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

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

Danielle wrote: "I'm going to begin with level 1, Allison. I have already read two books since the beginning of this year that have won awards. I hope it is okay I use the books I have already read..."

Sure - that's totally fine! Glad you're jumping in.

Kassandra wrote: "Allison, you can count the world lit as part of genre since it's a group category."

Ok, thanks!

Another quick question! There's a place for books read for the genre challenge - what about the other challenges such as World Lit? Do those fit anywhere or are they just 'general' points?

Kassandra wrote: "I feel your pain Allison. Hopefully we will have lots of time in April to make up for a dismal March!"

I hope so!

Kassandra wrote: "March has been a horrible month for reading for me, there just doesn't seem to be any time. My poor points! Is anyone else struggling this month?"

Same here! And now I have family in town for the rest of the month, so will have even less time to read!

Renee wrote: "I've started Cry, the Beloved Country. I'm really enjoying it. It's very well written. A small town minister must go into the city of Johannesburg. The early chapters underscore how out..."

I read that in high school 20 years ago and still remember it! It's a real classic.

Kassandra wrote: "I love your monthly recap Allison!"

Thanks, Kassandra. It helps me stick to my plan!

My tentative plan for March is to read Wolf Hall, winner of the Man Booker Prize in 2009. This is one my dad recommended to me a while ago, so I'm finally going to give it a try.

January Summary (Books actually read - 10)

Book Hoarder Challenge (Books acquired pre-2015)


Series Challenge


✔ Finished the original Sevenwaters Trilogy

Seize the Day Challenge


Award Winners Mini-Challenge


World Lit Challenge - South America

None - DNF'd Love in the Time of Cholera

Group Reads (Includes Other Groups)

Original Bingo Mini Challenge (May-August)

Bingo Challenge Thread

Completed August 25th

✔ B1: Exploration - Off to Be the Wizard - 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

✔ 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

It looks like a few people already finished level one - well done!

Somehow my TBR list is growing...

Renee, you are really kicking butt on all your challenges this year!

I'm considering Flight Behavior for this one.

Allison's March Point Tally
Final Total: 12 Points

General book (1 point)

Steel's Edge
The Mediterranean Caper
Insurgent

"Shortie" (0.5 points)

Group read (5 points)

Buddy read (5 points)

Genre challenge (3 points)

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (World Lit)

Mini-challenge (3 points)

Maisie Dobbs (Award Winners)

The Death of the Necromancer (2015 TBR Pile)

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

Bonus** Read a book that has been made into a movie that you've seen (5 points)

My library just added The Orchard of Lost Souls, which is set in Somalia in the 1980s. That looks interesting, as well as the author's first book set in Somalia in the 1930s, Black Mamba Boy.

I'm also considering The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, set in Botswana. I've been eying it for a long time, so may use this as an excuse to go for it.

I ended up reading The Kiss of a Stranger for this mini-challenge. I doubled it up with my Romance genre read for the month.

I changed my selection for this month to The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. It won several awards, but I picked it for the Andre Norton Award, 2009.

Somehow I never manage to stick to plans if I try to make them! But I needed something a little different from the other things I'd been reading and really enjoyed it.

Melissa wrote: "It is fun tallying those points Allison, It gives good incentive to reach our monthly goals. :)..."

So true. It's shaping which books I choose at least a little bit! Except now I'm bemoaning the fact that February is so short. How to fit everything in? :)

Kassandra wrote: "Just within this group Allison."

That's what I thought. Just checking! :)

Allison's February Point Tally
Final Total: 78

General book (1 point)

"Shortie" (0.5 points)

Group read (5 points)

Buddy read (5 points)

Genre challenge (3 points)

Night of a Thousand Stars (Romance)
Fate's Edge (Romance)
Living Dead in Dallas (Romance)
Agent of Change (Romance)
Blackmoore (Romance)

Mini-challenge (3 points)

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (Award Winners)

Beauvallet (TBR Pile 2015)
The Dirty Streets of Heaven (TBR Pile 2015)
The Kiss of a Stranger (TBR Pile 2015)
Cast In Courtlight (TBR Pile 2015)

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

Bonus** Books on my TBR for more than 6 consecutive months (6 points)
Beauvallet (Bought 2011)
Night of a Thousand Stars (Bought 5/2014)
The Dirty Streets of Heaven (Bought 2013)
The Kiss of a Stranger (Bought 2013)
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (Bought 2013)
Agent of Change (Bought 6/2014)
Blackmoore (Bought 5/2014)
Cast In Courtlight (Bought 2011)