any more reading challenges, here are three that I couldn’t resist.

The first is the Historical Fiction Challenge hosted by the team at Historical Tapestry. The rules are as follows:

* everyone can participate, even those who don’t have a blog.

* any kind of historical fiction is accepted (HF fantasy, HF young adult,…)

* During these following 12 months you can choose one of the different reading levels:

1. Severe Bookaholism: 20 books
2. Undoubtedly Obsessed: 15 books
3. Struggling the Addiction: 10 books
4. Daring & Curious: 5 books
5. Out of My Comfort Zone: 2 books

The challenge will run from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2012.

I haven’t made a list of books, but I’m signing up for the Severe Bookaholism level. Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres and I don’t expect to have any problems completing this challenge!

The Classics Challenge is hosted by Katherine at November’s Autumn and the goal is to read seven classics in 2012. Here is what Katherine says about the challenge:

Instead of writing a review as you finish each book (of course, you can do that too), visit November’s Autumn on the 4th of each month from January 2012 – December 2012.

You will find a prompt, it will be general enough that no matter which Classic you’re reading or how far into it, you will be able to answer. There will be a form for everyone to link to their post. I encourage everyone to read what other participants have posted.

This challenge was announced a while ago but I didn’t sign up immediately because I wasn’t sure which classics I would want to read in 2012. Now that I’ve had time to think about it I’ve listed the following seven books which overlap with some of the Victorian reading I’m planning to do next year.

1. The Professor by Charlotte Brontë
2. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
3. The Small House at Allington by Anthony Trollope
4. Aurora Floyd by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
5. The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot
6. The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy
7. Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell

I might read these in a different order, and I’m sure I’ll be reading other classics too, but all seven of these books are definitely on my list for 2012.

Finally, Risa of Breadcrumb Reads is hosting a read-along of twelve of Shakespeare’s plays throughout 2012. For every play there will be discussion posts for each Act. You can find out more and sign up at the Reading Shakespeare blog.

This is another one I’ve been thinking about for a few weeks. I do have a copy of Shakespeare’s Complete Works, most of which I still haven’t read. At the start of 2010 I had set myself a personal challenge to read some of his plays throughout the year, but I only actually managed to read one. I’m hoping that signing up for Risa’s challenge will be the motivation I need.

The schedule is as follows. I’m not sure I’ll have time for all of these, but would like to join in with at least some of them.

* January — A Midsummer Night’s Dream
* February — Macbeth
* March — Henry V
* April — Much Ado About Nothing
* May — Antony and Cleopatra
* June — Richard III
* July — As You Like It
* August — King Lear
* September — Cymbeline
* October — Twelfth Night
* November — Othello
* December — Pericles

I’m not planning to sign up for any other challenges, as in addition to these three I’ve already signed up for The Victorian Challenge and War Through the Generations. I’m looking forward to January so I can get started with all of these!

Reading the Victorians in 2012

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I love Victorian classics but seem to have been neglecting them in recent months, so I’m looking forward to taking part in the 2012 Victorian Challenge hosted by Laura of Laura’s Reviews.

Here are the challenge details:

1. The Victorian Challenge 2012 will run from January 1st to December 31st, 2012. You can post a review before this date if you wish.

2. You can read a book, watch a movie, or listen to an audiobook, anything Victorian related that you would like. Reading, watching, or listening to a favorite Victorian related item again for the second, third, or more time is also allowed. You can also share items with other challenges.

3. The goal will be to read, watch, listen, to 2 to 6 (or beyond) anything Victorian items.

Laura is planning to focus on a different Victorian author for each month in 2012 and I would have liked to have done the same, but I know from experience that scheduling my reading in advance just doesn’t work for me. Therefore I’ll be taking a less structured approach to the challenge. I’ve listed below some of the books and authors I’d like to read, but I’m not planning to read them in any particular order.

The Brontës. I still have two Brontë books to read, both of them by Charlotte – Shirley and The Professor – and I’ll try to read one or both of them in 2012. I’m hoping to spend some time re-reading old favourites next year too, so could also decide to re-read either Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights. I read both of Anne’s books in 2010 and although I enjoyed them, I don’t think I’ll be reading them again in the near future.

Charles Dickens. It’s Dickens’ 200th birthday in February, which makes the beginning of 2012 the perfect time to read one of his novels. I’ve only read four of his books which leaves me with plenty to choose from. I’m thinking about Great Expectations, but could change my mind.

Thomas Hardy. I’m definitely planning to read at least one Thomas Hardy book for the challenge. I loved Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Jude the Obscure and A Pair of Blue Eyes and enjoyed Under the Greenwood Tree too. I’m not sure which one I should try next but I do want to read all of his books eventually.

Wilkie Collins. I had to include my favourite Victorian somewhere on my list! I’ve read all four of Collins’ most popular novels – The Woman in White, The Moonstone, No Name and Armadale – as well as Poor Miss Finch, Man and Wife, The Law and The Lady, A Rogue’s Life, Basil, The Dead Secret and The Haunted Hotel. If anyone has read any of his other lesser-known novels, I’d love to hear which ones you’d recommend. I do have an e-reader so will be able to download anything that’s available free online.

George Eliot. So far I’ve only read Middlemarch (and Silas Marner at school, though I can’t remember very much about it). I think I’d like to read The Mill on the Floss in 2012.

Anthony Trollope. I’m still working slowly through the Barsetshire novels and hope to finish the series in 2012 by reading The Small House at Allington and The Last Chronicle of Barset. I do also have a copy of Can You Forgive Her? the first in the Palliser series, but it’s probably too ambitious to hope that I’ll have time for that one too.

Elizabeth Gaskell. Again, I have plenty of choices as I’ve only read North and South and The Moorland Cottage so far.

Mary Elizabeth Braddon. Aurora Floyd was on my list for 2011 but I didn’t manage to find time for it. I’ll definitely try to read it next year and hopefully I’ll enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Lady Audley’s Secret and The Doctor’s Wife.

The challenge also allows books that are set during the Victorian period and I’m sure I’ll be reading some of those too.

Are there any Victorian books you think I should definitely read in 2012? Any suggestions or recommendations are welcome! Will you be reading some Victorian literature next year too?

War Through the Generations: 2012 Challenge

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I wasn’t planning to sign up for any reading challenges in 2012 but I couldn’t resist this one as it deals with a subject I was hoping to read more about next year anyway. War Through the Generations is a project created by Anna of Diary of an Eccentric and Serena of Savvy Verse and Wit who host reading challenges devoted to books about the impact of war. Previous challenges have included World War II, Vietnam and the US Civil War. The theme for 2012 will be World War I.

The challenge will run from January 1 2012 to December 31 2012.

Here are the rules, taken from the War Through the Generations blog:

This year you have options when reading your fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, etc. with the WWI as the primary or secondary theme.

Books can take place before, during, or after the war, so long as the conflicts that led to the war or the war itself are important to the story. Books from other challenges count so long as they meet the above criteria.

Dip: Read 1-3 books in any genre with WWI as a primary or secondary theme.

Wade: Read 4-10 books in any genre with WWI as a primary or secondary theme.

Swim: Read 11 or more books in any genre with WWI as a primary or secondary theme.

Additionally, we’ve decided that since there are so many great movies out there about WWI, you can substitute or add a movie or two to your list this year and have it count toward your totals.

I’ve signed up for the Wade level as I’m sure I should be able to include at least four WWI-related books in next year’s reading, though I haven’t decided yet which books I would like to read. Anna and Serena have put together a recommended reading list (which you can find on the challenge blog) and I’ll probably read a few of those. I also received some WWI fiction recommendations in the comments on my recent review post of Blow on a Dead Man’s Embers (thanks to everyone who commented on that post, by the way!) so I have plenty of books to choose from.

If you’re interested in signing up for this challenge please see the War Through the Generations blog for more information – and let me know if you’re planning to participate too!

R.I.P VI is here!

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I’ve been trying not to sign up for any more reading challenges, but I knew I’d have to make an exception for the R.I.P. challenge. This was my favourite of all the challenges I participated in last year and I’ve been looking forward to taking part again this year. If you’re interested in joining in too, please see the R.I.P. VI blog post at Stainless Steel Droppings!

There are several different levels (or perils) to choose from and I’m signing up for Peril the First. This means reading four books that could be classified as:
Mystery.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural.

I’ve listed below some of the books I’m thinking about reading. I’m not expecting to read all of these and it’s also possible that I’ll decide to read some other books that aren’t on my list.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley – I was meaning to read this for R.I.P last year but didn’t have time. I’m making it a priority for this year as it’s one of those books I feel I really should have read before now.

A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley – I enjoyed the first two books in the Flavia de Luce series and am hoping the third one will be just as good.

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux – I’ve seen very mixed opinions of this book, so I think it’s time I tried it for myself.

The Quarry by Johan Theorin – This is the third in a series of spooky Swedish crime novels. I loved the first two so I’ve been looking forward to this one.

The White Devil by Justin Evans – I noticed this book appearing on a lot of American blogs a few months ago and I’ll finally get a chance to read it now that it’s being published in the UK.

Uncle Silas by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu – I read some of Le Fanu’s short stories earlier in the year and can’t wait to read this gothic novel.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson – Another book I can’t believe I still haven’t read!

Florence and Giles by John Harding – I hadn’t even heard of this book until recently. It’s described as a gothic thriller and sounds like something I would love.

Awakening by S.J. Bolton – I loved her first book, Sacrifice, and immediately bought two more of her books but haven’t had a chance to read them yet. I could either read this one or Blood Harvest.

Have you read any of these? What are you reading for this year’s RIP?

I’m part of the Transworld Book Group!

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It’s time for the latest reading challenge from Transworld! Like their previous challenges (which included the 2010 Summer Reading Challenge and the Great Transworld Crime Caper) this one is open to EU residents only. You can choose four books from a list of fifteen and as you review each book, Transworld will send you the next one.

Here’s the list:

1. The Sandalwood Tree by Elle Newmark
2. Black Swan Rising by Lee Carroll
3. The Secrets Between Us by Louise Douglas
4. Teacher, Teacher! by Jack Sheffield
5. Death Sentence by Mikkel Birkegaard
6. Crippen by John Boyne
7. Caligula by Douglas Jackson
8. Twelve by Jasper Kent
9. The Obscure Logic of the Heart by Priya Basil
10. Nothing But Trouble by Rachel Gibson
11. The Colour of Death by Michael Cordy
12. Odin’s Mission by James Holland
13. Legacy by Danielle Steel
14. The Water Room by Christopher Fowler
15. The Bomber by Liza Marklund

If you live in the EU and you’d like to take part, all you need to do is leave a comment on Transworld’s blog, Between the Lines, and they will contact you to ask for your book selections and address.

So which books did I choose?


The Sandalwood Tree by Elle Newmark


The Secrets Between Us by Louise Douglas


The Water Room by Christopher Fowler


The Obscure Logic of the Heart by Priya Basil

Who else is taking part in this? What do you think of my choices?

Historical Fiction Challenge 2011

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I’ve been hoping someone would be hosting an historical fiction challenge next year, and here it is! This is the third 2011 reading challenge I’m signing up for and will probably be the last, unless I come across any others that I can’t resist.

The challenge is hosted by Historical Tapestry and will run from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2011. There are five different levels to choose from.

1. Severe Bookaholism: 20 books
2. Undoubtedly Obsessed: 15 books
3. Struggling the Addiction: 10 books
4. Daring & Curious: 5 books
5. Out of My Comfort Zone: 2 books

I’m signing up at the Severe Bookaholism level. Although I don’t read as much historical fiction as I used to, it’s still one of my favourite genres and I’m sure I’ll easily be able to read at least 20 in 2011. If you want to participate in this challenge too you can sign up here.

Gaskell Reading Challenge

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I know I said I would be signing up for as few challenges as possible in 2011, but when I came across this Elizabeth Gaskell challenge I knew I wouldn’t be able to resist it. I still haven’t read anything by Gaskell, apart from one of her short stories (The Manchester Marriage, which appeared in the book A House to Let), and I definitely want to read some of her novels next year.

The challenge is hosted by Gaskell Blog and you can sign up here. I need to read a minimum of two works between January and June 2011. Any recommendations? I’m thinking about North and South and Cranford.