2024 Challenge Progress Placeholder

[Asaria]

I probably have more or less completed the challenge (one book per category), but I always add more books. My biggest problem is my brain's long-lasting fixation on manga/manhwa and romance genre.

There are a lot of books I have not added yet to the placeholder.

[Jalilah]

I’m having a hard time finding anything that appeals to me in the creatures from religious mythology and ice and snow category!

[Margaret]

For religious mythology. there are a couple of new Greek myth books that I started and was enjoying but decided not to finish: Hera by Jennifer Saint and Medusa by Nataly Gruender. I was enjoying them, just needed to move on for book reviewing purposes!

If you're wanting something a bit different, I loved Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang. It's a wonderful graphic novel.

[Jalilah]

Margaret wrote: "For religious mythology. there are a couple of new Greek myth books that I started and was enjoying but decided not to finish: Hera by Jennifer Saint and Me..."</i>


I just realized I will probably have 2 for religious mythology
[book:Gilgamesh: A New Translation of the Ancient Epic and possibly ( haven’t read it yet) The Jinn Daughter
It’s creatures of ice and snow and hybrid creatures that I have nothing for! Any recommendations would be appreciated!

[Margaret]

Jalilah wrote: "Margaret wrote: "For religious mythology. there are a couple of new Greek myth books that I started and was enjoying but decided not to finish: Hera by Jennifer Saint? I feel like you did? I'm pretty sure those fae are winter fae. I love this book.

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust is another good one, this is YA fantasy, but it's fantasy light so I don't think you'll find it too heavy on world building (I know you typically don't enjoy high fantasy).

Hmm. I'll keep thinking.

[Rose]

Jalilah wrote: "Rose wrote: "Margaret wrote: "The year is halfway over now!

How it everyone doing on their challenges? Any favorite books so far? Any categories you're struggling with?"

I've overloaded on some c..."

Ah thanks for this! Will take a read

[Jalilah]

Margaret wrote: "The year is halfway over now!

How it everyone doing on their challenges? Any favorite books so far? Any categories you're struggling with?"

I think my favourites are a tie between The Fox Wife and After the Forest, but I also liked the Emily Wilde book and The Hacienda

[Margaret]

Jalilah wrote: "Margaret wrote: "The year is halfway over now!

How it everyone doing on their challenges? Any favorite books so far? Any categories you're struggling with?"

I think my favourites are a tie betwee..."

I need to read those first two! Do either have Ice/snow/winter creatures or Creatures animated by magic? I need one more book for those.

[Jalilah]

Margaret wrote: "I need to read those first two! Do either have Ice/snow/winter creatures or Creatures animated by magic? I need one more book for those ..."

Hmmm…..The Fox Wife takes place in North Eastern China,Manchuria, the part that borders with Mongolia and Siberia, so I think the fox people in the story could be counted as creatures of ice and snow. I counted it for shapeshifters even though most of the time they didn’t change their shapes. There are references to them being foxes in the snow, but there are no creatures animated by magic. After the Forest has neither unless you want to count a person who changes into an animal as a creature animated by magic. For the later prompt I used The Stolen Heir andThe Prisoner’s Throne. One of the lead characters is literal a creature animated by magic! I must say I don’t enjoy Holly Blacks books like I used to. The 2 books were highly readable but nothing great.

[Margaret]

Jalilah wrote: "Margaret wrote: "I need to read those first two! Do either have Ice/snow/winter creatures or Creatures animated by magic? I need one more book for those ..."

Hmmm…..The Fox Wife t..."

I read The Stolen Heir but didn't love it enough to continue with it. I did enjoy Book of Night, published in 2022.

Hmm. I do want to read The Fox Wife and After the Forest, but I think I'll go with something else for the challenge.

[Jalilah]

Margaret wrote: "Jalilah wrote: "Margaret wrote: "I need to read those first two! Do either have Ice/snow/winter creatures or Creatures animated by magic? I need one more book for those ..."

Hmmm…..The Fox W..."</i>

I agree [book:Book of Night was much better that Stolen Heir or The Prisoners Throne. I also didn’t love her Folk of Air series.
IMHO The Darkest Part of the Forest was her best Fairy book

[Margaret]

The Darkest Part of the Forest is also my favorite!

[Kristina]

I promised myself to read 7 books for this challenge which I did. Most probably I won't read any more in the remaining time.
Creatures from religious mythology - Odd and the Frost Giants Initially, I wanted to read it for the winter creatures category, but there was only one giant, and the plot was about a boy helping gods :)
Blood drinkers - The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
Fire creatures - Fourth Wing
Shapeshifters -After the Forest
Forest creatures - The Cruel Prince though fairies don't live in forests here and are called the Folk of the air. I also read A Court of Thorns and Roses There was a lot of forest :)
Sea and water creatures - The Wicked King. Jude is held captive in the Undersea by merpeople.
Creatures animated by magic - Castle in the Air
Castle in the Air I liked most for author's humor and imagination.
Odd and the Frost Giants was least favorite. I like some of Neil Gaiman's books, but not all. Oddly, Stardust is my favorite fairy tale movie, but I dnf the book.
Thank you all for this interesting challenge! I added many books that you recommended here to my TBR list!

[Jalilah]

Kristina wrote: "I promised myself to read 7 books for this challenge which I did. Most probably I won't read any more in the remaining time.
Creatures from religious mythology - [book:Odd and the Frost Giants|2108..."

I’m glad you enjoyed doing the challenge! I know I always end up reading books that I normally wouldn’t have.
Thanks for reminding everyone that it is not necessary to read 12 books to do the challenge! Many people think they have to and end up not doing the challenge at all. Everyone can choose as many or few books they want to read! We are a very easy going group!

[Kristina]

Jalilah wrote: "Kristina wrote: "I promised myself to read 7 books for this challenge which I did. Most probably I won't read any more in the remaining time.
Creatures from religious mythology - [book:Odd and the ..."

The reader's path to the book is tortuous and never easy :) Many more books and other obstacles arise along the way. But some books are more lucky than others. I'll see what the next year challenge brings my way!

[Margaret]

Kristina wrote: "I promised myself to read 7 books for this challenge which I did. Most probably I won't read any more in the remaining time.
Creatures from religious mythology - [book:Odd and the Frost Giants|2108..."

It's been a long time since I read Castle in the Air, but I remember enjoying it!

[Kelsey]

With one more month to go, I've still got three challenges to hit, so here's what I'm thinking.

Fire creatures: The Stardust Thief
Ice/snow/winter creatures: I've been informed that there are icy mountain dragons in Within the Sanctuary of Wings, and since I had a goal to finish this series this year, it seems like a good opportunity.
Hybrid creatures: the prompt that has become the bane of my existence. I DNFed The Dark Lord of Derkholm halfway through in 2021 because I just wasn't enjoying it, but I'm thinking I'll try again on audiobook and see if I get further this time.

[Margaret]

Kelsey wrote: "With one more month to go, I've still got three challenges to hit, so here's what I'm thinking.

Fire creatures: The Stardust Thief
Ice/snow/winter creatures: I've been informed tha..."

If you like cozy fantasy, I really enjoyed House of Frank, which has a minotaur. A short story in Buried Deep and Other Stories also has a minotaur, and it was a gorgeous story. If you like middle grade, Tale of the Flying Forest has lots of hybrid creatures.

Just a few ideas of books I enjoyed for that part of the challenge! :)

[Jalilah]

I can’t decide if I should count She Who Knows as my final extra book. I was planning on it, but I don’t know if it even fits any of the prompts

[Margaret]

Jalilah wrote: "I can’t decide if I should count She Who Knows as my final extra book. I was planning on it, but I don’t know if it even fits any of the prompts"

I used it for fire creatures.

[Jalilah]

Margaret wrote: "Jalilah wrote: "I can’t decide if I should count She Who Knows as my final extra book. I was planning on it, but I don’t know if it even fits any of the prompts"

I used it for fir..."

The protagonist , the “witch” or the creatures that followed her and her family?

[Margaret]

The protagonist? I honestly cannot remember.

[Jalilah]

Finished! This year I read 22 books for this particular challenge. My placeholder is somewhere above

[Margaret]

Jalilah wrote: "Finished! This year I read 22 books for this particular challenge. My placeholder is somewhere above"

Yay! Congrats!

[Andy]

I think I'll declare complete at 18 books...

[Margaret]

Andy wrote: "I think I'll declare complete at 18 books..."

That's great! What were your favorite books?

[Ozsaur]

Finished! I read 12 books, and very happy with what I read for this challenge.

[Margaret]

Ozsaur wrote: "Finished! I read 12 books, and very happy with what I read for this challenge."

Yay!

[Andy]

Sorry Margaret, Goodreads doesn't let me reply to comments today... I liked The Stardust Thief, and the second Emily Wilde. My favourite book of the year was probably The Goblin Emperor though, I amgoing to suggest it for 'city' for next year's challenge, once Goodreads sorts itself out again! :)

What about you?

[Margaret]

Andy wrote: "Sorry Margaret, Goodreads doesn't let me reply to comments today... I liked The Stardust Thief, and the second Emily Wilde. My favourite book of the year was probably The Goblin Emperor though, I a..."

Love The Goblin Emperor! Have you read the novella follow ups? I'm using the term follow-up lightly, because while they're set in the same world, they have a mainly different cast of characters, and are mysteries thematically. It's The Cemeteries of Amalo series: https://www.goodreads.com/series/3309...

Would still work for cities, so might be good for the 2025 challenge!

Okay, my favorites. It's hard to narrow down bc I read so many for this! But here are my top 4:
A Letter to the Luminous Deep: a cozy-ish fantasy written in letters and diary entries. Book 2 is supposed to release in 2025, and I can't wait!
Mirrored Heavens by Rebecca Roanhorse: Such a fantastic conclusion to this trilogy.
Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang: I adored this YA graphic novel. Would be great to read between Lunar New Year and Valentine's Day!
The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman: A thought-provoking, immersive King Arthur retelling. Very imaginative and compelling.

[Andy]

Margaret wrote: "Love The Goblin Emperor! Have you read the novella follow ups?"

Ah! Thank you! I'll consider the novellas for next year's challenge, though I don't know if my library has them.
A Letter to the Luminous Deep also sounds great! :) I will consider for the acquatic theme! :)

[Margaret]

Andy wrote: "Margaret wrote: "Love The Goblin Emperor! Have you read the novella follow ups?"

Ah! Thank you! I'll consider the novellas for next year's challenge, though I don't know if my library has them.
[b..."

I think you will love it!

[Susan]

I surprised myself by reading 17 (plus 1 reread--the beloved Tam Lin) books in this challenge.

Almost all of the authors were new to me (though familiar to most Into the Forest readers). A couple of the books were challenge-adjacent (for example, the vintage Mary Jo Adamson mystery, a zombie theme in a Caribbean setting).

[Margaret]

Susan wrote: "I surprised myself by reading 17 (plus 1 reread--the beloved Tam Lin) books in this challenge.

Almost all of the authors were new to me (though familiar to most Into the Forest reade..."

Yay for discovering new authors!

[Kelsey]

Finished Dark Lord of Derkholm for hybrid creatures, two more books to finish in the last 3 days of the year. 😬

[Margaret]

Kelsey wrote: "Finished Dark Lord of Derkholm for hybrid creatures, two more books to finish in the last 3 days of the year. 😬"

Short stories? Novellas? What two categories do you have left?

[Kelsey]

Margaret wrote: "Kelsey wrote: "Finished Dark Lord of Derkholm for hybrid creatures, two more books to finish in the last 3 days of the year. 😬"

Short stories? Novellas? What two categories do you hav..."

Well, I'm most of the way through The Stardust Thief for fire creatures, should be able to finish that today, and then I have snow/ice/winter creatures left. I was going to read Within the Sanctuary of Wings, which I'm told has icy mountain dragons, but I also have The Raven and the Reindeer, which is shorter.

[Margaret]

Kelsey wrote: "Margaret wrote: "Kelsey wrote: "Finished Dark Lord of Derkholm for hybrid creatures, two more books to finish in the last 3 days of the year. 😬"

Short stories? Novellas? What two cate..."

I can say that The Raven and the Reindeer is a fast, fun read. Though the Lady Trent books are a lot of fun! (Haven't read that one yet)

[Kelsey]

Did it! Done! Completed just under the wire!

[Margaret]

Kelsey wrote: "Did it! Done! Completed just under the wire!"

Woohoo! Congrats!!

[Ozsaur]

Congrats, Kelsey!

[Jalilah]

Kelsey wrote: "Did it! Done! Completed just under the wire!"

Congrats!

[Susan]

Huzzah, Kelsey!

[Kelsey]

I've got a double book review of A Warning About Swans and The Raven and the Reindeer on my YouTube channel, if anyone particularly likes video reviews. I counted both for the 2024 challenge, for shapeshifters and winter creatures respectively!

https://youtu.be/ZV_w39qCM-g

[Margaret]

Kelsey wrote: "I've got a double book review of A Warning About Swans and The Raven and the Reindeer on my YouTube channel, if anyone particularly likes video reviews. I counted bo..."

I'm going to watch it when I can! I really enjoyed both books.