Allison’s Comments (group member since Jan 02, 2015)

Allison’s comments from the The Reading Challenge Group group.

I'm going for a second round on this challenge! I want to read another 9 by the end of 2015.

✔ 1. The Wretched of Muirwood
✔ 2. The Steel Queen
✔ 3. The Shadowy Horses
✔ 4. Sprig Muslin
✔ 5. The Thief Lord
✔ 6. The Unknown Ajax
✔ 7. The Burning Sky
✔ 8. Leviathan Wakes
The Innocent Mage
Etiquette & Espionage
Skinwalker
Steelheart

April Summary (Books actually read - 10)

Book Hoarder Challenge (Books acquired pre-2015)


Series Challenge


Seize the Day Challenge


Award Winners Mini-Challenge
Locus Award, 2014; Arthur Ellis Award, 2013


World Lit Challenge - Southeast Asia


Group Reads (Includes Other Groups)


For the Points Challenge

I ended up reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane this month. It's a short one, but has a few too many horror elements for me. There's a particular scene that will stick in my head for a long time - yuck!

Progress - Finished August 25th!

✔ B1: Exploration - Off to Be the Wizard by Scott Meyer - Finished August 25th
✔ B2: Congratulations! - Doll Bones by Holly Black - Finished May 11th
✔ B3: Participation - Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn - Finished June 16th
✔ B4: Information - Happiness: Essential Mindfulness Practices by Thich Nhat Hanh - Finished May 25th
✔ B5: Collaboration - Always a Cold Deck by Robert Bruce Stewart - Finished June 12th

✔ I1: Listed it - The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg - Finished May 10th
✔ I2: Bought it - The Iron Wyrm Affair by Lilith Saintcrow - Finished May 4th
✔ I3: Eyed it - King's Dragon by Kate Elliott - Finished May 24th
✔ I4: Downloaded it - The Wretched of Muirwood by Jeff Wheeler - Finished May 5th
✔ I5: Scored it! - Paragon Walk by Anne Perry - Finished May 14th

✔ N1: Oldie but goodie - The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle - Finished June 26th
✔ N2: New kid on the block - Stories of the Raksura, Volume 2: The Dead City & The Dark Earth Below by Martha Wells - Finished July 26
✔ N3: FREE: Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold - Finished June 27th
✔ N4: Yesterday's news - Dirty Magic by Jaye Wells - Finished May 8th
✔ N5: Everybody's talking - Uprooted by Naomi Novik - Finished July 29th

✔ G1: Nice to meet you - The Queen's Lady by Barbara Kyle - Finished July 1st
✔ G2: You seem familiar - Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters - Finished July 5th
✔ G3: One of the girls - The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley - Finished June 21st
✔ G4: One of the guys - Mort by Terry Pratchett - Finished May 16th
✔ G5: Old friends - Prince of Dogs by Kate Elliott - Finished June 9th

✔ O1: Take a stand - Sprig Muslin by Georgette Heyer - Finished July 21st
✔ O2: Take a friend - Heaven's Queen by Rachel Bach - Finished June 4th
✔ O3: Take a trip - Fall of Giants by Ken Follett - Finished July 17th
✔ O4: Take a look - The Steel Queen by Karen Azinger - Finished June 19th
✔ O5: Take a break - Scarlet by Marissa Meyer - Finished June 24th

Melissa wrote: "My new most FAVORITE book so far this year! I HIGHLY recommend Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson. A beautiful told memoir written in free verse. Yes, it is for middle scho..."

I've added it - thanks, Melissa!

Melissa wrote: "YAH! 10 Points coming up! Let me know how you like One of Ours. :)"

Melissa, I just realized you've almost finished 4 levels!!

Renee wrote: " Award Winners
Hurrah! I've reached...
LEVEL ONE:..."

Nice going, Renee! Are you doing a different award for each level on purpose, or did it just end up that way?

Renee wrote: "The next one planned is a revival of one we did last summer..."

I took a look at the one from last summer, and I think I might be able to swing it since it's not just Classics. Thanks for filling me in!

Renee wrote: "Allison,
I answered your bingo question in the middle of the night, but am actually awake now. I love the idea of a genre based challenge. Getting members to stretch and try new genres is good for..."

Thanks, Renee. Maybe I'll ponder this one a while longer and think about other possible formats. Or it might even fit better next year. I may try a personal challenge to see what I think.

I've been thinking about putting together a Bingo based on genres, but then I saw the comment that you have two other Bingos lined up. What are they going to be, and is adding another one too much, do you think?

Melissa wrote: "Sure Allison, but I'll on..."

Oh I see - they're actual children's books and really short. If you want to count them for the Award Winners challenge, go for it, though.

Melissa wrote: "The children's Caldecott Medalists have quite a few wordy titles! :D"

Should I be adding Caldecott to the Award Winners mini-challenge??

March Summary (Books actually read - 6)

Book Hoarder Challenge (Books acquired pre-2015)


Series Challenge


✔ Finished The Edge Series.

Seize the Day Challenge


Award Winners Mini-Challenge
Macavity Award, 2004


World Lit Challenge - Africa (Sub-Saharan)


Group Reads (Includes Other Groups)


Trying Something New

February Summary (Books actually read - 10)

Book Hoarder Challenge (Books acquired pre-2015)


Series Challenge


Seize the Day Challenge


Award Winners Mini-Challenge


World Lit Challenge - Middle East


Group Reads (Includes Other Groups)

I'm now completely re-arranging my shortlist because of this bonus!!

Allison's April Point Tally
Final Total: 72 Points

General book (1 point). Subtotal: 5

Fortune's Pawn
Honor's Knight
The Haunting of Maddy Clare
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation
Be Buried in the Rain

"Shortie" (0.5 points)

Group read (5 points)

Buddy read (5 points)

Genre challenge (3 points)
Temple of a Thousand Faces (World Lit - Southeast Asia)

Mini-challenge (3 points). Subtotal: 12

The Ocean at the End of the Lane (Award Winners)

All the Paths of Shadow (TBR Pile 2015)
Angelfall (TBR Pile 2015)
Lord of the Changing Winds (TBR Pile 2015)

Complete a multi-book mini-challenge (10 extra points) +10

Completed the TBR Pile 2015 Mini Challenge! (12 Books owned since before 2014)

Bonus** Read a book with 5 or more words in the title (6 points). Subtotal: 42

All the Paths of Shadow
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
The Haunting of Maddy Clare
Lord of the Changing Winds
Temple of a Thousand Faces
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation
Be Buried in the Rain

This is a great idea! I've been wanting to read more of Discworld.

Maybe there could be different levels to the challenge based on the different 'collections' within the Discworld series. E.g. read all of the Tiffany Aching, Death, City Watch, Witches, or Rincewind books. Or possibly read one from each of the sub-series to reach one level?

For those of you who haven't read any Discworld yet, I have a lot of GR friends who are fans and many of them suggest starting with Guards! Guards! or Mort. I guess they are good entry points to the world but I haven't read them yet. I started with the 'Witches' collection (Equal Rites).

I personally wouldn't recommend starting with The Color of Magic unless you're really anal about reading things in written order. A lot of people report finding it hard to get into.

Whoooooaaaaa, Renee!! You deserve some sort of a prize or a world record or something!

Kassandra wrote: "Don't forget to post your March updates here. If you're like me, you struggled a bit this month. I'm putting a plan together for my own reading to make April a more productive month. The April thre..."

Here's to a better time in April!

Once again I changed my pick for this month. I really wanted to read a historical mystery, so read Maisie Dobbs. It was really good - sad, but good.

Now I have something in mind for April, but I'm not going to say. Just in case something else calls me!

I'm loving this challenge so far. The award winners I've read are some of my favorites this year.