Monday, April 4, 2016

Read the Nobels Perpetual and 2016 Reading Challenges #ReadNobels

Started in 2007 by the book blogger behind Guiltless Reading, this challenge is a voluntary, collaborative effort that aims to bring attention to Nobel Prize Laureates and their body of work. This blog proudly follows in the tradition of other literature blogs (or litblogs) - such as the The Complete Booker, the Pulitzer Project, and the Orange Prize Project, among others - that focus on significant or international literary awards.

Nobel Prize authors I will be reading for this challenge based on books I own:

2007 - Doris Lessing
2000 - Gao Xingjian
1998 - José Saramago
1995 - Seamus Heaney
1993 - Toni Morrison
1988 - Naguib Mahfouz
1983 - William Golding
1982 - Gabriel García Márquez
1962 - John Steinbeck
1958 - Boris Pasternak
1957 - Albert Camus
1954 - Ernest Hemingway
1949 - William Faulkner
1948 - T.S. Eliot
1938 - Pearl Buck
1930 - Sinclair Lewis
1929 - Thomas Mann
1928 - Sigrid Undset
1925 - George Bernard Shaw
1923 - William Butler Yeats
1907 - Rudyard Kipling

Read the Nobels 2016

For the 2016 Read the Nobels Challenge, I'm going with level Nobel dabbler: 1 to 3 books, as we're already in the 4th month of 2016 and I don't want to go crazy. lol

I've got one book covered in April, as I'm reading Akhenaten: Dweller in Truth by Naguib Mahfouz for the Where in the World will your Nobel take you? challenge.

Some other choices I'll consider for books 2 and 3:

Albert Camus, The Plague
Doris Lessing, The Golden Notebook
Thomas Mann, Buddenbrooks
Sigrid Undset, Kristin Lavransdatter

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Wednesday, September 2, 2015

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril X


I look forward to this every year! I kept checking over at Carl's (Stainless Steel Droppings) site because he usually posts before the end of August and I wasn't seeing it. I was so worried that it wasn't happening this year. Carl, in honor of R.I.P.'s 10th illustrious year, decided to ask the lovely ladies at The Estella Society to host, and they accepted! So, it's on!!!

Here are some general guidelines and (non) rules, as outlined by Carl, and now, TES:

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Without further ado, pick your poison, won’t you? September 1st is here, and we’re ready to begin!

Mystery.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural.

Or anything sufficiently moody that shares a kinship with the above.

That is what embodies the stories, written and visual, that we celebrate with the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril event.

As time has wound on, we’ve discovered that simple rules are best:

1. Have fun reading (and watching).
2. Share that fun with others.

R.I.P. X officially runs from September 1st through October 31st. 
**********

There are various levels of participation. Here are the levels I'm planning on doing...


Peril the First: Read four books, any length, that you feel fit (the very broad definitions) ofR.I.P. literature.

The Wolf GiftAnne Rice
Salem's LotStephen King
Night ChillJeff Gunhus
Tortures of the DamnedHunter Shea
*Witch themed book to be determined*


Peril of the Short Story:We are big fans of short stories and the desire for them is perhaps no greater than in Autumn. You can read short stories any time during the challenge. (since I just happen to be hosting read-a-longs of three Poe stories at Castle Macabre this month!)

Edgar Allan Poe short stories:
Ligeia 
The Cask of Amontillado 
The Fall of the House of Usher


Peril On the Screen

I love horror films and shows year round, but OH the horror movies I will be seeing this Fall! I'll be starting things off with The Visit (M. Night Shyamalan, one of my favorite filmmakers!) releasing September 11th. And next will be Eli Roth's The Green Inferno on September 25th. I know there are tons more coming out, plus all my scary shows will be starting back (The Walking Dead and American Horror Story, to name a couple). Right now, Fear the Walking Dead is running and it is GOOD!


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Sunday, November 16, 2014

Travel the World in Books Reading Challenge


Hosted by  Mom's Small VictoriesSavvy Working Gal and I'm Lost in Books (Click over to one of these blogs to sign up)

Rules and guidelines, as outlined by the challenge hosts above:

The GoalTravel the world in books, of course! Expand your horizons and read books set in or written by authors from countries other than the one you live in. Visit as many different countries in books as you wish. 
 
The “Rules”And the “rules” are simply this…YOU choose your own adventure! These are your goals but you can change them any time.
1. Determine length of time you will participate in the challenge. Just one month, An entire season, a year or 5 years?
2. Determine how many countries you would like to read about during your adventure. What criteria are you using to determine the number of countries you read about (ex. book setting, author background or both)?
3. How will you track the countries you visited in books? You could create a map in Google Maps, track on your blog or on a Goodreads shelf.
4. Determine your book list or genre if you like. Will you be listing specific books you would like to read? Do you aim to read fiction, nonfiction or a mixture of both?
5. Link up your posts. Linkies will be available for sign up/goals, wrap up, and a linky for each continent for you to add your book reviews whenever you are ready.
6. Please follow each of our 3 hosts by at least one social media or bloglovin, RSS, GFC so you can keep informed of news, updates and events regarding this challenge.

My goals and lists:
  • my goal will be to accomplish this in five years (Deadline: November 16, 2019)
  • number of books will be 60 (I reserve the right to declare 10 of the 60 as alternates)
  • I will be reading fiction and non-fiction
  • mainly books set in the countries, some written BY an author from a certain country
  • I will probably add a map later

Africa
The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver (Congo, Africa)  Still reading
The Covenant, James Michener (South Africa)
Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese (Ethiopia, Africa)
Out of Africa, Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen) (Kenya, Africa)
The Sheltering Sky, Paul Bowles (Africa)
The Plague, Albert Camus (Algeria, Africa)
The English Patient, Michael Ondaatje (Africa)
Akhenaten: Dweller in Truth, Naguib Mahfouz (Egypt, Africa)
Chronicle of the Pharaohs, Peter A. Clayton (Egypt, Africa)
Ancient Egypt, David P. Silverman (Egypt, Africa)
The Lost Tomb, Kent R. Weeks, Ph.D. (Egypt, Africa)

Antarctica
The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. Edgar Allan Poe
At the Mountains of Madness, H.P. Lovecraft

Asia
The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini (Afghanistan) 
Snowflower and the Secret Fan, Lisa See (Hunan, China)
The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy (KeralaIndia)
A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry (Mumbai, India) 
Genghis: Birth of an Empire, Conn Iggulden (Mongolia)
Empress Orchid, Anchee Min (Beijing, China)
Grotesque, Natsuo Kirino (Japan)
Geisha, a Life, Mineko Iwasaki (Japan)
The Red Scarf, Kate Furnivall (Siberia)

Australia and New Zealand
Picnic at Hanging Rock, Joan Lindsay
The Fatal Shore: The Epic of Australia's Founding, Robert Hughes 
I Am the Messenger, Markus Zusak
Death of a River Guide, Richard Flanagan

Europe 
Catherine the Great, Robert K. Massie (Russia)
The Gentle Axe, R.N. Morris (Russia)
Land of the Firebird: The Beauty of Old Russia, Suzanne Massie 
Venice: Pure City, Peter Ackroyd
Stone Virgin, Barry Unsworth (Venice, Italy)
The Venetian Mask, Rosalind Laker (Venice, Italy)
Smilla's Sense of Snow, Peter Hoeg (Copenhagen, Denmark)
The Vikings, Robert Ferguson
Sagas of Icelanders
The Last Kingdom, Bernard Cornwell (England)
Out Stealing Horses, Per Petterson (Norway)
Harbor, John Ajvide Lindqvist (Sweden)
Under the Snow, Kerstin Ekman (Sweden)
The Greenlanders, Jane Smiley (Greenland)
Poland, James Michener (Poland)
The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story, Diane Ackerman (Poland)
The Shadow of the Wind, Carlos Ruiz Zafón (Spain)
People of the Book, Geraldine Brooks (Bosnia)
Lake of Sorrows by Erin Hart (Ireland)

North America
The Snow Child, Eowyn Ivey (Alaska)
Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer (Alaska)
The Secret History, Donna Tartt (Vermont)
Fall on Your Knees, Ann-Marie MacDonald (Canada) January 2015
Starvation Heights, Gregg Olsen (Pacific Northwest)  Read February 2015
Aztec, Gary Jennings (Mexico)
The Blind Assassin, Margaret Atwood (Canada)
Still Missing, Chevy Stevens (Canada)
The Devil in the White City, Erik Larson (Chicago, Illinois)
Mexico, James Michener
Swift as Desire, Laura Esquivel (Mexico)

South America
The House of the Spirits, Isabel Allende (Chile)
Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez (Colombia)
State of Wonder, Ann Patchett (Amazon Rainforest)
Bel Canto, Ann Patchett (South America)




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Monday, September 1, 2014

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril IX


Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings hosts this one every Fall. Since this is my favorite time of year for reading, mostly focusing on the scary genres, I simply must sign up for this every year. And check out the amazing artwork this year! I mean, Poe...I'm over the moon!

Here are a few words from Carl about the challenge:

Nine years ago [NINE?!?! Inconceivable!!!] I became aware of reading challenges and wanted to start one of my own, hoping to find others who shared my Autumnal predilection for the works of Edgar Allen Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Bram Stoker and other authors contemporary and classic who captured the spirit of gothic literature. All these years later we are still going strong, welcoming September with a time of coming together to share our favorite mysteries, detective stories, horror stories, dark fantasies, and everything in between.

Mystery.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural.

Or anything sufficiently moody that shares a kinship with the above.

That is what embodies the stories, written and visual, that we celebrate with the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril event.

R.I.P. IX officially runs from September 1st through October 31st and has a few rules:

1. Have fun reading (and watching).
2. Share that fun with others.

As I do each and every year, there are multiple levels of participation (Perils) that allow you to be a part of R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril without adding the burden of another commitment to your already busy lives. There is even a one book only option for those who feel that this sort of reading is not their cup of tea (or who have too many other commitments) but want to participate all the same.


Here are the levels I'm doing:


Read four books, any length, that you feel fit (the very broad definitions) of R.I.P. literature.

Since I will be doing a lot of spooky reading this season, I figure I can swing four (or more) books.

  • The House of Seven Gables, Nathaniel Hawthorne (I'm hosting a read-a-long during Castle Macabre's Gothic September.
  • An English Ghost Story, Kim Newman
  • Floats the Dark Shadow, Yvey Fey (on audio)
  • horror novel, yet to be determined by TuesBookTalk poll
  • Picture the Dead, Adele Griffin
  • I might try to host a read-a-long of one of Anne Rice's Vampire chronicles books in October (to go along with my Never-Ending Anne Rice Challenge). I'm thinking either Memnoch the Devil or The Vampire Armand.

  • The essential Edgar Allan Poe stories, poems, biography (on audio)


  • I already started this one yesterday! I saw As Above So Below. It was SO good! I might try to do a write up on it at Castle Macabre.
  • Dracula Untold
  • Annabelle
  • Horns
  • And whatever other horror films I can get my hands on!
  • I've already been watching The Strain on FX (great show!) and Intruders started last week on BBC America. Also, looking forward to the new season of American Horror Story, Supernatural, Sleepy Hollow, etc.!

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Thursday, March 27, 2014

Once Upon a Time VIII and Spring into a Good Book

Time for some Spring challenges! The first one is one of my favorites every year and the second one is a new one hosted by one of my bloggy friends.


Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings hosts this one every Spring, and like his R.I.P. "challenge", it is always great fun. Here are a few words from Carl about the challenge:

Friday, March 21st begins the eigth annual Once Upon a Time Challenge. This is a reading and viewing event that encompasses four broad categories: Fairy Tale, Folklore, Fantasy and Mythology, including the seemingly countless sub-genres and blending of genres that fall within this spectrum. The challenge continues through June 21st and allows for very minor (1 book only) participation as well as more immersion depending on your reading/viewing whims.

The Once Upon a Time VIII Challenge has a few rules:

Rule #1: Have fun.

Rule #2: HAVE FUN.

Rule #3: Don’t keep the fun to yourself, share it with us, please!

Rule #4: Do not be put off by the word “challenge”.

Here are the levels I'm doing:


By signing up for The Journey you are agreeing to read at least one book within one of the four categories during March 21st to June 21st period.Just one book. If you choose to read more, fantastic!

I very well might read more than one, but just in case...I'm opting for this level. Of course, I'm listing more than one book below...again, just in case!

A Storm of Swords, George R.R. Martin
The Vampire Armand, Anne Rice
The Witch's Salvation, Francesca Pelaccia
The Once and Future King, T.H. White

(and who knows...could add more, could change my mind!)


I'm also going to be watching Frozen very soon and since I'm such a movie watcher...hey, I wonder if Maleficent comes out during this challenge?...sorry! So I'm taking on Quest on Screen.


Next up is Gina at Book Dragon's Lair, hosting the Spring into a Good Book Reading Challenge.

Here are the details from Gina:

Make this your own! Have a stack of library books? Finish them! Have a pile of guilty pleasure books? Read them! There are no set rules, expect to have fun with your reading.

(She's also hosting two read-a-thons during the challenge...I participated in the first one, but failed miserably. *frown*)

Here's my (somewhat tentative) list (I'm not including review books on this one):

A Storm of Swords, George R.R. Martin (and others from my OuaT list above)
The Eight, Katherine Neville
Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert

Not sure what else...we shall see!

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