December - Advent Calendar

[Cassandra]

ADVENT CALENDAR CHALLENGE
Duration: December 1 - December 31, 2016

Many countries around the world use advent calendars or Christmas calendars to celebrate the month of December. For some people, the calendar has religious significance, but for others it's a secular, non-religious tradition.

For this challenge, there are two options:

A) Starting on Dec. 1 and ending on Dec. 24, read a short story (or a poem!) every day. Use stories or poems from collections, magazines, or the internet - there's lot of good short fiction available for free from many publishers.

B) Starting on Dec. 1: Split a novel into 24 chunks and portion your reading so that you read the last chunk on Dec. 24. (Ideally the novel has 24 chapters to start with! But as long as you can manage to count out even-sized* chunks, it'll work.)

* Most calendars provide a bigger treat for Dec 24.

Any novel or bunch of stories will work - but seasonal themes like winter, kindness, family, friendship, gift-giving, etc. will definitely work well with the whole spirit of the season.

If you'd rather keep reading past the 24th, you're welcome to try for the whole month!

Karina is the creator and leader of this challenge. Thank you, Karina!

[Cassandra]

This was one of my favorite challenges last year! I definitely want to participate, and I'll try for all 31 days.

[Blagica , Challenges]

i'm in for 31

[Mie]

I had been thinking about reading a small poem a day - just to try something new... And this seems like a perfect time to start! I will see if I can get this from the library tomorrow: Christmas calendar for grownups.

Julekalender for voksne - 24/24 ✅

[Karina]

Oh, hi! Welcome to the advent calendar!

Participants
Karina: 31/31 - yay!
Cassandra: 0/31
Blagica: 4/31
Mie: 24/24 - yay!
Anna: 31/31 + 31/31 - yay!
Debra: 31/31 + 34/31 - yay!
Alisia: 31/31 - yay!
Erin: 24/24 - early!
Sam F.: 24/24 - early!
Caro:
Jennifer: 10/31
Lindsay: 24/24 - yay!
Melissa: 14/31
Abby: 4/24
Kate: 15/31
Zara: 0/31
Jordyn: 28/28 - yay!
Erika: 0/24
Heather: 26/31
Reija: 24/24 - yay!
Cheri: 8/31
Jane: 31/31 - yay!
Nilsa:
Jen:
Diana: 25/25 - yay!
Clare: 24/24 - yay!
Katherine: 4/31
Nicole: 3/31
ChrisR: 16/31
Morgan: /31

[Karina]

I have a little tip! For a while now, I've been having fun with an app on my phone called Serial Reader - I think it's available for both android and iphone. It offers a wide selection of classics and gives them to you in "bite-size" chunks every day, estimated to take about 10 minutes to read. The lenght of the original work determines the number of days/chunks, of course - but there are many in the 20-30 range, or there's always the option to read more than one piece at a time.

This could be useful to anyone looking to fill in their December with Austen or Brönte or Wodehouse or Shakespeare or Melville, etc.

For myself, I've accumulated a lot of short story collections this year - I'll be especially looking forward to Invisible Planets: Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction in Translation. :)

[[deleted user]]

I'm in for 31. I'm going to do both options.

***COMPLETE***

A) Collected Narrative and Lyrical Poetry by Alexander Pushkin

✔ 12/1: Poem 1. "Anchar"
✔ 12/2: Poem 2. "Arion"
✔ 12/3: Poem 3. "Devils"
✔ 12/4: Poem 4. "Bacchanal Song"
✔ 12/5: Poem 5. "Wandering the noisy streets..."
✔ 12/6: Poem 6. "The Tenth commandment"
✔ 12/7: Poem 7. "Deep in Siberia's mines..."
✔ 12/8: Poem 8. "Should this life sometime deceive you..."
✔ 12/9: Poem 9. "Winter morning"
✔ 12/10: Poem 10. "Winter evening"
✔ 12/11: Poem 11. "The wondrous moment of our meeting..."
✔ 12/12: Poem 12. "To the sea"
✔ 12/13: Poem 13. "When in the heat of my embrace..."
✔ 12/14: Poem 14. "In a Beauty's Album"
✔ 12/15: Poem 15. "To Chaadaev"
✔ 12/16: Poem 16. "Night"
✔ 12/17: Poem 17. "On hills of Georgia lies covering of night.."
✔ 12/18: Poem 18. "To My Nanny"
✔ 12/19: Poem 19. "While the poet is not required..."
✔ 12/20: Poem 20. "Confession"
✔ 12/21: Poem 21. "Awakening"
✔ 12/22: Poem 22. "The Prophet"
✔ 12/23: Poem 23. "As freedom's sower in the wasteland..."
✔ 12/24: Poem 24. "Verses, composed during a night of insomnia"
✔ 12/25: Poem 25. "The Talisman"
✔ 12/26: Poem 26. "Storm cloud"
✔ 12/27: Poem 27. "A little bird"
✔ 12/28: Poem 28. "The Captive"
✔ 12/29: Poem 29. "What means my name to you?.."
✔ 12/30: Poem 30. "I loved you"
✔ 12/31: Poem 31. "I have endured my desire..."

31/31

B) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

✔ 12/1: Chapter 1
✔ 12/2: Chapter 2
✔ 12/3: Chapter 3
✔ 12/4: Chapter 4
✔ 12/5: Chapter 5
✔ 12/6: Chapter 6
✔ 12/7: Chapter 7
✔ 12/8: Chapter 8
✔ 12/9: Chapter 9
✔ 12/10: Chapter 10
✔ 12/11: Chapter 11
✔ 12/12: Chapter 12
✔ 12/13: Chapter 13
✔ 12/14: Chapter 14
✔ 12/15: Chapter 15
✔ 12/16: Chapter 16
✔ 12/17: Chapter 17
✔ 12/18: Chapter 18
✔ 12/19: Chapter 19
✔ 12/20: Chapter 20
✔ 12/21: Chapter 21
✔ 12/22: Chapter 22
✔ 12/23: Chapter 23
✔ 12/24: Chapter 24
✔ 12/25: Chapter 25
✔ 12/26: Chapter 26
✔ 12/27: Chapter 27
✔ 12/28: Chapter 28
✔ 12/29: Chapter 29
✔ 12/30: Chapter 30
✔ 12/31: Chapter 31

31/31

[Debra]

sign me up for this I will commit to both challenges for the month of December. Also put me in for 31

[Mie]

Sorry, Karina!
My choice of calendar book should have 24 poems - I can see, that I forgot to specify... Please sign me up for 24 :-)

[Cassandra]

I'm hoping to read Invisible Planets: Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction in Translation too!

[Alisia]

I'm in for this! I love this challenge and I have plenty of unread short story collections! :)

[Alisia]

Alisia wrote: "I'm in for this! I love this challenge and I have plenty of unread short story collections! :)"

I'll go for the 31 days also! :)

[Erin]

I will go for the 2nd option. I am going to read The Last One and will read it over the 24 days.

✓12/1: Chapter 0
✓12/2: Chapter 1
✓12/3: Chapter 2
✓12/4: Chapter 3
✓12/5: Chapter 4
✓12/6: Chapter 5
✓12/7: Chapter 6
✓12/8: Chapter 7
✓12/9: Chapter 8
✓12/10: Chapter 9
✓12/11: Chapter 10
✓12/12: Chapter 11
✓12/13: Chapter 12
✓12/14: Chapter 13
✓12/15: Chapter 14
✓12/16: Chapter 15
✓12/17: Chapter 16
✓12/18: Chapter 17
✓12/19: Chapter 18
✓12/20: Chapter 19
✓12/21: Chapter 20
✓12/22: Chapter 21
✓12/23: Chapter 22
✓12/24: Chapter 23-Chapter 27

24/24

[Sam F]

I'm going to read Red China Blues: My Long March From Mao to Now by Jan Wong in 24 parts.

✓ 12/1: Explanation of Names
✓ 12/2: Prologue
✓ 12/3: Chapter 1
✓ 12/4: Chapter 2
✓12/5: Chapter 3
✓12/6: Chapter 4
✓12/7: Chapter 5
✓ 12/8: Chapter 6
✓ 12/9: Chapter 7
✓ 12/10: Chapter 8
✓ 12/11: Chapter 9
✓ 12/12: Chapter 10
✓ 12/13: Chapter 11
✓ 12/14: Chapter 12
✓ 12/15: Chapter 13
✓ 12/16: Chapter 14
✓ 12/17: Chapter 15
✓ 12/18: Chapter 16 - Finished Book - I couldn't resist - it was too good!

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
✓ 12/19: - Chapter 6
✓ 12/20: Chapter 7
✓ 12/21: Chapter 8
✓ 12/22: Chapter 9
✓ 12/23: Chapter 10
✓ 12/24: Chapter 11 - Finished early - couldn't help myself!

[Caro]

I will do this challenge again... Going for option A. Not sure which book I will pick

[Karina]

Mie: Got it, thanks! :)

Debra: I'm not sure I understood you right about "both challenges", please correct me if I listed your sign-up wrong!

Sam F and Caro, remember to update later with the number of days you want for your challenges!

[Debra]

Karina wrote: "

Debra: I'm not sure I understood you right about "both challenges", please correct me if I listed your sign-up wrong!
I will do both A and B above

[Jennifer]

Count me in for 31 days. Time to go looking for a book that works.

I am reading Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption which I broke up into 31 equal parts.

1.done
2.done
3. done
4. done
5. done
6. done
7. done
8. done
9. done
10. done

[Lindsay]

Hi Karina. I am going to read The Jungle Book on serial reader as it has 24 issues.

Completed!

[Mell]

I really enjoyed this challenge last year! I will see if I can find a book of essays, like I used last year, or else I will use Serial Reader and pick a classic that has 24-31 issues :)

1-11 A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens ✔ 4★
12-14 The First Christmas Tree by Henry Van Dyke ✔ 2★
15-26 The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum
27-31 The Christmas Angel by Abbie Farwell Brown

[Abby]

I'll be doing challenge B for 24 days.
I even found a 24 chapter book that has been sitting on my bookshelf for a while: Eon by Alison Goodman

[Kate]

I'm going to use serial reader to read by Gaston Leroux. It is 33 issues so I will start it a little early to play catch up. Count me in for 31 days on challenge B!

[Zara's Corner]

I'd like to try this. Please put me down for A. I would like to see if I can read a poem every day in December.

[battie]

I'll use serial reader to read Frankenstein, which is 28 issues, so put me down for that. :)
28/28

[Erika]

I actually was gifted a Short Story Advent Calendar with a different story, which is completely sealed so I don't even know who the author is, for every day leading up to Christmas. So I'm definitely in for 24 for this one!

[Cassandra]

That's really cool, Erika! I didn't know they made a real one. :)

[Mie]

Never heard of that before! Sounds great - perhaps I should check with the local bookstores, if there are any in Danish :-)

[Cassandra]

Yesterday I went to the huge library in my city and browsed short story collections. I picked up a few to read, and I'm sure I'll read some online. Still crossing my fingers that Invisible Planets will come available in time.

Here's what I have so far to read:
The Best American Short Stories 2016
Ghostly: A Collection of Ghost Stories
The Wandering Earth

[Heather]

I'd like to do b please
I will do 31 days The Secret Adversary

✅12/1: Chapter 1
✅12/2: Chapter 2
✅12/3: Chapter 3
✅12/4: Chapter 4
✅12/5: Chapter 5
✅12/6: Chapter 6
✅12/7: Chapter 7
✅12/8: Chapter 8
✅12/9: Chapter 9
✅12/10: Chapter 10
✅12/11: Chapter 11
✅12/12: Chapter 12
✅12/13: Chapter 13
✅12/14: Chapter 14
✅12/15: Chapter 15
✅12/16: Chapter 16
✅12/17: Chapter 17
✅12/18: Chapter 18
✅12/19: Chapter 19
✅12/20: Chapter 20
✅12/21: Chapter 21
✅12/22: Chapter 22
✅12/23: Chapter 23
✅12/24: Chapter 24
✅12/25: Chapter 25
✅12/26: Chapter 26
12/27: Chapter 27
12/28: Chapter 28
12/29: Chapter 29
12/30: Chapter 30
12/31: Chapter 31

[Karina]

I think I've got everyone on the list, so far. :)

Just a few hours until December, now!

[Cassandra]

Thanks for reminding me that December starts tomorrow. It doesn't seem possible!

[Mie]

I have ben looking forward to December for a couple of weeks now - finally it's here! And my calendar poem book is ready on the coffee table for tomorrow :-)

Now I only have left to figure out: should I start or finish the day with a poem? Decisions, decisions... :-D

[Mell]

I will be starting with A Christmas Carol on Serial Reader, then will decide what to do after that. I just dow loaded a bunch of audiobooks that are essays, just not sure how to section them!

[Karina]

31/31

1) "The litany of earth" by Ruthanna Emrys, available free online.
2) "Pop tarts" by Lauren Beukes, from the collection Slipping: Stories, Essays, & Other Writing
3) "The picture in the house" by HP Lovecraft, from the collection The Haunter of the Dark
4) "Fox magic" by Kij Johnson, from the collection At the Mouth of the River of Bees: Stories
5) "Ghost girl" by Lauren Beukes, from the collection Slipping: Stories, Essays, & Other Writing
6) "In the desert like a bone" by Seanan McGuire, from the anthology The Starlit Wood: New Fairy Tales
7) "Underground" by Karin Tidbeck, from the anthology The Starlit Wood: New Fairy Tales
8) "The tiger fortune princess" by Eugie Foster, from the collection Returning My Sister's Face and Other Far Eastern Tales of Whimsy and Malice
9) "The year of the rat" by Chen Quifan from the anthology Invisible Planets: Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction in Translation
10) "Familiaris" by Genevieve Valentine, from the anthology The Starlit Wood: New Fairy Tales
11) "The bitey cat" by Kij Johnson, from the collection At the Mouth of the River of Bees: Stories
12) "Seasons of glass and iron" by Amal El-Mohtar, from the anthology The Starlit Wood: New Fairy Tales
13) "Penny for a match, mister?" by Garth Nix, from the anthology The Starlit Wood: New Fairy Tales
14) "The horse raiders" by Kij Johnson, from the collection At the Mouth of the River of Bees: Stories
15) "The briar and the rose" by Marjorie Liu, from the anthology The Starlit Wood: New Fairy Tales
16) "#Connollyhouse #weshouldntbehere" by Seanan McGuire, from the anthology What the #@&% Is That?: The Saga Anthology of the Monstrous and the Macabre
17) "Mobility" by Laird Barron, from the anthology What the #@&% Is That?: The Saga Anthology of the Monstrous and the Macabre
18) "Spinning silver" by Naomi Novik, , from the anthology The Starlit Wood: New Fairy Tales
19) "The fish of Lijiang" by Chen Quifan, from the anthology Invisible Planets: Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction in Translation
20) "A thread of silk" by Eugie Foster, from the collection Returning My Sister's Face and Other Far Eastern Tales of Whimsy and Malice
21) "Cold case" by Jim Butcher, from the anthology Shadowed Souls
22) "The tears of my mother, the shell of my father" by Eugie Foster, from the collection Returning My Sister's Face and Other Far Eastern Tales of Whimsy and Malice
23) "Year of the fox" by Eugie Foster, from the collection Returning My Sister's Face and Other Far Eastern Tales of Whimsy and Malice
24) "Sleepover" by Seanan McGuire, from the anthology Shadowed Souls
25) "Returning my sister's face" by Eugie Foster, from the collection Returning My Sister's Face and Other Far Eastern Tales of Whimsy and Malice
26) "A hundred ghosts parade tonight" by Xia Jia, from the anthology Invisible Planets: Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction in Translation
27) "If wishes were" by Tanya Huff, from the anthology Shadowed Souls
28) "My wife reincarnated as a Solitaire[...]" by Kij Johnson, from the collection At the Mouth of the River of Bees: Stories
29) "Eye of Newt" by Kevin J. Anderson, from the anthology Shadowed Souls
30) "Ponies" by Kij Johnson, from the collection At the Mouth of the River of Bees: Stories
31) "Tongtong's summer" by Xia Jia, from the anthology Invisible Planets: Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction in Translation

[Karina]

What's everyone reading today?

[Reija]

I'm in A!

I'm starting with Poirot but I'm planning mix other stories too.


1. The Nemean Lion (The Labours of Hercules)

[Erin]

Not sure if we are supposed to update daily, but i finished my first day (message #13) Current: 1/24

[Cheri]

I love this! One poem a day for me all month, and I will make them seasonal. I'm putting a couple of asterisks by the ones I particularly like.

**1. "Little Tree" by e.e. cummings http://www.yourdailypoem.com/listpoem...
2. "Approach of Winter" by William Carlos Williams http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/approa...
3. "Flowers in Winter" by John Greenleaf Whittier http://www.poetry-archive.com/w/flowe...
4. "Winter Trees" by Sylvia Plath
http://www.poetrysoup.com/famous/poem...
**5. "Listen" by Miller Williams http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org...
6. "Christmas Trees" by Robert Frost https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem...
7. "The Snow Storm" by Edna St. Vincent Millay http://www.poemhunter.com/poems/snow/...
**8. "Snow" by Louise MacNeice http://www.thepoetryexchange.co.uk/un...
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[Sam F]

Updated: Message 14

[Abby]

I too am done with the first day.

Eon by Alison Goodman
1. Chapter One: Completed
2. Chapter Two: Completed

[Mell]

Cheri wrote: "I love this! One poem a day for me all month, and I will try to make them seasonal.

1 - "Little Tree" by e.e. cummings (http://www.yourdailypoem.com/listpoem...)
2 -"

I read this one too!

[Reija]

I was looking for some short story collections, and I found some nice and of course, I wanna start all of them right now. Well, I read only Doctor Who and still continuing with Poirot.

2. All I want for Christmas (Twelve Doctors of Christmas), The Lernean Hydra (The Labours of Hercules)

[Debra]

A. All Wrapped Up: A Collection of Christmas Love Stories and Echoes of Winter: A Wintery YA Short Story Collection and Tiny Treats
1. the present COMPLETED
2. sing a christmas carol COMPLETED
3. The Kissing tree COMPLETED
4 'Tis the season COMPLETED
5 Twelve days until Christmas COMPLETED
6. Christmas Seasoning COMPLETED
7. Merry Chris Witch COMPLETED
8. Wrapped in the past COMPLETED
9. Butterflies in the snow COMPLETED
10. The darkest night of the year COMPLETED
11. Cold Hearth COMPLETED
12. Code X COMPLETED
13. Good Saint Nick COMPLETED
14. Soaring COMPLETED
15. A Spirits last gift COMPLETED
16. Winter Trials COMPLETED
17. The Edge - COMPLETED
18. Mistle toe cowboy COMPLETED
19. an ugly sweater christmas COMPLETED
20. close to perfect COMPLETED
21. To Santa with love COMPLETED
22. A Perfect party COMPLETED
23. the miracle of the child COMPLETED
24. Mistletoe Magic COMPLETED
25. On this Christmas day COMPLETED
26. Fashionably late for Christmas COMPLETED
27. A Seal's proposal COMPLETED
28. White Christmas pizza COMPLETED
29. the Christmas before Hell froze over COMPLETED
30. Snowflake COMPLETED
31. New Years Magic COMPLETED

B. Dream World
Chapter oneCOMPLETED
Chapter two COMPLETED
Chapter three COMPLETED
Chapter Four COMPLETED
Chapter five COMPLETED
Chapter six COMPLETED
Chapter seven COMPLETED
Chapter eight COMPLETED
Chapter nine COMPLETED
Chapter ten COMPLETED
Chapter eleven COMPLETED
Chapter twelve COMPLETED
Chapter thirteen COMPLETED
Chapter fourteenCOMPLETED
Chapter fifteen COMPLETED
Chapter sixteen COMPLETED
Chapter seventeen COMPLETED
Chapter eighteen COMPLETED
Chapter nineteen COMPLETED
Chapter twenty COMPLETED
Chapter twenty one COMPLETED
Chapter twenty two COMPLETED
Chapter twenty three COMPLETED
Chapter twenty four COMPLETED
Chapter twenty five COMPLETED
Chapter twenty six COMPLETED
Chapter twenty seven COMPLETED
Chapter twenty eightCOMPLETED
Chapter twenty nine COMPLETED
Chapter thirty COMPLETED
Chapter thirty one COMPLETED
Chapter thirty two COMPLETED
Chapter thirty three COMPLETED
Chapter thirty four COMPLETED

[Karina]

Erin wrote: "Not sure if we are supposed to update daily, but i finished my first day (message #13) Current: 1/24"

Please, update daily if you want to! :) (Everyone: Remember I might not catch your progress unless you make a post saying something about it!)

Updated to here, I think...!

[Blagica , Challenges]

2/31

[Cheri]

Melissa wrote: "Cheri wrote: "I love this! One poem a day for me all month, and I will try to make them seasonal.

1 - "Little Tree" by e.e. cummings (http://www.yourdailypoem.com/listpoem...)
2 -"

..."

Melissa, I guess great minds think alike!! ;)

[Cheri]

Karina wrote: "I have a little tip! For a while now, I've been having fun with an app on my phone called Serial Reader - I think it's available for both android and iphone. It offers a wide selection of classics ..."

What a great tip, thanks! I'm going to check it out.

[Debra]

Karina wrote: "Erin wrote: "Not sure if we are supposed to update daily, but i finished my first day (message #13) Current: 1/24"

Please, update daily if you want to! :) (Everyone: Remember I might not catch you..."

you missed me I have 2/31 and 2/31

[Abby]

I have read chapter two, I am done with the second day

[[deleted user]]

Update to message #7.

A) Collected Narrative and Lyrical Poetry by Alexander Pushkin

✓ 12/1: Poem 1
✓ 12/2: Poem 2
✓ 12/3: Poem 3

3/31

B) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

✓ 12/1: Chapter 1
✓ 12/2: Chapter 2
✓ 12/3: Chapter 3

3/31