2016 Challenge Progress

[Jalilah]

Margaret wrote: Wow, that looks intense! Added it to my TBR list. ."

Tamara wrote: "Hi Everyone,
I was reviewing your lists of reading challenges, all of which look intriguing. I'm too late to participate in the 2016 reading challenge since I joined this group only recently. But i..."

I've added it too! I don't think I've read any books set in Indonesia or with Indonesian mythology in them.

Last year I read When the Elephants Dance which is set in the Philippines.

Tamara setting up the yearly challenge is also a lot of fun. We usually start doing that,making suggestions etc in November or December.

[Jalilah]

I was planing on reading Before We Visit the Goddess by Chitra Banerjee Divakarunifor # 7. Honestly I am not sure if there is going to be any mythology or folklore in it. I loved both The Mistress of Spices and Sister of My Heart by the same author.

[Margaret]

The title makes it seem like it should have some mythology. I now own Sister of My Heart, but haven't had a chance to read it yet.

I finished The Rose and the Beast: Fairy Tales Retold by Francesca Lia Block in a single sitting (for #1). I've read some of them, but others seem unfamiliar. It's good, though as a trigger warning, if you haven't read it before, the stories deal with teenage sexual abuse.

Oops, meant #3.

[Jalilah]

I can mark one more category that I've read a book for:
Before We Visit the Goddess by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni for #7
The book is fairly realistic, however there is a consistent mentioning of various Indian-Hindu myths, as well as mentioning of characters from the myths, so I think it would count.

Now I only have one more,#2. One Adult Fairy Tale retelling from the Endicott list. I wanted to read either Briar Rose or Winter Rose, but library does not have either of them.

1.One Mythic Fiction novel from the Endicott list -The Hummingbird's Daughter ( a re-read still 5 stars for me)
2.One Adult Fairy Tale retelling from the Endicott list
3. One Young Adult Fairy Tale retelling from the Endicott list The Snow Queen (fantastic!)
4.A book with an LGBTQA character Unicorn Mountain (was okay)
5.A book that makes use of the stories surrounding one of the world's major religions (i.e. Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam) Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry (interesting!)

A book or collection set in or using mythology/tales/folklore from:
6.East Asia (i.e. China, Mongolia, Korea, Japan, etc) Memories of My Ghost Brother ( Okay....parts of it were not engaging)
7.Oceania and South & Southeast Asia (i.e. India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, Polynesia, Micronesia, etc) Before We Visit the Goddess ( a real page turner! )
8.Middle East The Architect's Apprentice (loved it! )
9.Africa The Icarus Girl ( I hope to read more by Helen Oyeyemi)
10.Central or South America The Huaca ( meh)
11.North America & Caribbean (Non-European based tales only) ( Two Old Women: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival (deeply moving)
12.Europe Dreamer's Pool (I normally love Juliet Marillier, but I had certain issues with this book)

[Margaret]

Great list! I've added many that you loved to my TBR list. I picked up Two Old Women Saturday at work!

I have 2 remaining:

#6. I will be reading The Woman Warrior after Lacey's review, and I own it.

#10. I'll be reading Kalpa Imperial: The Greatest Empire That Never Was, which is supposed to have some mythology in it. I also already own it.

After I finish The Name of the Wind, which is a giant book so it will take me a while, I plan on immediately reading these two. Once I'm finished I'll repost my completed list with thoughts.

[Jalilah]

It's almost December and I still have one book remaining, 2.One Adult Fairy Tale retelling from the Endicott list
I am glad for next years challenge we agreed not to put all 3 Endicott lists on! There are still many books on the Mythic fiction list that I'd like to read, but not so many on the Adult Fairy Tale Retelling. As I said, my library does not have the two that appeal to me, Briar Rose and Winter Rose, so I requested an inter-library loan for Winter Rose (still in the mood for fairies!) awhile ago. It still has not arrived.

[Leah]

Lila (formerly Jalilah) wrote: "It's almost December and I still have one book remaining, 2.One Adult Fairy Tale retelling from the Endicott list"

Pfft, that's nothing; I still have 12 more books I want to read for the 2016 challenge. A huge chunk of my December reading will be for the challenge, but I'm excited to read all of the books on my list, so I'm not discouraged...yet. LOL

[Jalilah]

Yay! My inter-library loan of Winter Rose has arrived!
So it will be for #2 Endicott Fiction Adult Fairy Tale, then I will have finished the challenge.

[Margaret]

Finished Kalpa Imperial: The Greatest Empire That Never Was for #10, but it didn't seem very folkloric or mythic to me. If I had more time in the year, I'd pick out something else for the challenge. As it is, it will have to do.

All I need to do is read The Woman Warrior and I'll be finished up.

[Jalilah]

Margaret wrote: "I need to do is read The Woman Warrior and I'll be finished up. "

What category is Woman Warrior for?

[Margaret]

#6. It's supposed to incorporate Chinese folklore into a memoir about the Chinese-American experience. I rarely read memoirs, and I thought this was a really interesting approach to one. Hopefully I'll enjoy it!

[Jalilah]

With Winter Rose by Patricia A. McKillip for # 2 my challenge is completed!
Here are my books! https://www.goodreads.com/user_challe...

[Margaret]

Lila wrote: "With Winter Rose by Patricia A. McKillip for # 2 my challenge is completed!
Here are my books! https://www.goodreads.com/user_challe......"

Awesome list! I want to read several of those.

[Margaret]

Finished the challenge! Here are my books: https://www.goodreads.com/user_challe...

If I had to pick a favorite, it's The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black. But I also really enjoyed Possession by A.S. Byatt and Roofwalker by Susan Power.