Wrap-up of 2014

I participted in just three challenges last year in addition to Carl’s Sci-fi Experience, Once Upon a Time reading, and R.I.P. This was a good thing because I didn’t feel pressured to read something particular. On the other hand my TBR grew because I read more books from the library and from Project Gutenberg.

Women challenge: (21 out of 5)
I signed up for the easiest level with 5 books (Baby girl) and ended up reading and reviewing 21 books by female authors. I ended up in the Wonder Woman level! 🙂

Just for Fun: (12 out of 12)
In this challenge participants read one book a month just for fun and I managed that. I started a reread of Burroughs’ Barsoom books and read most of them. Most of them were in ebook format from Project Gutenberg.

Still a few to read this year and I’ve got his first Venus book which I haven’t read before. I’m also thinking of rereading (some of) my Star Trek: TNG books for this challenge this year to truly keep it fun (especially when I’m riding a bus).

Manga and Comics challenge: (32 out of 12)
I signed up again for the easiest level, Modern age with a comic a month which I succeeded easily. In fact, I read a lot of comics which I don’t review because as far as I can tell, they aren’t available in English and, um, I don’t always have anything intelligent to say.

Sci-fi Experience 2014
I read 12 books for this reading event and had a blast.

Once upon a time 2014
I read 6 books and rewatched Robin of Sherwood which was mostly as great as I remembered it.

R.I.P. 2014
10 books read for this experience and I rediscovered Agatha Christie.

Most of the books I read this year I’d give 3 or 3 and a half or 4 stars (from 5). None were one star. So a very good reading year!

Overall I read and reviewed 61 books. 21 of those were by women authors, 7 were short story collections with both male and female authors and one book (Greyfriar) with a male and a female author. Out of the 32 books by male authors, 8 were by E.R. Burroughs.

 

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril IX

It’s September, so Carl at the Stainless Steel Droppings is hosting the ninth R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril, or R.I.P. IX. I’ve had fun with the challenge in previous years so I’m joining this time, too.

I’m currently enjoying a sci-fi binge but I’m also a mystery/supernatural fan so I’m looking forward to enjoying some RIP books.

September 1st is right around the corner. It is time to begin.

Mystery.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural.

Or anything sufficiently moody that shares a kinship with the above.

That is what embodies the stories, written and visual, that we celebrate with the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril event.

As time has wound on I’ve honed this event down to two simple rules:

1. Have fun reading (and watching).
2. Share that fun with others.

As I do each and every year, there are multiple levels of participation (Perils) that allow you to be a part of R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril without adding the burden of another commitment to your already busy lives. There is even a one book only option for those who feel that this sort of reading is not their cup of tea (or who have too many other commitments) but want to participate all the same.

R.I.P. IX officially runs from September 1st through October 31st.

I’ll be joining

Peril the First:
Read four books, any length, that you feel fit (the very broad definitions) of R.I.P. literature. It could be King or Conan Doyle, Penny or Poe, Chandler or Collins, Lovecraft or Leroux… or anyone in between.

TBR: The Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman (mystery), Vampire Empire book 1: the Greyfriar by Clay and Susan Griffiths, some Elizabeth Peters’ books, and the Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving.

Happy reading, everyone!
Read:
1, Crime spells, edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Loren L. Coleman
2, Washington Irving: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
3, Seanan McGuire: The Winter Long
4, Carol Goodman: The Lake of Dead Languages
5, Kristine Kathryn Rusch ed.: Fiction River special edition: Crime
6, Donna Leon: Death in a Strange Country
7, Agatha Christie: A Pocket Full of Rye
8, Peter O’Donnell: Modesty Blaise
9, Kerrie L. Hughes ed.: Fiction River: Hex in the City
10, Agatha Christie: The Body in the Library

 

Once Upon A Time VIII

Once Upon a Time VIII is here! Carl from Stainless Steel Droppings is hosting the challenge:

Friday, March 21st begins the eigth annual Once Upon a Time Challenge. This is a reading and viewing event that encompasses four broad categories: Fairy Tale, Folklore, Fantasy and Mythology, including the seemingly countless sub-genres and blending of genres that fall within this spectrum. The challenge continues through June 21st and allows for very minor (1 book only) participation as well as more immersion depending on your reading/viewing whims.

The Once Upon a Time VIII Challenge has a few rules:

Rule #1: Have fun.

Rule #2: HAVE FUN.

Rule #3: Don’t keep the fun to yourself, share it with us, please!

Rule #4: Do not be put off by the word “challenge”.

The challenge has several options to choose from and I’m going to go with these:

Read at least 5 books that fit somewhere within the Once Upon a Time categories. They might all be fantasy, or folklore, or fairy tales, or mythology…or your five books might be a combination from the four genres.

I have a lot of fantasy books in my TBR.

Stories are not just limited to the printed page. Many entertaining, moving, profound or simply fun stories are told in the realm of television and film. To participate in this quest simply let us know about the films and/or television shows that you feel fit into the definitions of fantasy, fairy tales, folklore or mythology that you are enjoying during the challenge.

I’ll start watching the new TV-series Sleepy Hollow and I’m bound to watch some fantasy movies, too.

TBR plan:
Tanya Huff: Blood Debt, Blood Bank.
Dellamonica: Blue Magic. I loved the first book and it’s high time I read the sequel
N. K. Jemisin: Shadowed Sun. Another second book in a series where I loved the first one.

Watched:
Robin of Sherwood: season 1
Robin of Sherwood: season 2
Read:
1, A. M. Dellamonica: Blue Magic
2, A. Lee Martinez: Too Many Curses
3, Tanya Huff: Blood Bank
4, Kristine Kathryn Rusch: Five Diverse Detectives
5, A. Lee Martinez: Monster
6, Terry Pratchett: Night Watch

 

2014 Women Challenge

I’m going to join the 2014 Women reading challenge.

This challenge will make us want to read more books of any kind written by women, so choose whatever you like and get involved!
Set your level and, if you like, leave me a comment on this post listing your three favourite women writers, in order to suggest new names to other participants as well.
Here are mine (they are just the first ones coming to my mind):
* Simone De Beauvoir
* Fannie Flagg
* Joanne Harris

Rules:

* anyone can join;
* you don’t need a blog to partecipate: if you are a non-blogger please leave a comment with a link (if you review elsewhere) to your review or with the list of the books you read and the level you choose;
* audio, e-books, bound books and re-reads are ok;
* create a sign up post on your blog and post the link in the Linky below (scroll down please, it’s at the end of the italian translation);
* challenge goes from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014;
* here you can link for your reviews.

Levels:

Level 1: BABY GIRL – read 5 books written by a woman author
Level 2: GIRLS POWER – read 6 to 15 books written by a woman author
Level 3: SUPER GIRL – read 16 to 20 books written by a woman author
Level 4: WONDER WOMAN – read 20+ books written by a woman author
It’s never too late to join!

Have fun and good luck! 🙂

I read quite a lot of female authors already and I have more in my TBR.
This year I intend to read more from C. J. Cherryh, N. K. Jemisin, and Ursula LeGuin.
However, I’m going to be cautious and choose level 2: Girls Power.

Read:
1, Ursula LeGuin: The Planet of Exile
2, C. S. Friedman: Black Sun Rising
3, C. J. Cherryh: The Cuckoo’s Egg
4, Seanan McGuire: Discount Armageddon
5, Kris Nelscott: A Dangerous Road
6, Naomi Novik: Crucible of Gold
7, A. M. Dellamonica: Blue Magic
8, Kristine Kathryn Rusch: Five Diverse Detectives
9, Lois McMaster Bujold: Diplomatic Immunity
10, Elizabeth Bear: Carnival<
11, Elizabeth Bear: Scardown
12, Kerry Greenwood: Trick or Treat
13, Nancy Kress: Beggars in Spain
14, Elizabeth Bear: Worldwired
15, Seanan McGuire: The Winter Long
16, Carol Goodman: The Lake of Dead Languages
17, Donna Leon: Death in a Strange Country
18, Agatha Christie: A Pocket Full of Rye
19, Agatha Christie: The Body in the Library
20, Agatha Christie: 4:50 from Paddington
21, Cherie Priest: The Inexplicables

 

Books read 2014

This is the post where I’ll gather up the reviews I’ll write this year.

Challenges:

Sci-Fi Experience (1) 12
Just for Fun (12) 9
Graphic novel challenge (12) 30
Women (7) 16
once upon a time (5+1) 5+2
rip (4) 4

January

1, Alfred Bester: The Stars My Destination (experience)
2, Ursula LeGuin: The Planet of Exile (women, experience)
3, C. S. Friedman: Black Sun Rising (fun, women, exprience)
4, John Scalzi: The Android’s Dream (experience)

Comics

1, Battlestar Galactica: Cylon War Omnibus
2, Battlestar Galactica Complete Omnibus vol. 1

TV

1, Orphan Black: season 1
2, Stargate Universe: season 1

February

5, C. J. Cherryh: The Cuckoo’s Egg (women)
6, Seanan McGuire: Discount Armageddon (women)
7, Arthur Byron Cover: Night of the Living Rerun (fun)

Comics

3, Superman/Batman: World’s Finest
4, Project Superpowers Chapter 1, vol 1

March

8, Andy Weir: The Martian
9, Donald Westlake: Hot Rock
10, Kris Nelscott: A Dangerous Road (women)
11, Peter Clines: Ex-Communication (fun)
12, John Scalzi: Redshirts
13, Edgar Rice Burroughs: A Princess of Mars
14, Naomi Novik: Crucible of Gold (women)
15, Peter Clines: Ex-Purgatory

April

16, Cherie Priest: Bloodshot
17, Lois McMaster Bujold: A Civil Campaign
18, A. M. Dellamonica: Blue Magic

Comics

5, John Carter of Mars: Warlord of Mars omnibus
6, Watchmen
7, Before Watchmen: The Comedian

May

19, A. Lee Martinez: Too Many Curses (once)
20, Lois McMaster Bujold: Winterfair Gifts
21, Edgar Rice Burroughs: the Gods of Mars (fun)
22, Tanya Huff: Blood Bank (once)
23, Kristine Kathryn Rusch: Five Diverse Detectives (once, women)
24, A. Lee Martinez: Monster once

Comics

8, Before Watchmen: Ozymandias/Crimson Pirate
9, Before Watchmen: Rorschach

TV

1, Robin of Sherwood: season 1 (Once)

June

25, Terry Pratchett: Night Watch (once)
26, Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Warlord of Mars<
27, Nick Drake: Nefertiti: the Book of the Dead (fun)
28, Emma Bull, Elizabeth Bear, Sarah Monette, Will Shetterly: Shadow unit book 1
29, Tanya Huff: Blood Debt
30, Lois McMaster Bujold: Diplomatic Immunity
31, Fritz Leiber: Swords Against Wizardry

Comics

10, Before Watchmen: Nite Owl/ Dr. Manhattan
11, Ms Marvel: Vol. 1: Best of the Best
TV
Robin of Sherwood: season 2

 

July

32, Elizabeth Bear: Carnival (women)
33, Edgar Rice Burroughs: Thuvia, Maid of Mars (fun)

Comics:

12, House of M
13, House of M: Fantastic Four / Iron Man
14, Ms Marvel: Vol. 2: Operation Lighting Storm
15, Ms Marvel: Vol. 3: Civil War
16, Ms Marvel: Vol. 4: Monster Mash
17, Ms Marvel: Vol. 5: Secret Invasion
18, Ms Marvel: Vol. 6: Ascension

August

34,Elizabeth Bear: Scardown (Women)
35, Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Chessmen of Mars (fun)
36, Fiction River: Moonscapes

Comics
19, Avengers – Kang: Time and Time Again
20, Ms Marvel: Vol. 7: Dark Reign
21, Fables: Legends in exile
22, Ms Marvel: Vol. 8: War of the Marvels

September
37, Kerry Greenwood: Trick or Treat (women)
38, Nancy Kress: Beggars in Spain (women)
39, Elizabeth Bear: Worldwired (women)
40, Terry Pratchett: Making Money
41, Crime spells, edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Loren L. Coleman (rip)
42, Washington Irving: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (rip)
43, Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Master Mind of Mars (fun)

Comics
23, Ms Marvel: Vol. 9: Best You Can Be
24, New Avengers: Illuminati

October
44, Seanan McGuire: The Winter Long (rip, women)
45, Carol Goodman: The Lake of Dead Languages (women, rip)
46, Kristine Kathryn Rusch ed.: Fiction River special edition: Crime (rip)
47, Donna Leon: Death in a Strange Country (rip, women)
48, Agatha Christie: A Pocket Full of Rye (rip, women)
49, Peter O’Donnell: Modesty Blaise (rip)
50, Kerrie L. Hughes ed.: Fiction River: Hex in the City (rip)
51, Agatha Christie: The Body in the Library

Comics
25, Batman: Detective No. 27
26, Fables vol. 2: Animal Farm
27, Fables vol 3: Storybook Love

November
52, Edgar Rice Burroughs: A Fighting Man of Mars (fun)
53, Clay Griffith, Susan Griffith: The Greyfriar
54, Fiction River: Time Streams
55, Edgar Rice Burroughs: Swords of Mars (fun)
56, Fiction River: Unnatural Worlds
57, Keith R. A. DeCandido: House of Cards

Comics
28, Farscape: The Beginning of the End of the Beginning
29, Farscape vol. 2: Strange Detractors
30, Farscape vol. 2: Gone and Back
31, Farscape vol. 4: Tangled Roots

December
58, Agatha Christie: 4:50 from Paddington
59, Steven Brust: Hawk (fun)
60, Liu Cixin: The Three Body Problem
61, Cherie Priest: The Inexplicables (women)

Comics
32, Essential X-Men vol. 7

 

7th Annual Graphic Novel & Manga Challenge 2014

I’m going to read more comics this year so I’m again signing up for the Graphic novel reading challenge.

The 7th Year of this Challenge starts in 2014!!

It’s time to start signing up for the 2014 challenge now. Trying to keep things simple this year. Only change is we will have 3 levels of play this year. Please write a sign-up post on your blog and then sign-up below with a link to your specific sign-up post (NOT to your home page).
What counts: graphic novels, collected trade editions, manga, comic strip collections, comic books. In print or digital. Anything else you feel is suitable. My criteria is if it has either frames OR speech bubbles it counts. I’m not going to be the comic police but if you are unsure, ask me in the comments any given month.

Here is how the Challenge will play out this year:

runs from Jan.1 – Dec. 31, 2014

Levels

Modern Age: read and review 12 books during the year (that’s only 1 book a month)
Bronze Age: read and review 24 books during the year (Can you handle 2 books a month.)
Silver Age: read and review 52 books during the year (Are you up to a book a week!)
You must sign up for a level, but once you complete that level you may move up and try for the next one.
My goal will be Modern Age or 12 reviews.
I’ll start the year with some Before Watchmen and Battlestar Galactica comics.

Read:

1, Battlestar Galactica: Cylon War Omnibus
2, Battlestar Galactica Complete Omnibus vol. 1
3, Superman/Batman: World’s Finest
4, Project Superpowers Chapter 1, vol 1
5, John Carter of Mars: Warlord of Mars omnibus
6, Watchmen
7, Before Watchmen: The Comedian
8, Before Watchmen: Ozymandias/Crimson Pirate
9, Before Watchmen: Rorschach
10, Before Watchmen: Nite Owl/ Dr. Manhattan
11, Ms Marvel: Vol. 1: Best of the Best
12, House of M
13, House of M: Fantastic Four / Iron Man
14, Ms Marvel: Vol. 2: Operation Lighting Storm
15, Ms Marvel: Vol. 3: Civil War
16, Ms Marvel: Vol. 4: Monster Mash
17, Ms Marvel: Vol. 5: Secret Invasion
18, Ms Marvel: Vol.6: Ascension
19, Avengers – Kang: Time and Time Again
20, Ms Marvel: Vol. 7: Dark Reign
21, Fables: Legends in exile
22, Ms Marvel: Vol. 8: War of the Marvels
23, Ms Marvel: Vol. 9: Best You Can Be
24, New Avengers: Illuminati
25, Batman: Detective No. 27
26, Fables vol. 2: Animal Farm
27, Fables vol 3: Storybook Love
28, Farscape: The Beginning of the End of the Beginning
29, Farscape vol. 2: Strange Detractors
30, Farscape vol. 2: Gone and Back
31, Farscape vol. 4: Tangled Roots
32, Essential X-Men vol. 7

 

Just for Fun 2014 Reading Challenge

I had lots of fun with this challenge in 2013 so I’ll sign up again:

As bloggers we are all on timetables to read books, get reviews posted, host giveaways, etc.
But we also travel around to other blogs and see books we would just like to read because of their recommendation or the cover or title catches our interest. The Meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey “It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?” adds more books to my Wish List and To-Be-Read pile every week.

As followers you get our recommendations, win books from us, pick up books at the library or buy them at a store.
But our lives are so busy these books sometimes sit in our To-Be-Read piles for months or even years.
This is the 4th year I am hosting this challenge to
encourage you to read some of those books.
12 books in 12 months JUST FOR FUN!!!!!!!!!!

1 BOOK PER MONTH – NO READING AHEAD!
There will be months designated as catch up months in case you get behind.

You are not required to review these books.
They are to be read JUST FOR FUN.

Crossovers to other challenges are not encouraged as these books are to be read Just For Fun without thought to reviews or other challenges. But challenges just as Read-A-Latte or 150+ Reading Challenge are permitted crossovers as you are counting the total of books you are reading throughout the year as JFF books should be included in those totals. The other exception is a Where Are You Reading or location challenge because again you are keeping track of the total of books you read but categorizing them by setting.

Books read:

1, C. S. Friedman: Black Sun Rising

2, Arthur Byron Cover: Night of the Living Rerun
3, Peter Clines: Ex-Communication
4, Edgar Rice Burroughs: the Gods of Mars
5, Terry Pratchett: Night Watch
6, Nick Drake: Nefertiti: the Book of the Dead
7, Edgar Rice Burroughs: Thuvia, Maid of Mars
8, Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Chessmen of Mars
9, Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Master Mind of Mars
10, Edgar Rice Burroughs: A Fighting Man of Mars
11, Edgar Rice Burroughs: Swords of Mars
12, Steven Brust: Hawk

 

2014 Science Fiction Experience

Carl who has the blog Stainless Steel Droppings is hosting the 2014 Science Fiction Experience! I’ve enjoyed the Experience a lot in the past so of course I’m joining this year, too.

Seven years ago this excitement lead me to invite other readers to spend time together to:

a) Continue their love affair with science fiction
b) Return to science fiction after an absence, or
c) Experience for the first time just how exhilarating science fiction can be.

Thus The Sci-Fi Experience was born, and now it is time to do it again.

Traditionally this experience has begun on January 1st and continued through the end of February. Every year I find myself with an overwhelming desire to focus my reading and viewing to the science fiction genre as soon as the weather turns cold and because of this I end up partaking of a lot of science fiction before the experience ever officially begins.

And so this year I am making a change. We will celebrate the joys of Science Fiction to end 2013 and begin 2014 by officially beginning The 2014 Sci-Fi Experience on December 1st, 2013 and it will go through January 31st, 2014. As we have done the past few years, we will be coupling the Experience with Andrea’s Vintage Science Fiction Month which runs through the month of January 2014.

I might join the Vintage Science Fiction month, too, depending on how much time I have in January.

I took a cursory glance at my shelves and realized that I have at least 20 unread SF books so my TBR pile in looming large. I will read at least the following:

The last two books in Kage Baker’s Company series.
Some Elizabeth Bear and
Alfred Bester’s Stars my Destination.
I’ll also review a couple of Battlestar Galactica comics.

Most likely I’ll want to read also Cherie Priest and C. J. Cherryh.

Reviews:
1, Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero Omnibus
2, Kage Baker: The Machine’s Child
3, J. G. Ballard: The Drowned World
4, Kage Baker: The Sons of Heaven
5, Battlestar Galactica: Cylon War Omnibus
6, Alfred Bester: The Stars My Destination
7, Battlestar Galactica Complete Omnibus vol. 1
8, Ursula LeGuin: The Planet of Exile
9, C. S. Friedman: Black Sun Rising
10, Orphan Black: season 1
11, Stargate Universe: season 1
12, John Scalzi: The Android’s Dream