A’s Comments (group member since Jun 18, 2013)

A’s comments from the ♥ Nothing Better Than Reading!! ♥ group.

Broadening our reading and trying to move out of our comfort zones is the very point of this challenge. A lot of us have been caught up in reading the same type of books over and over so much so that we hardly endeavour to pick up something new and develop different tastes. I've tried to come up with a challenge which will help diversify our reading and encourage us to try out different styles and forms of literature.

Duration of the challenge

Starting date (you decide) - Ending date (you decide)
But! (Challenge should end within 31st December, 2016

The basic point of the challenge is to read a minimum of two books per month. So, if you decide to join the challenge in March and end it in December you have to read 20 books for the 10 months that you do the challenge. If you decide to join in June and end your challenge in September, 8 books for the 4 months that you participate in the challenge.

Below is a set of 10 categories to choose from. The number of months you decide to participate in the challenge is the number of cateogires you choose from. So, suppose you do the challenge from June to September (4 months), you can choose any four categories out of the 10.

Each category will contain 3-5 options below it. For each month, you choose a particular category and the two books you read will have to be decided from the options given below that same category. For example, suppose you choose to take up category 7 for the month of June, so both the books you read during that month will have to satisfy the options from category 7 only.

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Category 1
Translated Fiction
- Read a book which is translated into English, from any of these languages - Spanish, German, Italian, French, Russian. (Mention the language it has been translated from)
- Read a book originally written in English, but which has been translated into over 10 languages. (Mention the 10 languages)
- Read a book which has been translated into English from a language which you wish to learn. (Mention the language.)
- Read a book originally written in any language of your native country, and has been translated into English. (Mention the language)

Category 2
Banned Books
- Read a book which was banned before you were born.
- Read a banned book written by an author belonging to your own country.
- Read any book from this list of top 10 banned books : http://www.shortlist.com/home/10-bann...

Category 3
Modern Adaptations of Classicsl Literature
- Read a modern adaptation of a play.
- Read a modern adaptation of a classic novel.
- Read a modern YA retelling of a classic novel/a play.

(For help, you can refer to these two lists :
http://www.bustle.com/articles/19564-...
http://mentalfloss.com/article/57225/...

Category 4
Genre Game
- After a quick overview of you read shelf, select the one genre you have read the least books from. Read any two books from that selected genre.
- After a quick overview of all the books you read last year, select the least read genre, and read two book from that genre.
- Try out two different authors from a particular genre you've been meaning to explore for a while.

Category 5
Sub Sub Genres
- Read a 'weird fiction' novel. [Weird fiction : https://www.goodreads.com/genres/weir...]
- Read a book which 'coming of age' coupled with 'low fantasy'.
- Read a book pertaining to any one of these sub-genres of science fiction - near future, space opera, steampunk, alternate history.

Category 6
Illustrations
- Read an illustrated classic.
- Read an illustrated non-classic.
- Read an illustrated retelling of a classic.
- Read a graphic novel.

Category 7
Broaden Your Horizons
- Read a book which solely deals with feminism.
- Read a satirical play/novel.
- Read a memoir written at least a 100 years ago.
- Read a play which has been known to subvert idealistic notions of that time.

Category 8
Culture
- Read a book of 'Japanese Fiction', 'Indian Fiction' or 'Russian Fiction'
- Read a book set in Egypt, China or Italy.
- Read a book whose home page lists the genres of 'literary fiction' and 'cultural fiction' below it.
- Read a book set in a country whose culture you're interested in.

Category 9
Poetry
- Read the works of a poet who belongs to your country.
- Read the works of a poet who mainly deals with political poetry.
- Read the works of a poet of 200 years ago.

Category 10
Book Awards
- Read a book which won the Man Booker Prize after 1999.
- Read a book by an author who has won a Man Booker Prize as well as been nominated for the Prize in another year.
- Read a Pulitzer Prize Winner

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These were the 10 categories aforementioned. You can post all queries/suggestions below. All records of books read for the challenge have to be made here. Please record all your books in one post only; do not use multiple posts.

Happy Reading.

Title and Author : Azurite by Megan Dent Nagle
Summary : There is magic in the earth.
It is a volatile force, forged from the energy of our planet’s birth and instilled into the spirit of every living being. It is what binds the world together–constant and unchanging, simply existing, unable to be created or destroyed.
Our progenitors named it Ithillium.
In the beginning, there were those who could maneuver Ithillium–sorcerers who Bonded to it. Used it. But now their legacy only survives by the grace of their legends. There are those who believe sorcerers still exist, but fear of persecution subdues them into silence.
And there are those, the anomalies, who are ignorant to the truth, but by their very existence prove what should have been told from the beginning. The last heir to the Samarian throne, Zora Winnser, is one of these people.
Resented by her Queen mother and denied her right of ascension by an archaic law, Zora is exiled to Cara, the southern most country in the Realm. It is these trials, and the appearance of an unlikely companion, that forces Zora to face the truth about herself, her abilities, and the world as she knows it.
Back home, an ancient foe looms on Samaria’s horizon, threatening to exploit the very heart of their wealth–the mines. Embittered with secrets of her own, Queen Evangeline foolishly leads Samaria into certain demise, through a war they cannot win. Throughout the country mutiny is unleashed, loyalties are tested, and all faith in Evangeline is lost.
In order to combat the evil invading her country, Zora must embrace her new identity as a wielder of Ithillium. But in a world where history is rewritten to accommodate an ideal, where lies become truth and truth become lies, will her country accept her back for what she was? Or hate her for what she has become.

Reviewers

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Welcome to the group, newcomers! Thank you so much for joining :))

Hi everyone!

The pairs for the March Buddy Read have been formed. Please make your Buddy Read threads yourself. Any one Buddy can do it, although please check whether your partner has already made the thread or not before yourself making it.

The format of the threads :

BR (No. of your pair) - Name of Buddy Readers; Start date ----> 1st March

Thanks again!

Pairs

1. Morgan - Chelsea
2. Taylor - Brittany
3. Lata - Vipul
4. Karrington - Kate
5. Neha - Sadaf
6. Princess~Butterflu - Coco
7. Arch - Juli
8. Liz - Olea
9. Devi - Shubham
10. Hemdiva - Yogya Hari Prakash
11. Loner - M Fancy
12. Renie - Elisabeth
13. Jai - Richa
14. Rahul - Harsha
15. Billie - Traci

Happy Reading!

Sign up below!

Last date : 28th Feb, 2016

Please avoid spamming.

Sanaya wrote: "Hi Ruchi !

What if there isn't a common book in the tbr?"

You can still mutually decide on something you both would like to read. It's not necessary for the book to be on your tbr piles.

Airlift....absolutely amazing ^.^

Categories -

1)Free Pick (any genre, must be STANDALONE)
2)Genre Based (Literary Fiction)

(For category 3, (Series read), I will be putting in nominations, i.e, the sequels of all the books we've already read as our BOTM).

Last date for suggestions : 16th February, 2016

Share your current reads here!

The readathon begins on 20th February and ends on 26th February.

You can set your own book limit/page limit and try your best to complete that. Remember! The point of the readathon is to push yourself and break out of your comfort zones :))

The readathon begins on 12th February and ends on 18th February.

You can set your own book limit/page limit and try your best to complete that. Remember! The point of the readathon is to push yourself and break out of your comfort zones :))

The readathon begins on 4th February and ends on 10th February.

You can set your own book limit/page limit and try your best to complete that. Remember! The point of the readathon is to push yourself and break out of your comfort zones :))

Hi everyone!

The pairs for the February Buddy Read have been formed. Please make your Buddy Read threads yourself. Any one Buddy can do it, although please check whether your partner has already made the thread or not before yourself making it.

The format of the threads :

BR (No. of your pair) - Name of Buddy Readers; Start date ----> 1st February

Thanks again!

1) Leelynn - Devi
2)Colleen - Taylor
3)Sumaya - Ankit - Neha
4)Manab - Pulkit
5)Kate - Dawnie
6)Phani - Juli
7)Pritha - Shubham
8)Maranda - Zack
9)Alison - Amanda
10)Maka - Omkar
11)Sanojha - Sanaya
12)Billie - Socially

Happy Reading!

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