2011 A-Z Character Challenge

[Lu]

Use the first or last name of a major character in a book you have read about between January 01, 2011 - December 31, 2011.

You can use books you read for other challenges. One name per book has to be used, so total books to be read is 26.

Major character = someone who plays a big enough role in the book. Not someone mentioned in passing.

[Lu]

Here we go:


A - Abby - Stray
B - Bran - A Game of Thrones
C - Carol - Delirium
D - Damen - Evermore
E - Elea - Wind and Fire
F - Farid - Inkheart
G - Gab - My heart, his soul
H - Hannah - Pretty Little Liars
I - Adrian Ivashkov - Bloodlines
J - Jamshidt - Logic of Demons
K - Katniss - Catching Fire
L - Lend - Paranormalcy
M - Malcolm - Jurassic Park
N - Norrel - The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories
O - Oliphant, Anna - Anna and the French Kiss
P - Peeta - Mockingjay
Q - Quinton - Blood Faerie
R - Rory - Like Mother, Like Daughter
S - Sophia - Demonglass
T - Toby - Flawless
U - Uncle Al - Water for Elephants
V - Vasilisa "Lissa" Dragomir - Last Sacrifice
W - Will - Avalon High
X - Xander - Matched
Y -
Z - Zoe - Ordinary Angels

[Barbara]

A -Aliena Pillars of the Earth
B -Bree Tanner The short second life of Bree Tanner
C -Catherine Catherine Parr Henry VIII's last love
D -Digger The Journey
E -Elizabeth Elizabeth and Mary Cousins, Rivals, Queens
F -Francois Valois The Confessions of Catherine de Medici
G -Gwenda World without End
H -Hugh le Despenser The Follies of the King
I -Isabella the Battle of the Queens
J -John Toothache The Well of yearning
K -Karlé the Hammer of the Scots
L -Lom Dubh The Well of the Goddess
M -Margaret Plantagenet the Queen from Provence
N -Noirtier de Villefort The Count of Monte Christo
O -Ophelia St Clare Uncle Tom's Cabin
P -Pedro Vidal The Angel's Game
Q -Quixano, Alonso (Don Quixote de la Mancha) Don Quixote
R -Robert Langdon The Lost Symbol
S -Satan Paradise Lost
T -Twilight The Rescue
U -Uklah (92-01) The Siege by Kathryn Lasky
V -Verlderkaust, Rose Gothic Short Stories
W -Wednesday American Gods
X -Xuan Lords of the Bows
Y -Yesugei Wolf of the Plains
Z -Zurgadai (Jebe) Bones of the Hills

COMPLETED

[Crusader]

I'll see if I get round to attempting this challenge. It's difficult enough to keep track of all the various things I've got going on.

A - Art Bohanan - Carved in Bone
B - Boxer - Animal Farm
C - Colivar - Feast of Souls
D - Dalzhel - Waterdeep
E - Eamonn Dowd - War of the Flowers
F - Fuchs, Lars - The Rock Rats
G - Ghost - Burn
H - Henri - I Am Number Four
I - Ian Malcolm - Jurassic Park
J - Jeffrey Tolliver - Indelible
K - Kayaguchiya Integrated Circuits III -Djinn Rummy
L - Lane, Pancho - The Silent War
M - Midnight - Shadowdale
N - Neil McIlhenney - Aftershock
O - Opal - Point
P - Patrick O' Malley - Hide and Seek
Q - Quinn. John - Ashes to Ashes
R - Randolph, Dan - The Precipice
S - Sara Linton - Faithless
T - Trent, Will - Fractured
U - Umber, Jon - Game of Thrones
V - Valentine Smith - A Stranger in a strange land
W - Wickwrackscar - A Fire Upon the Deep
X - Xander - Troy: Fall of Kings
Y - Yarbro - Tantras
Z - Zacharias, Theo - The Aftermath

COMPLETED

[Tracy]

I'm going to have to bookmark all the challenges I'm doing

A -
B -
C -
D -
E -
F -
G -
H -
I -
J -
K -
L -
M -
N -
O -
P -
Q -
R -
S -
T -
U -
V -
W -
X -
Y -
Z -

[Lauren]

Luckily this is one of the easiest, because there are always multiple names to choose from, so you can always swap things around to make them fit.

A - Ash Deadlands by Lily Herne
B - Beauty Beauty by Sheri S. Tepper
C - Carroll Stranger Things Happen by Kelly Link
D - Dan The Mall by S.L. Grey
E - Elvis Armageddon: The Musical by Robert Rankin
F - Fang Snow White and the Seven Samurai by Tom Holt
G - Gilgamesh The Bookman by Lavie Tidhar
H - Edwin Hocker Morlock Night by K.W. Jeter
I - Lady Imeyn Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
J - Jesus The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ by Philip Pullman
K - Kevin Shadows by Joan de la Haye
L - Lionstone Deathstalker by Simon R. Green
M - Mignon Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter
N - Ned A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
O - Oiie The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
P - Patrick Exhibit a by Sarah Lotz
Q - Qhorin Halfhand A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
R - Reepicheep The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
S - Samson Lion's Honey by David Grossman
T - Toby Shreck Deathstallker Rebellion by Simon R. Green
U - Unstible Un Lun Dun by China Mieville
V - Virgil Spiral X by J.J. Westendarp
W - Wednesday American Gods by Neil Gaiman
X - Xauhia Harbinger of the Storm by Aliette de Bodard
Y - Yberio Nekropolis by Tim Waggoner
Z - Zehra Nekropolis by Maureen F. McHugh

[[deleted user]]

Oh fun! I love these challenges that go in alphabetical order :)


A - Aphrodite (Chosen)
B - Blair (Gossip Girl #1)
C - Celeste (I want to watch)
D - Digory (The Magicians Nephew)
E - Erik Night (Untamed)
F - Fritz (Black Dagger Brotherhood #8)
G - Greg Hale (Digital Fortress)
H - Henri Smith (I am Number Four)
I
J - Jason (The Lost Hero)
K - Katniss (Catching Fire)
L - Lucy (The Lion the witch and the wardrobe)
M - Micheal (The Perfect Song)
N - Nora Grey (Hush, Hush)
O - Old Man Louie (Shanghai Girls)
P - Prim (Mockingjay)
Q - Queen of Hearts aka The Red Queen (Alice in Wonderland)
R - Ralph Deedle (James Potter #1)
S - Stevie Rae (Betrayed)
T - Twoflower (The Colour of Magic)
U
V - Vin (Covet)
W
X - Xhex (Black Dagger Brotherhood #7)
Y - Yoren (A Game of Thrones)
Z - Zoey (Marked)

[Chanté]

Should be fun:


A- Adam Faramond (To Wed a Wicked Earl)
B-
C- Cybil Campbell (The Perfect Neighbour)
D- Daisy Bowman (Secrets of a Summer Night)
E- Elora (Switched)
F- Finn (Torn)
G- Gabriel Devine (At the Bride Hunt Ball)
H-
I-
J- Jacinda Firelight
K-
L- Lisbeth Salander (The Girl Who Played with Fire)
M- Mikael Blomkvist (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
N-
O-
P- Parker Brown (Happy Ever After)
Q-
R- Rhys (Ascend)
S- Shadow (American Gods)
T-
U-
V-
W- Wayland North (Brightly Woven)
X-
Y-
Z-

[Barbara]

Ok, it took some doing and rearranging but I completed this challenge. I knew I had read enough books to have enough names. I also knew I had every letter covered but I just had to figure out how. So I just sat down and made lists of characters of every book and figured out how to make it fit and it did!!!
I am so happy!

[Lu]

Oh wow congratz!!!

[Crusader]

I can't find a book with a character starting with a U. Any suggestions?

[Claudia]

Dolores Umbridge , haha. From Harry Potter.

[Lauren]

Inversions by Iain M. Banks has a character named UrLeyn.

[Crusader]

Lauren wrote: "Inversions by Iain M. Banks has a character named UrLeyn."

Haven't got Inversions, but that's an option.

Kahlan wrote: "Dolores Umbridge , haha. From Harry Potter."

Would she be in The Deathly Hallows? That's the only HP I have.

[Claudia]

Eh ... ask Lu.

[Lu]

She is in it, but not too much. She is all over Order of the Phoenix tho

[Claudia]

Now I wanna try it too. Too bad I have such a terrible memory - had to go back and skim over everything I read to get the names.

A - Alexia Maccon > Blameless
B - Bones > This Side of the Grave
C - Sarah Crow > The Red Tree
D - Dannyl > The Magicians' Guild
E - Ellie > Tomorrow, When the War Began
F - Rose Fox > Elfland
G - Gandalf > The Fellowship of the Ring
H - Kathy H. > Never Let Me Go
I - Mrs Iris Angell >The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack (Burton & Swinburne #1)
J - Jacian > Cryer's Cross
K - Susanna Kaysen > Girl, Interrupted
L - Simon Lewis > City of Bones
M - Matthew Livingston > The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
N - Rachel Nolander > Never Knew Another
O - Odotte > The River Kings' Road
P - Peter Marino > The Scarpetta Factor
Q - Lady Isobel Quinn > Ash
R - Raylene Pendle > Bloodshot
S - Kay Scarpetta > Port Mortuary
T - Peregrin Took > The Two Towers
U - Uther > The Mists of Avalon
V - Verna Sauverenteen > Temple of the Winds
W - Michelle Windsor > Timeless
X - Xander > The Goddess Test
Y - Lord Yikmo > The Novice
Z - Zaknafein Do 'Urden > Homeland

[Barbara]

Can I do it again? Since we are so early in the year still, can I see if I can do it again? Starting with the books I am reading now and the books I am going to read?

[Claudia]

Overachiever ...
Haha, if you would like to, I don't see why not. =)

[Lauren]

Lol, yeah sure, go for it!

[Barbara]

Cool! You guys are just jealous that I finished already :D
I am more like I am reading the books anyway. It would be nice to use them in some sort of challenge. And it would be nice to see how often one can fill this list a year.

A - Alexia Maccon - Changeless
B - Binney - The Well of the Many Blessings
C - Conall Maccon - Soulless
D - Deborah - Before and After
E - Edward Plantagenet - The Vow on the Heron
F - Felix Diego - Heaven Sent
G - Geertruida Amalia Langhout - Zondaarskind
H - Hector "Jesse" de Silva - High Stakes
I - Ina - Guenevere the Queen of the Summer country
J - Jean Luc Picard - Enemy Unseen
K - Kelly Prescott - Mean Spirits
L - Lucinda Scarborough - Impossible
M - Milton Shields - The thing about life is that one day you'll be dead
N - Nyroc - The Hatchling
O - Otulissa - The Shattering
P - Paul Slater - Grave Doubts
Q - Queequeg - Moby Dick
R - Rachel Hunter - An echo in the bone
S - Suzannah Simon - Love you to Death
T - Thursday Next - They Eyre Affair
U - Uglamore - The Burning
V - Van Helsing, Abraham - Dracula
W - Willem - Willem de Troubadour
X - Xerx, Gart - Imzadi II
Y -Young, Edward - The Bounty Mutiny
Z - Zillah - Wuthering Heights

COMPLETED

[[deleted user]]

Yeah they are just jealous :)
I think its freaking amazing that you can do it twice

[Lauren]

Barbara wrote: "And it would be nice to see how often one can fill this list a year."

Sigh, I can only imagine what it must be like to have that aspiration.

[Claudia]

I'm already thinking of giving up on that X character.

[Lauren]

I had a list of X-characters from last year... hold on, will go find it. But Barbara, Crusader and I all have X-characters already if you're interested in the books :)

[Barbara]

Hey Lauren don't whine, you're moving to Ethiopia :D What I would not give to have an opportunity like that. And of course that makes you have less time to read. And who knows once you're settled in, if you can't find something to occupy your time maybe you'll start rading like crazy and you can also finish this challenge twice or more this year.

Hey Niecole don't jinx it, please. I haven't yet done it twice. I am going to try to do it twice.

[Lauren]

The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley
The Amber Spyglass - Xaphinia
The Neverending Story - Xayide
Holes - X-ray
Guernica: A Novel - Xabier
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Xenophilius Lovegood
The Otherland series by Tad Williams - !Xabbu (we can ignore the exclamation mark, as it's not a letter)
The Other Ones - Xii
Books from the Buffy series - Xander
300 - Xerxes
Persuader - Xavier Quinn
One of the later books in the Dance to the Music of Time series by Anthony Powell - X. Trapnel. Not sure which book, but I can find out for you if you're interested.
The Mag Force 7 series starting with The Knights of the Black Earth: A Mag Force 7 Novel - Xris Cyborg
There should be X-characters in Piers Anthony's Xanth series, starting with A Spell for Chameleon
Firelight - Xander
Black Daggerhood Brother series - Mr X

It was also suggested that you try novels set in China or with Chinese characters, as you get quite a few names that start with 'X'.

[Claudia]

Oh, I forgot Mr X from BDB! I haven't read that series in a while.

[Lauren]

Barbara wrote: "Hey Lauren don't whine, you're moving to Ethiopia :D What I would not give to have an opportunity like that. And of course that makes you have less time to read. And who knows once you're settled i..."

Lol, yeah I suppose I shouldn't whine :) I'm actually looking forward to the flight - 5 whole hours of uninterrupted reading time!

[[deleted user]]

I used him last year :)
And I could use him this year! There's still 2 books left in that series that I have to get to

[Lauren]

I got lucky with my X-character - didn't expect to find one at all in the book I was reading.

[[deleted user]]

You're making me jeolous Lauren!

So what are you up to this weekend? See you can't wait?

[Lauren]

Hehe, sorry :)
Unfortunately it will probably be a mostly boring weekend sorting stuff out :( But planning to hook up with Lu and some other friends as well, yay!

[[deleted user]]

Sounds fun!
So you're leaving on 15 April, how much stuff do you still have to organise?

[Lauren]

Finish cataloging all the stuff that has to be moved to Ethiopia or is going in storage; getting diplomatic passports, getting immunisations, arrange moving dates and hotel bookings, pay off debts, organise trip to Cape Town, buy plane tickets back to pta, organise farewell parties.
Admittedly it's not too bad because we don't have that much stuff, but we don't have much time...

[[deleted user]]

Yeah, only a month left!
Good luck with everything :)

[Lu]

Barbara you go girl! :D

Oh and Lauren excited about our Lunch :) There better be cake tho :P

[[deleted user]]

Mmmmmm cake....

[Barbara]

Just that nasty X and I am finished with my second go at this challenge.

[Lu]

Wow thats great Barbara!

[Crusader]

Finally found a U character, so I'm done!

[Barbara]

Yeah, congratulations!
It's annoying when you need just that one last character and you have been waiting a long time. Almost two months. I remember because when I started my second go at this challenge you were already searching for your U character.

[Crusader]

Barbara wrote: "Yeah, congratulations!
It's annoying when you need just that one last character and you have been waiting a long time. Almost two months. I remember because when I started my second go at this cha..."

Yes, it is. And as luck would have it you always get all the characters but the one you want!

[Kae]

A - Alyss Heart - The Looking Glass Wars
B - Beth - Blue Moon
C - Cassie - The Invasion
D - Dess - Touching Darkness
E
F - Fowl, Artemis - Artemis Fowl
G
H
I - Ivy - A Fistful of Charms
J - Jace - City of Bones
K - Ky - Matched
L - Lorkin - The Ambassador's Mission
M - Marco - The Visitor
N - Naki - The Rogue
O
P
Q
R - Redd Heart - Seeing Red
S - Shadow - American Gods
T - Tristran - Stardust
U
V
W
X
Y
Z

[Lauren]

A quick tip - A Clash of Kings has characters for X and Q.

[Barbara]

Thanks Lauren, I was looking for an X character book. Q I don't find hard. I think I have already read like 5 books this year with a Q character in them but X is hard. So I will wait till my order comes in and read them and then decide if I am going to try for a third time.

[Lauren]

Show off! :)

[Barbara]

LOL!

I was actually hoping that someone could tell me if I should do it or not. Because I am doubting if I should. I don't want to annoy anyone :P But I probably am going to try for a third as soon as I have read that X character book.

[Lauren]

Lol, it's not annoying, unless you start bragging about it. But otherwise, I don't see why you shouldn't. Some might call doing all the challenges overkill; even you haven't done them all. So why not do some more than once?

[Claudia]

I'm done. Yippee! I'm not doing it again. Nononono.