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2012 Challenges: Once Upon a Time VI

Carl is hosting the sixth edition of the Once Upon a Time reading challenge. I am signing up for quest the first which is to read at least five books that fit in the Once Upon a Time categories: fantasy, folklore, fairy tale, mythology.

Do I know exactly what I'll be reading? No. Not really. Not for sure. I mean I have an idea that I'd like to reread a few favorite books, a few favorite authors. I have an idea that I want to give some new series a try. But what I say I'm going to read today may be what I decide definitely NOT to read two or three weeks from now!

1. Bless This Mouse. Lois Lowry. Illustrated by Eric Rohmann. 2011. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 160 pages.
2. The Bone Magician. F.E. Higgins. 2008. Feiwel and Friends. 274 pages.
3. The Eyeball Collector. F.E. Higgins. 2009. Feiwel and Friends. 250 pages.
4. Wisdom's Kiss. Catherine Gilbert Murdock. 2011. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 304 pages.
5. The Light Princess. George MacDonald. 1864. 110 pages.
6. Enchanted. Alethea Kontis. 2012. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 320 pages.
7. The Lunatic's Curse. F.E. Higgins. 2011. Feiwel & Friends. 352 pages.
8. Glamour in Glass. Mary Robinette Kowal. 2012. Tor. 336 pages.
9. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again. Frank Cottrell Boyce. 2012. Candlewick Press. 192 pages.
10. A Cat of a Different Color. Steven Bauer. Illustrated by Tim Raglin. 2000. Random House. 200 pages.
11. Young Fredle. Cynthia Voigt. Illustrated by Louise Yates. 2011. Random House. 240 pages.
12. Over Sea, Under Stone (Dark Is Rising, #1) Susan Cooper. 1965. 208 pages.

Review site.

Hood by Stephen R. Lawhead

Scarlet by Stephen R. Lawhead

Tuck by Stephen R. Lawhead

The Farwalker's Quest


Timekeeper's Moon by Joni Sensel

The Skeleton's Knife by Joni Sensel

The Sixty-Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone

Stealing Magic: A Sixty-Eight Rooms Adventure by Marianne Malone

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta

Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

Perchance to Dream by Lisa Mantchev

So Silver Bright by Lisa Mantchev

The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett

Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett

I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Castle of Shadows by Ellen Renner

The Hound of Rowan, The Tapestry #1, Henry H. Neff

2012 Challenges: Spring Reading Thing

I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE participating in the Spring Reading Thing challenge hosted by Callapidder Days. I love making a list for this one even though I know that I'm prone to changing my mind every other week. I have some general ideas on what I want to read for this challenge. (Challenge sign-up link).

V is for Victoria: Books about Queen Victoria, and Victorian England. Books written during the Victorian period. Books set in the Victorian. A blend of fiction and nonfiction.

1) Becoming Queen Victoria: The Tragic Death of Princess Charlotte and the Unexpected Rise of Britain's Greatest Monarch. Kate Williams.
2) Light Princess by George MacDonald
3) North and South. Elizabeth Gaskell. 1855/1998. 454 pages.
4) Magnificent Obsession: Victoria, Albert, and the Death that Changed the British Monarchy. Helen Rappaport.
5)

Starting with...

We Two: Victoria and Albert: Rulers, Partners, Rivals by Gillian Gill

Becoming Queen Victoria: The Tragic Death of Princess Charlotte and the Unexpected Rise of Britain's Greatest Monarch by Kate Williams

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

All About Austen: Books with an Austen Theme or Connection

1) Mr. Darcy's Diary. Amanda Grange. Sourcebooks. 2007. 320 pages.
2) Henry Tilney's Diary. Amanda Grange. 2011. [December 2011] Penguin. 288 pages.
3) Midnight in Austenland. Shannon Hale. 2012. Bloomsbury. 288 pages.
4)

Starting with...

All Roads Lead to Austen: A Year Long Journey with Jane by Amy Elizabeth Smith

Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale

Henry Tilney's Diary by Amanda Grange

I couldn't begin to narrow it down to a starting point!!!

New and Mostly New YA Releases: YA books with a focus on 2011 and 2012 publication dates. Perhaps with a slight focus on fantasy since I'll be in a fantasy challenge too. But this includes ALL genres and subgenres for me!

1) The Selection. Kiera Cass. 2012. HarperCollins. 327 pages
2) Enchanted. Alethea Kontis. 2012. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 320 pages.
3) Miracle. Elizabeth Scott. 2012. Simon & Schuster. 224 pages.
4) Looking for Me. Betsy R. Rosenthal. 2012. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 176 pages.
5) Out of Sight, Out of Time. Ally Carter. 2012. Hyperion. 304 pages.
6) Article 5. Kristen Simmons. 2012 Tor. 368 pages.
7) Partials. Dan Wells. 2012. HarperCollins. 480 pages.
8) Pandemonium. Lauren Oliver. 2012. HarperCollins. 384 pages.
9) The List. Siobhan Vivian. 2012. Scholastic. 336 pages.
10) Wonder. R. J. Palacio. 2012. Random House. 320 pages.
11) Fever. (Chemical Garden Series #2). Lauren DeStefano. 2012. Simon & Schuster. 352 pages.
12) Irises. Francisco X. Stork. 2012. Scholastic. 304 pages.
13) Unbreak My Heart. Melissa Walker. 2012. Bloomsbury. 240 pages.
14) Insurgent. Veronica Roth. 2012. HarperCollins. 525 pages.

Starting with...

Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Miscellaneous Musts from the Library: Books that just say read me, read me, read me!

1) Henrietta's War: News from the Home Front, 1939-1942. Joyce Dennys. 1985/2010. Bloomsbury. 176 pages.
2) Henrietta Sees It Through. Joyce Dennys. 1987/2011. Bloomsbury. 208 pages.
3) The Flight of Gemma Hardy. Margot Livesey. 2012. HarperCollins. 447 pages.
4) Mascot: Unraveling the Mystery of My Jewish Father's Nazi Boyhood. Mark Kurzem. 2007. Penguin. 432 pages.
5) Kisses From Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption. Katie Davis. 2011. October 2011. Howard Books. 288 pages.
6) The Great Influenza. The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History. John M. Barry. 2004. Penguin. 546 pages.
7) Dreamers of the Day. Mary Doria Russell. 2008. Random House. 254 pages.
8) Glamour in Glass. Mary Robinette Kowal. 2012. Tor. 336 pages.
9) The Lost Wife. Alyson Richman. 2011. Penguin. 352 pages.
10) The Seven Dials Mystery. Agatha Christie. 1929/2012. HarperCollins. 304 pages.

Starting with...

Shogun by James Clavell

The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesy

2012 Challenges: A Victorian Celebration (June and July)

A Literary Odyssey is hosting 'A Victorian Celebration' this summer--the months of June and July. This is just the kind of event that THRILLS me. Not that I ever need a real reason to read Victorian classics. But still. It is something I am really looking forward to!!! I hope to read six books:

1. Becoming Queen Victoria: The Tragic Death of Princess Charlotte and the Unexpected Rise of Britain's Greatest Monarch. Kate Williams.
2. The Princess and the Goblin. George MacDonald. 1872. 259 pages.
3. The Light Princess. George MacDonald. 1864. 110 pages.
4. Cousin Henry. Anthony Trollope. 1879. 336 pages.
5. Magnificent Obsession: Victoria, Albert, and the Death that Changed the British Monarchy. Helen Rappaport. 2012. St. Martin's Press. 352 pages.
6. Dombey and Son. Charles Dickens. 1846-1848. 880 pages.
7. Pickwick Papers & Our Mutual Friend Movie Reviews.
8. Diary of a Pilgrimage by Jerome K. Jerome
9. A Book of Cheerful Cats and Other Animated Animals
10. Murder in the First Class Carriage by Kate Colquhoun
11. Lin McLean by Owen Wister
12. The Yard by Alex Grecian
13. The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges
14. Wild Romance by Chloe Schama
15. Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale
16. Idle Thoughts for an Idle Fellow by Jerome K. Jerome
17. The Princess and the Curdie by George MacDonald
18. Mrs. Robinson's Disgrace: The Private Diary of A Victorian Lady. Kate Summerscale.
19. Lorna Doone. R.D. Blackmore.
20. Lady Audley's Secret. Mary Elizabeth Braddon.
21. Clocks. Jerome K. Jerome.
22. Black Beauty. Anna Sewell.
23. After Dark. Wilkie Collins.
24. The Dead Witness: A Connoisseur's Collection of Victorian Detective Stories. Edited by Michael Sims

Anthony Trollope Possibilities:

Can You Forgive Her? (1865)
Phineas Finn (1869)
The Eustace Diamonds (1873)

I could go on listing the Palliser novels, but the chances of me getting to finish even these first three is almost beyond belief. It's just too ambitious to think I can read them all this summer. (Phineas Redux, 1874; The Prime Minister, 1876; The Duke's Children, 1880).

Other Trollope possibilities in case I decide to read stand-alone novels:

American Senator (1877),
Kellys and the O'Kelleys (1848),
Mr. Scarborough's Family (1883),
Miss MacKenzie (1865),
Cousin Henry (1879),
Orley Farm (1862),
The Claverings (1867),
Ayala's Angel (1881),
Vicar of Bullhampton (1870),
Rachel Ray (1863),
Belton Estate (1866),
Marian Fay (1882),
Is He Popenjoy? (1878),
Kept In the Dark (1882)
Sir Harry Hotspur of Humblethwaite (1871)
Harry Heathcote of Gangoil (1874)
Doctor Wortle's School (1881)

Elizabeth Gaskell Possibilities:

Ruth (1853)
The Life of Charlotte Bronte (1857)
Wives and Daughters (1865)
Sylvia's Lovers (1863)
Cranford (1851-3)
Mary Barton (1848)

Why no North and South?!?! Well, I'm halfway through this novel now, and I'm NOT going to wait until June to finish it!!!

Wilkie Collins Possibilities:

The Law and the Lady (1875)
No Name (1862)
Man and Wife (1870)
Armadale (1866)
Haunted Hotel (1878)
Miss or Mrs. (1873)
Basil (1852)
The Dead Secret (1857)
Hide and Seek (1854)
A Rogue's Life (1879)
Blind Love (1890)

Margaret Oliphant Possibilities:

Miss Marjoribanks (1866)
Hester (1883)

Charlotte Mary Yonge:

The Daisy Chain (1856)

Mary Elizabeth Braddon:

Lady Audley's Secret (1862)
The Trail of the Serpent (1860)

Charlotte Bronte Possibilities:

Shirley (1849)
Vilette (1853)
The Professor (1857)

George MacDonald:

The Princess and the Goblin (1872)
At The Back of the North Wind (1871)
The Light Princess (1864)

Charles Dickens Possibilities:

Nicholas Nickleby (1839)
Martin Chuzzlewit (1844)
Our Mutual Friend (1865)
Bleak House (1853)
Pickwick Papers (1837)

George Eliot Possibilities:

Adam Bede (1859)
The Mill on the Floss (1860)
Romola (1863)
Felix Holt (1866)
Daniel Deronda (1876)

2012 Completed Challenge: Science Fiction Experience

I read 31 books for this non-challenge, reading challenge!!!

The Books I Read:

1. To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
2. Babylon 5: To Dream in the City of Sorrows by Kathryn M. Drennan
3. Babylon 5: The Shadow Within by Jeanne Cavelos
4. Babylon 5: In the Beginning by Peter David
5. Babylon 5: Legions of Fire: The Long Night of Centauri Prime. Peter David.
6. Babylon 5: Legions of Fire: Armies of Light and Dark. Peter David.
7. Babylon 5: Legions of Fire: Out of the Darkness. Peter David.
8. A Million Suns (Across the Universe #2). Beth Revis.
9. The Pledge. Kimberly Derting.
10. The Predicteds. Christine Seifert.
11. Scored. Lauren McLaughlin.
12. Shadows in Flight. Orson Scott Card.
13. Blackout. Connie Willis.
14. All Clear. Connie Willis.
15. Enchantress from the Stars. Sylvia Louise Engdahl.
16. The Way We Fall. Megan Crewe.
17. Tankborn. Karen Sandler.
18. All Good Children. Catherine Austen
19. Cinder. (The Lunar Chronicles #1). Marissa Meyer.
20. Crossed. Ally Condie.
21. Awaken. Katie Kacvinsky.
22. The Demolished Man. Alfred Bester.
23. Alas, Babylon. Pat Frank.
24. The Worthing Saga. Orson Scott Card.
25. Earth Abides. George R. Stewart.
26. Time for the Stars. Robert A. Heinlein.
27. The Puppet Masters. Robert A. Heinlein
28. The Door Into Summer. Robert A. Heinlein.
29. Double Star. Robert A. Heinlein
30. The Stars My Destination. Alfred Bester.
31. We. Yevgeny Zamyatin.

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

2012 Challenges: European Reading Challenge

European Reading Challenge 2012
Hosted by Rose City Reader
January 1, 2012 - January 31, 2013

Essentially, "The idea is to read books by European authors or books set in European countries (no matter where the author comes from). The books can be anything – novels, short stories, memoirs, travel guides, cookbooks, biography, poetry, or any other genre. You can participate at different levels, but each book must be by a different author and set in a different country – it's supposed to be a tour."

I am signing up at the five-star (deluxe entourage) level:

1) His Name Was Raoul Wallenberg: Courage, Rescue, and Mystery During World War II. Louise Borden. (Sweden OR Hungary; NONFICTION)
2) My Family for the War. Anne C. Voorhoeve. (England OR Germany)
3) All Our Worldly Goods. Irene Nemirovsky. (France)
4) In the Garden of Beasts. Erik Larson. (Germany; NONFICTION)
5) Between Shades of Gray. Ruta Sepetys. (Lithuania)
6) Breaking Stalin's Nose. Eugene Yelchin. (Russia--Soviet Union)
7) Mascot: Unraveling the Mystery of My Jewish Father's Nazi Boyhood. Mark Kurzem. (Latvia/Belarus; NONFICTION)
8) Smuggled by Christina Shea. (Romania/Hungary)
9) The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman (Czech Republic)
10) The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges (Russia and Montenegro)
11) Gods and Warriors. Michelle Paver. (Greece)
12) The Flight of Gemma Hardy. Margot Livesey. (Scotland/Iceland)

Right now, I'm thinking my countries will be: Great Britain, France, Russia, Sweden, and Italy. I am also thinking that I'll try to read more than that. That I might try to read ten books. Other countries I might visit include: Greece, Poland, Spain, Austria, Germany. Or Denmark, Hungary, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium. Of course, I might change my mind as to the countries. But I am SO EXCITED about this challenge!

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

2012 Challenges: Award-Winning Reads Challenge

I am signing up for Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing's Award-Winning Reads Challenge. The 'award-winning' books being celebrated are Newbery winners, Newbery honors, Pritz winners, and Pritz honors.

I am thinking I'll try to read

1) Catherine, Called Birdy. Karen Cushman.
2) Bud, Not Buddy. Christopher Paul Curtis
3) Enchantress from the Stars. Sylvia Louise Engdahl.
4) Inside Out & Back Again. Thanhha Lai.
5) Breaking Stalin's Nose. Eugene Yelchin.
6) Dead End in Norvelt. Jack Gantos.
7) Moon Over Manifest. Clare Vanderpool.
8) Princess Academy by Shannon Hale (review in August)
9)
10)
11)
12)

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

2012 Challenges: Short Story Reading Challenge

I am signing up for the 2012 Short Story Reading Challenge hosted by Library of Clean Reads. I am signing up for 'Tell Me a Story' which is 1 to 3 books.

1. Firewatch. Connie Willis. 1985. Bantam Books. 271 pages.
2. Jane Austen Made Me Do It. Edited By Laurel Ann Nattress. 2011. Random House. 464 pages.
3. The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
4. Lin McLean by Owen Wister
5. Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie
6. Dead Witness, edited by Michael Sims
7. After Dark by Wilkie Collins
8. Stories by Ray Bradbury
9. The Tuesday Club Murders by Agatha Christie
10. Star Trek Reader by James Blish

I am not all that good at finishing short story collections. There are a few that look really great--really fun. It will just be sticking with the book from start to finish.

These are a list of potential possibilities:

The Stories of Ray Bradbury
Miss Marple the Complete Short Stories by Agatha Christie
Lord Peter: A collection of all the Lord Peter Wimsey short Stories by Dorothy L. Sayers
The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories by Agatha Christie
The Under Dog and Other Stories by Agatha Christie
The Winds of Marble Arch and Other Stories by Connie Willis
The Original Illustrated Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Life On Mars edited by Jonathan Strahan
Straw House, Wood House, Brick House by Daniel Nayeri
Brave New Worlds edited by John Joseph Adams
Steampunk edited by Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant
The Best Short Stories of Mark Twain
The Best Short Stories of Fyodor Dostoevsky
The Oxford Book of English Short Stories
The Monster's Corner edited by Christopher Golden
The Oxford Book of Scottish Short Stories
The Best Short Stories of O. Henry
Patricia Highsmith: Selected Novels and Short Stories
The Doll: The Lost Short Stories by Daphne du Maurier
The Sunny Side: Short Stories and Poems for Proper Grown-ups by A.a. Milne
Shine edited by Jetse de Vries
The end of the world edited by Martin H. Greenberg
The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick, Vol. 1
The Dreaming Sex edited by Mike Ashley

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

2012 Challenges: Time Travel Reading Challenge

I am so happy I discovered the Time Travel Reading Challenge hosted by Library of Clean Reads. I am signing up for 'great adventure' which is four to six time travel books. (I was so tempted to commit to more than that--since time travel is one of my favorite, favorite, favorite things to read about.)

1. To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
2. Blackout. Connie Willis.
3. All Clear. Connie Willis.
4. The Door Into Summer. Robert A. Heinlein.
5. 11/22/63 by Stephen King
6. Tempest by Julie Cross

I KNOW I want to read these three: