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The Reader's Challenge 2010
« Thread Started on Jan 3, 2010, 2:04pm »		[Quote]
To see the 2009 Reader's Challenge winners, participants, and book lists, click here.

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Twenty-ten. The start of a new decade. And since we all know reading is so 2008 it's practically two thousand and late, we need something interesting, something challenging, something to force ourselves into making reading a part of the new decade.

The challenge: In honor of the new year, read thirty books before the end of 2010.

The rules are simple: All books count. The condition: Books must be read cover to cover, so if your chem class reads only chapters four and five, it doesn't count, but if you history class goes from one through twenty, it does. Books began in another year but finished in this one also apply, as do graphic novels, children's books, cook books, e-books, book-length fanfiction, nonfiction, etc--you just have to read the whole thing! Magazines and other periodicals can be counted once each collectively if you feel you've read substantially enough of them to roughly equal a book's size. And since, like NaNoWriMo, the true prize is in being able to say that you did it, try to challenge yourself and read books at your own reading level instead of intentionally reading easy books just for an easy win.

If you want to spruce it up, but don't feel like buying a tree to do so, here are some extra-challenging options: Read books for every letter of the alphabet. Read books by authors for every letter of the alphabet. Read foreign language books. Read dictionaries and/or ancient tomes. Read your books upside-down and backwards. Huzzah!

[image]

The Neopian Challenge: Read at least three pieces from one of the three writing categories (article, short story, and series) for at least thirty issues of the Neopian Times. Issues need not be current, so if you're behind on reading, now's a good time to get caught up. ~_^

[spoiler=Ze copy and de paste]1:
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Throughout the year this thread can be used to discuss books, make recommendations, and even write reviews for the books you've read, as well as to keep track of what you've read. For those who post lists of their books, I'll be keeping an up-to-date library of participants for people to peruse for book ideas and so forth. For discussing the NT, there's a wonderful review board somewhere around here that'd do the job perfectly. (;

[spoiler=Library of Participants]All participants are listed alphabetically, not necessarily in the order they've been posted.

Alyssa
Azzie
Celestial
Collecter
Ellie McNel
Hunter
Jay
Jo
Kathleen
Kina
ĽèŌ& #942;ꧧ
Máfur
Maylisa
Nifen
Pizza
Purple
Pyro
Rachel
Rikku
Sammy
Sassygirl
Serene
Shade Winner!
Shubi
Squiesh
Teow
Wolf
Zylaa


[/spoiler]
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Re: The Reader's Challenge 2010
« Reply #1 on Jan 3, 2010, 2:37pm »		[Quote]
I'll try this again this year. Hopefully I can keep track of things better this year. Also, just making sure, if you started a book in 2009 and finished this year, that counts, right?

[spoiler=Books]Italics are books in progress or books I have, but have not started. Bold means I plan to get the book, but do not have it now.

1: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey
2: An Autobiography: the Story of my Experiments with Truth by Mohandas Gandhi
3: Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
4: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
5: I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
6: Maximum Ride: School's Out- Forever by James Patterson
7: Dracula by Bram Stoker
8: The Freedom Writers Diary by the Freedom Writers and Erin Gruwell
9:Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson
10: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
11: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
12: Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Sarajevo by Zlata Filipović
13: Teach With Your Heart by Erin Gruwell
14: Maximum Ride: The Final Warning by James Patterson
15: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
16: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
17: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
18: Watership Down by Richard Adams
19: The Mouse That Roared by Leonard Wibberley
20: The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay
21: The Hippopotamus by Stephen Fry
22: Robot Building for Dummies by Roger Arrick
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[spoiler=Neopian Times]Italics mean I have read some of the three pieces, but not all of them. Bold means I have not started reading yet, but I plan to read the pieces mentioned.

1:Week 431- Articles: Vintage Neopians: Who We Are, And What We Can Be by wylddarkheart, Short Stories: Preludes: Airborne by kittengriffin,
2:Week 376- New Series: Cycle of the Moon: Part One by reggieman721
3:Week 377- Continued Series: Cycle of the Moon: Part Two by reggieman721
4:Week 378- Continued Series: Cycle of the Moon: Part Three by reggieman721
5:Week 379- Continued Series: Cycle of the Moon: Part Four by reggieman721
6:Week 380- Continued Series: Cycle of the Moon: Part Five by reggieman721
7:Week 381- Continued Series: Cycle of the Moon: Part Six by reggieman721
8:Week 382- Continued Series: Cycle of the Moon: Part Seven by reggieman721
9:Week 383- Continued Series: Cycle of the Moon: Part Eight by reggieman721
10:Week 384- Continued Series: Cycle of the Moon: Part Nine by reggieman721
11:Week 385- Continued Series: Cycle of the Moon: Part Ten by reggieman721
12:Week 386- Continued Series: Cycle of the Moon: Part Eleven by reggieman721
13:Week 387- Continued Series: Cycle of the Moon: Part Twelve by reggieman721
14:Week 425- Short Stories: Climb by punkinunk
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EDIT 2/27: Since I've already got half my books planned out in February, and will probably finish those by the end of April at the latest, this challenge is almost too easy. So, I'll also be doing last year's challenge.

[spoiler=Alphabetical List]
A: Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
B: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
C: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
D: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
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F: The Freedom Writer's Diary by the Freedom Writers and Erin Gruwell
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H: The Hippopotamus by Stephen Fry
I: I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
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L: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
M: The Mouse That Roared by Leonard Wibberley
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O: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
P: The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay
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R: Robot Building for Dummies by Roger Arrick
S: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey
T: Teach With Your Heart by Erin Gruwell
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W: Watership Down by Richard Adams
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Z: Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Sarajevo by Zlata Filipović[/spoiler]
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Re: The Reader's Challenge 2010
« Reply #2 on Jan 3, 2010, 4:43pm »		[Quote]

Jan 3, 2010, 2:37pm, Hunter Frost wrote:
I'll try this again this year. Hopefully I can keep track of things better this year. Also, just making sure, if you started a book in 2009 and finished this year, that counts, right?

If you, say, only had a single page left to finish this year, then maybe not, but otherwise, absolutely. The only condition is that any book you put down is read entirely, so gopher it.
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Re: The Reader's Challenge 2010
« Reply #3 on Jan 3, 2010, 5:25pm »		[Quote]
Yay for the new Challenge. And since I like to really challenge myself, I will only count real books, not fanfictions or online-fiction as long as it is not also published as a book. (Else, it would be too easy, based on how much I read online. I might then even finish the challenge by simply reading all books of one of my favourite fanfiction-series, so no. Only books.)

[spoiler=Books]Legend (I hope, Hunter, you don't mind my copying your idea a bit ;) )
Yellow coloured books are books in progress. And yes, I am reading all those books at the same time, depending on the mood and the place I am.
Teal coloured books are those pending, which means I already have the book at home and am just waiting for one of the other books to get finished.
Green coloured books are those I can recommend, as I am well aware that not all books we read are truly worth reading *g*
Bold written books are the ones I finished without anything special attached to them.

1: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (Like I predicted the first I finished and though a great puzzle not as thrilling as the other books)
2: Pacific Vortex! by Clive Cussler (the first adventure of Dirk Pitt (though published later) and really a great book if you like easy going action which reminds one a bit of MacGyver (though Dirk Pitt won't build a bomb out of some string, a paperclip and a bubble gum :D ))
3: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (After Pride&Prejudice and Persuasion my third favourite Austen novel so far and the male protagonist Henry Tilney makes it really worth reading.)
4: Marco Polo – Malta (travel guide for Malta, nice and detailed information which prepares one well for discovering this island on one’s own account)
5: The Maiden and the Warrior by Jacqueline (Lapore) Navin (Just an ordinary historical love novel. Nothing special)
6: The Bride of Windermere by Margo (Wider) Maguire (Again the ordinary historical love novel, though this time the heroine was at least a bit tougher than the first one ;) )
7: The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory (Book I found at the free book shelf at the hotel in Malta, telling the story of Catherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII. Light, but captivating style and it even got me interested in one of the books listed under 'research material'.)
8: The Mediterranean Caper by Clive Cussler (second Dirk Pitt adventure I've read, nice enough, but not as surprising as the first one.)
9: Talking about Jane Austen in Baghdad by Bee Rowlatt and May Witwit (Book I stumbled across at Singapore Changi Airport, light reading despite the serious contents and simply captivating)
10: Iceberg by Clive Cussler (another Dirk Pitt novel, definitely better than 'The Mediterranean Caper' but not extraordinary, though thankfully Pitt did not get/want the girl in this one. Female counterparts tend to be suspicious in those books ;))
11: Jane Austen's Guide to Good Manners by Josephine Ross (A rather thin book, but absolutely delightful instruction material on the Do's and Do-not's in Regency Time, which I eyed for over four months before finally giving in and buying it. I finished it in one go!)
12: The White Queen by Philippa Gregory (Though not as captivating regarding the narrative style of the protagonist as 'The Constant Princess' it was still fascinating to read about this queen, see the ending stage of the Wars of the Roses, the consequences and the still important aspect of superstition and witchcraft in the mix with firm Christian religion of those days.)
13: Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin (another airport-bought-book, another non-fiction book about a topic I never thought I might read about, and I don't regret having bought it ;))
14: The Serpent's Tale by Ariana Franklin (Historical crime novel set in the days of Henry II, my favourite English king, and again featuring 'The Mistress of the Art of Death', great book which comes with the accomplishment of having a bad guy whose deeds you still despise while you like his personality - something I am still trying to learn for my own stories)
15: Boy meets Boy by David Levithan (Book recommended by Wolf, easy and fun to read, definitely fiction as some of the things simply have to be exaggerated to get the message across.)
16: Frederica by Georgette Heyer (Georgette Heyer is supposed to be one of the classic authors for classical Regency Love Novels. And this one definitely is great fun to read if one likes the genre. I really had to laugh hard at a few phrases and characters)
17: Gilgamesch by Thomas Mielke (Some kind of research reading as I want to incorporate a tiny thing which is hinted in this myth in a story arc of mine. Decent enough to read so far.)
18: Eleanore of Aquitaine by Alison Weir (Definitely non-fiction, lacking completely the recount of dialogues, but as I like history I'm fascinated nontheless.)
19: North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (I've wanted to read this book for more than a year now, so I finally got myself a copy)
20: The Tapestry: The second Siege by Henry Neff (second book of that series, got the first one as birthday present last year and liked it a lot)
21: Playing for Pizza by John Grisham (bought that book last year in summer but never managed to read it)
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[/spoiler]
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Re: The Reader's Challenge 2010
« Reply #4 on Jan 3, 2010, 5:44pm »		[Quote]
Yay! I'm excited for a new challenge. And hopefully I can do better on this one than last time.

[spoiler=My Reading List]
1: Inkheart - Cornelia Funke (currently in progress)
2: Neuromancer - William Gibson (currently in progress)
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I'm starting off the year with one re-read (Inkheart) and one book that I got a couple chapters into in '09 (Neuromancer). But hey, that's two books started, which is promising to me. I haven't gotten very far into Neuromancer yet, but so far it's a pretty interesting cyberpunk novel, and I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes. Inkheart I've read before, and it's one of my favorite books. It's been a few years since I last read it, so I'm really liking revisiting it. :)
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Re: The Reader's Challenge 2010
« Reply #5 on Jan 3, 2010, 7:03pm »		[Quote]
OK, I want to take part in it, this will keep me motivated :) I'll also use the list to keep track of the books I'm reading or about to read. So, count me in!
Books in italics are finished:

[spoiler name=My Reading List]
1. Richard A. Knaak; The Minotaur Wars, volume 3, Empire of Blood - in progress
2. Robert McLiam Wilson; Eureka Street
3. Robert McLiam Wilson; Ripple Bogle
4. Robert McLiam Wilson; Manfred's Pain
5. Sempé and Goscinny; Le Petit Nicolas
6. Sempé and Goscinny; Le Petit Nicolas Et Les Copains
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[/spoiler]
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Re: The Reader's Challenge 2010
« Reply #6 on Jan 3, 2010, 7:29pm »		[Quote]
*cries*
I had 6 more books to read to complete last years reader's challenge, but uni work took over completely, and I was forced to read books starting with letters i'd already covered, instead of books I actually wanted to read. :(
Congratulations to all of the winners though!! I don't even know if i'd have been able to finish it without all the uni books, so you all did great - and thank you Wolf for hosting it (as well as this one too!)

I'm ready to give this a go! This one sounds like lots of fun. :)

[spoiler=Jay's 30]
1: Top Girls; By Caryl Churchill
2: Jane Eyre; By Charlotte Bronté
3: Wide Sargasso Sea; By Jean Rhys
4: Robinson Crusoe; By Daniel Defoe
5: Foe; By J. M. Coetzee
6: Heart of Darkness; By Joseph Conrad
7: Things Fall Apart; By Chinua Achebe
8: Kafka on the Shore; By Haruki Murakami
9: Gardens of the Moon; By Steven Erikson
10: Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War; By Clive Barker
11: The New Heroes: Sakkara; By Michael Carroll
12: Inkspell; By Cornelia Funke
13: Inkdeath; By Cornelia Funke
14: Catch-22; By Joseph Heller
15: Coraline; By Neil Gaiman
16: Emma; By Jane Austen
17: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief; By Rick Riordan
18: Alice's Adventures In Wonderland; By Lewis Carroll
19: How To Train Your Dragon Book 1: How To Train Your Dragon; By Cressida Cowell
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Italics = Books planning to read.
Underlined = Books currently in progress.
[/spoiler]
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Re: The Reader's Challenge 2010
« Reply #7 on Jan 3, 2010, 7:44pm »		[Quote]
I'm definitely participating in this! XD I'm guessing this'll end next year?

Let me get this right, though. So, for the NT challenge, do we name the issue and the stories we read for that issue?

[spoiler title=Books]1: Warriors: Twilight by Erin Hunter (Done)
2: Warriors: Sunset by Erin Hunter (Done)
3: Warriors: The Sight by Erin Hunter (Done)
4: Warriors: Outcast by Erin Hunter (Done)
5: Warriors: Starlight by Erin Hunter (Done)
6: Warriors: Dark River by Erin Hunter (Done)
7: Warriors: Eclipse by Erin Hunter (Done)
8: Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (Done)
9: Warriors: Fire and Ice by Erin Hunter (Done)
10: Warriors: Moonrise by Erin Hunter (Done)
11: Warriors: Dawn by Erin Hunter (Done)
12: Seekers: The Quest Begins by Erin Hunter (Done)
13: Warriors: Bluestar's Prophecy by Erin Hunter (Done)
14: Seekers: Great Bear Lake by Erin Hunter (Done)
15: Warriors: Sunrise by Erin Hunter (Done)
16: Inkspell by Cornelia Funke
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[spoiler title=Neopian Times]1: Storm Eyes by allhailtheprincess(Series), Memories of a Lord: Fallen Towers (Short Story) by too_kule, Lifestyles of the Affluent and Illustrious: Albert The Kacheek by blubblub317 Issue 130
2: Windstorm by sara_mossflower (Series), Never Forget Me (Short Story) by frostcrystal, Lifestyles of the Affluent and Illustrious: Valrigard: (The Traitor?) (Article) by the_wandered128 Issue 150
3: The Fallen: Betrayed (Series) by ayame_23, Moonchild (Short Story) by concerto_great, A Realtor and Designer's Guide to New Neohomes (Article) by courage7856 Issue 358
4: The Fallen: Twisted (Series), The Kacheek Club: The Haunted Teahouse (Short Story) by jenlin_25, Naming the Average Neopet (Article) by gracecaroline_8 Issue 361
5: Firejewel (Series) by sara_mossflower, A Trade's a Trade (Short Story) by playmobil_is_my_life, Neoquest 2 Insane Difficulty Survival Guide (Article) by catwhisper1
6: Three Wishes (Series) by rachelindea, The Greatest Gift (Short Story) by reveirie, Celebrating Christmas-Tiki Tack Style! (Article) by neogal_anu Issue 323
7: I, Sloth, King of Meridell (Series) by chocolateisamust and sytra, When You Wish Upon A Star (Short Story) by grapesourhorse, Which Chat Board Do You Belong On? (Article) by shakinheadtotoe Issue 308
8: Deep Secrets (Series) by extreme_fj0rd, Three Hundred Seconds (Short Story) by reggieman721, What's Your Neopet Horoscope? (Article) by jackaloo Issue 306
9: The Partnership (Series) Issue 307 by pandabearb
10: Backfire! (Series) Issue 335 by raizindaroof
11: Ghostchasers (Series) Issue 213 by tamia_silverwing
12: The Broken Soul: Promises and War (Series) Issue 395 by ayame_23
13: Masks and Roses (Series) Issue 319 by chocolateisamust
14: Waiting for Anna (Series) Issue 293 by extreme_fj0rd
15: Shad and Saura: Black Fire (Series) Issue 384 by ssjelitegirl
16: Shad and Saura: The Story of Elversti (Series) Issue 265 by ssjelitegirl
17: Princess of Erodaire (Series) by christinetran, Just a Bunch of Letters (Short Story) by ladyariel32, Good Taste or a Waste by playmobil_is_my_life (Article) Issue 134
18: Island's Own (Series) by laurvail, The Adventures of Daine-Copier v.3.0 (Short Story) by taipess, Geo on Neo: The Hairstyles of Neopia (Article) by icesmith Issue 406
19: Shattered Sunlight (Series) by kittengriffin, 20 Questions (Short Story) by grapesourhorse, 5 Reasons Why You Should Feed Your Pets (Article) by guardianpinkneko Issue 404
20: What Am I? (Series) by sarahleeadvent Issue 310
21: Pirate Lady (Series) by concertogreat_8 Issue 351
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30:[/spoiler]
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Re: The Reader's Challenge 2010
« Reply #8 on Jan 3, 2010, 9:13pm »		[Quote]

Jan 3, 2010, 7:44pm, Kina, Grovyle Fangirl wrote:
I'm definitely participating in this! XD I'm guessing this'll end next year?

Let me get this right, though. So, for the NT challenge, do we name the issue and the stories we read for that issue?

Yep, this ends at midnight, December 31st, 2010/January 1st, 2011, local time. (:

As for the NT challenge, well... All things considered, that's ninety different pieces from thirty different issues, so keep track of it however you'd like. If you read the NT a lot, it might just be easiest to put down the issues here and then put reviews and such in the review boards.

Really, you can record it however you'd like to. (:
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Re: The Reader's Challenge 2010
« Reply #9 on Jan 3, 2010, 10:38pm »		[Quote]
Wait, just read thirty books? That's insanely easy. *read 60-something last year* ..but I'm in. I'll just keep counting them until the end of the year. ^_^

[spoiler]1: Santa Olivia -- Jacqueline Carey ((<3<3<3 the author and story. Alt-earth, slightly post-apoc, and it has genetic modification and yuri. Which is kinda why I like it so much, I think.))
2: In the Blood -- Adrian Phoenix ((picked up this and A Rush of Wings (the book before this) for vampires and got angels. <3 ..such a fun story to read and such fun characters to root for (and against).))
3: Blood of Ambrose -- James Enge ((I hated how this was written and only read it because the story was fairly interesting. Good ideas, poor execution. Especially the ending, in my opinion. It's like 'wait what?', in my opinion.))
4: Catching Fire -- Suzanne Collins ((I like this story, though it starts out slow. It's very much a middle book, though. It's got such an unsatisfying ending. Bah. Bah!, I say.))
5: 1984 -- George Orwell ((Beautiful, beautiful book, no matter how horrible the world it depicts is.))
6: Written on the Body -- Jeanette Winterson ((<3 ...gorgeous. Sad, but gorgeous. I love her writing style.))
7: Gut Symmetry -- Jeanette Winterson ((Again, I love this for the writing style. The plot is weird and creepy betimes, but I still like it.))
8: Mistborn: The Final Empire -- Brandon Sanderson ((Yes, a reread. I adore this book. Epic magic systems that are almost scientific, a world that make sense, plot that is win, characters I love... yeah. <3))
9: what is this thing called love? -- Kim Addonizio ((A book of poetry, most of which is quite nice. Read this for English.))
10: Howl's Moving Castle -- Diana Wynne Jones ((<3 ...Azzie reminded me of this book. I'd forgotten just how much fun it was. xD ...I need to read books that're technically kid's books more often.))
11: Dracula -- Bram Stoker ((This book is wonderful anyway, but it's even better when you consider what the reaction must've been in its own time. It's such a good book. POV love. ^_^))
12: Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians -- Brandon Sanderson ((Yes, it's technically a kid's book. xD ...it's awesome. Written with such a sense of humour and parodies a good amount of typical fantasy stuff. Kinda sorta like Pratchett, I guess, but not really.))
13: Heir to the Empire -- Timothy Zahn ((Star Wars novel! =D ..fun book, in my opinion; it brings back memories of a couple years ago, or whenever it was I first read this. ^_^))
14: Iorich -- Steven Brust ((Dragaera. Most recent book in this series, which I love. I suspect this book would've made a bit more sense to me had I reread whatever the one before it was first, but I don't care. xD ..it's still a good book.))
15: Warbreaker -- Brandon Sanderson ((I love this book. It is quite a bit of the inspiration for my Inquisition. It's just... <3 ...I'd forgotten that the beginning was primarily build-up and that the climax is so short, but it's worth it. Oh, it's worth it.))
16: Starfighters of Adumar -- Aaron Allston ((A Star Was: X-Wing novel. The last of that series. *shrug* ...I felt like being nostalgic again. Good book all around, though.))
17: gods go begging -- Alfredo Véa ((Few books can make me love them and hate them all at once. Gods. I hate this book for the same reason I love it: because it's so heartbreakingly beautiful. It's about the Vietnam war, in part. About humanity, in part. But mostly, it's just an incredibly written book.))
18: Bram Stoker: A Biography of the Author of Dracula -- Barbara Belford ((The interesting thing about this book is that there's probably as much information on Henry Irving as on Stoker himself. But it was quite interesting. And yes, school-book, but it was interesting anyway.))
19: Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones -- Brandon Sanderson ((I love the sense of humour and the strangeness and the almost-realness. *shrug*))
20: The Spirit Lens -- Carol Berg ((I hate that my favorite character in this is the one most obviously evil, and I hate that the ending is not completely an ending, and I hate the amount of whining the MC does, but I love the book anyway. xD ...this is the power of gorgeous writing.))
21: Elantris -- Brandon Sanderson ((I read this last year too. =D ..but anyway, it's Sanderson-writing, I love it, and it is sort of his take on zombies and gods and yeah. xD ..an epic fantasy and one book. Warbreaker's better, but.. yeah.))
22: Dragon's Blood -- Jane Yolen ((I am amused that this is in the kids' section but not, unless I failed at noticing something, in the teens'. I don't get why that is. But anyway, I remembered the trilogy this is the first of recently and decided to reread it to see if I still liked it. =D ..I do.))
23: Heart's Blood -- Jane Yolen ((I remember why I cried at the ending of this when I was a kid and read it. Ach. I dunno. Methinks these books have influenced me more than I thought. Whatever. xD))
24: I Am Not A Serial Killer -- Dan Wells ((I read this in one sitting. Gods. The title really suits the book. And why yes, I am fascinated with death. And. And. I don't know. I love this book, I hate this books, this book makes sense to me and that's not always a good thing. But it's a really good book, no matter what.))
25: Changes -- Jim Butcher ((It's a Dresden Files book. Duh, of course it's good. The title is excessively appropriate, too. Can't think of anything else to say that isn't spoilery.))
26: Empire -- Orson Scott Card ((Interesting fact. Apparently I like OSC's older work better than his newer stuff. I bloody hate this book's writing. It's choppy and could be so much better. Um. Good plot. I guess? But that was the only reason I finished it. Bloody hate the writing until the plot/dialogue gets me into the story enough not to notice. That, by the way, didn't usually happen.))
27: Coraline -- Neil Gaiman ((This reminds me why I love his writing. <3 ..odd book, but I like it. Button eyes and spider hands... ^_^))
28: The Poisonwood Bible -- Barbara Kingsolver ((I had to read this for school. It's a really good book, though. Interweaves five first-person POV really well, and brings up good points about religion and politics and stuff. And it's just beautifully written.))
29: Japanese Workers in Protest -- Christena L. Turner ((Meh. Read this for school. It's actually pretty interesting, mostly for the culture of Japan, but it's also kind of boring 'cause it's an ethnography and yeah. *shrug* I did read it, it took me forever because I never really wanted to read it, and that's why it's on this list at all.))
30: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde -- Robert Louis Stevenson ((Brilliant little story, this is. I admit, it's difficult for me to speak of a story like this outside of the context I read it in -- that of understanding more completely a character I'm writing an essay on -- but it's a story that I would have enjoyed even on its own. Very different than I thought it would be, having heard of it so much, but quite enjoyable.))
31: Lightborn -- Alison Sinclair ((I kind of adore the setting of this book. The book feels very much like a middle book -- not much happens, but it's so interesting to watch plots interweave that I don't mind much. And I like the writing style.))
32: The Dragons of Babel -- Michael Swanwick ((Read this 'cause a friend told me to. It's weird. I kept getting sidetracked by how it's high fantasy with technology equal to that of our current world, and how it's essentially set in our world, but with so many kinds of fey that it's hard to notice. So yeah. The story itself is fun, bu the setting is what I'm going to obsess over, I suspect. Just because it's so weird.))
32: Silver Borne -- Patricia Briggs ((Have I mentioned that I like well-written werewolves? And fae? <3 There's always something new and interesting in these books. Much love for them.))
33: Mute -- Piers Anthony ((It's... it's Piers Anthony. xD Depending on the book, my opinion of him varies. Sometimes I hate him. Sometimes I love him. This book had an awesome storyline and okay writing to back it up, in my opinion.))
34: What We May Be -- Piero Ferrucci ((<3 Non-fiction book, one of the best books I've read recently. It's about psychosynthesis, which is quite awesome. And it's well-written. And makes a lot of the exercises make so much more sense. Which is good.))[/spoiler]

Edit: I'm putting short comments on each book next to them. Because I can. xD ..and the bold is just to make the names of the books stand out from the commentary.

EditEdit: Order may not be exact; I should update this right after I finish a book, not when I finish a batch of them.

EditEditEdit: So I've read thirty books this year, as of 18th June. :3
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Re: The Reader's Challenge 2010
« Reply #10 on Jan 4, 2010, 4:02pm »		[Quote]

Jan 3, 2010, 9:13pm, Wolf wrote:

Jan 3, 2010, 7:44pm, Kina, Grovyle Fangirl wrote:
I'm definitely participating in this! XD I'm guessing this'll end next year?

Let me get this right, though. So, for the NT challenge, do we name the issue and the stories we read for that issue?

Yep, this ends at midnight, December 31st, 2010/January 1st, 2011, local time. (:

As for the NT challenge, well... All things considered, that's ninety different pieces from thirty different issues, so keep track of it however you'd like. If you read the NT a lot, it might just be easiest to put down the issues here and then put reviews and such in the review boards.

Really, you can record it however you'd like to. (:


Oh! So we have to read 30 for each category? :)
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Re: The Reader's Challenge 2010
« Reply #11 on Jan 4, 2010, 10:08pm »		[Quote]
@Shade-- Not everyone's as giftedly talented as you. Don't rub it in. :P lol.


Jan 4, 2010, 4:02pm, Kina, Grovyle Fangirl wrote:

Jan 3, 2010, 9:13pm, Wolf wrote:

Yep, this ends at midnight, December 31st, 2010/January 1st, 2011, local time. (:

As for the NT challenge, well... All things considered, that's ninety different pieces from thirty different issues, so keep track of it however you'd like. If you read the NT a lot, it might just be easiest to put down the issues here and then put reviews and such in the review boards.

Really, you can record it however you'd like to. (:

Oh! So we have to read 30 for each category? :)

Well, to just read one piece from thirty issues is a bit...underwhelming, in way of a challenge, at least, so that's the idea. I suppose if you'd much rather just read three from thirty, in any category, that could work, too. (:
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Re: The Reader's Challenge 2010
« Reply #12 on Jan 6, 2010, 11:13am »		[Quote]
I'm agreeing with Shade. <3 I'm in. =D

... the real challenge here will be remembering to keep track. xD

Since thirty books will be easy, I'm going to try to make them books I've always wanted to read but never got around to (and of course the books for school).

[spoiler=Thirty Books in Three Hundred Sixty-five Days]
1: The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
2: The Monster Variations, by Daniel Kraus
3: Fat Kid Rules the World, by K.L. Going
4: Playing in Traffic, by Gail Giles
5: Stardust, by Neil Gaiman
6: The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger
7: Once Dead Twice Shy, by Kim Harrison (not at all recommended)
8: The Final Empire - Mistborn, Book One, by Brandon Sanderson
9: Looking for J.J., by Anne Cassidy
10: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, by Mark Haddon
11: Airhead, by Meg Cabot (only recommended if you want to be bored out of your skull)
12: Being Nikki, by Meg Cabot (see above note)
13: If I Stay, by Gayle Foreman
14: The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones
15:The Well of Ascension - Mistborn, Book Two, by Brandon Sanderson
16: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Arthur Conan Doyle
17: Along For the Ride, by Sarah Dessen
18: Soul Enchilada, by David Maciniss Gill
19: Reaper Man, by Terry Pratchett (re-read)
20: Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
21: Stravaganza: City of Secrets, by Mary Hoffman
22: In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan
23: Storm Front (Book One of the Dresden Files), by Jim Butcher
24: An Abundance of Katherines, by John Green
25: Surrender, by Soyna Hartnett
26: Charmed Life, by Diana Wynne Jones (re-read)
27: Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman
28: Under the Banner of Heaven, by Jon Krakenauer (nonfiction)
29: Hero of Ages - Mistborn, Book Three,
30: Dreamland, by Sarah Dessen*
*books in progress
[/spoiler]
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Re: The Reader's Challenge 2010
« Reply #13 on Jan 6, 2010, 12:48pm »		[Quote]
I'll give it a go ^^
[spoiler=Regular books]
1 (A):The Ask and the Answer
2 (B):
3 (C):Chains
4 (D):
5 (E):Extras
6 (F): The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
7 (G):The Graveyard Book
8 (H):
9 (I):
10 (J):
11 (K):
12 (L):Le Petit Prince
13 (M):
14 (N):Nation
15 (O):Oliver Twist
16 (P): Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
17 (Q):
18 (R):Revolver
19 (S):Specials
20 (T):The Thief of Always
21 (U):Uglies
22 (V):
23 (W):
24 (Y):
25 (Z):
26:Poisonwood Bible
27:Rowan the Strange
28:Romeo and Juliet
29:Northern Lights
30:Thirteen Reasons Why
[/spoiler]
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Re: The Reader's Challenge 2010
« Reply #14 on Jan 6, 2010, 2:44pm »		[Quote]
Wolf -- I used to read more, too. xD ...and it's just a love of reading, not any gift.

Kath -- Agreed, on the challenge. Keeping track of what I read (and, y'know, not book-hopping and never finishing things) is more of a challenge than getting the thirty books.
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