888 Challenge
Yeah, I know, I'm addicted, so whaddaya gonna do?
Anyway. . . The 888 Challenge caught my eye, so I had to join in, too! Here it is:
I gave MUCH thought (read "one full week") but I've finally chosen my 8 categories. They are:
1) Alternate HistoryThis was orginaly steampunk but I was having too much trouble finding what I deemed to be true steampunk and didn't want to miss out completing this challenge because I'm a purist. Since so many that I was finding called steampunk were actually just Alternate History, I decided to change it to Alternate History--another of my favorite genres anyway!
2) Short Stories
I used to think, as a teenager being forced to read them, that short stories were written by people who couldn't write novels or were novels that writers didn't take the time to flesh out to full length. Happily, I've spent some time actually reading these awesome works of fiction (and some particularly good ones at that) and have become a huge fan of them. I particularly enjoy 19th century works, the more fantastical the better, but I'm prone to let my collections set on my to-be-read shelf and gather dust. This should encourage me to dig them out and READ them!
3)Classics
I have a lovely collection of books that can be generically lumped into the "classics" category that I've just not read yet, but that I always say I'm going to. Now here's the utch I need.
4)Vampire Books
When I first discovered the idea of vampires back in my pre-teen years, I was as fascinated as most people are. Bram Stoker's Dracula is one of my favorite books, and I'm always looking for more vampire fiction. Nothing can match the "wow" that Dracula gives me (with all it's 19th century-isms) but I recently came across an article in my latest acquisition (an annotated Dracula) that listed lots of earlier vampire writers. Naturally I had to fill my to-be-read shelves with those works, so I have fair amount of early AND modern vampire fiction to read. Huzzah!
5)Newberry Award Winners
A few years ago, I started on a quest to read all of Newberry Award Winners. This was a dismal failure when I read one that I didn't find award material AT ALL and it simple put me off them entirely. I still haven't regained my faith in the decision makers, but I'm willing to give it another try.
6)Recommended Reads
I'm always hearing "you need to read this!" from friends and family and really planning on doing so, but. . . not doing so. They end up on the to-be-read shelves with the others and I just don't get around to them. Now I have no excuse!
7) Pre-20th Century Works
My favorite literary centuries are 18-19th but my frequent trips to the library's new book shelves are causing me to read more 20th century works and less earlier works. I'd like to get back to where my interest really lies, if I can.
8)To-Be-Read Shelves
Being addicted to the public library sometimes causes me to neglect that roughly quarter of my 1000+ book personal library that is sitting in my to-be-read shelves. Though the other 7 categories can mostly be found in my to-be-read shelves too, this is a more generic category that will allow me to just pull any ol' book out and read it when I feel like it. :D
Now, here's the deal: I'm starting this pretty darn late in the year and I'm not really sure that I can complete it this late. That being said, and the fact that it runs from January through December, I'm going back to my reading journal and adding any books that I've already read that fit these categories. If I read enough from now to December to fill it out to the full eight without January to April, then I'll delete them from the list. Sound fair? Okay!
--------
PROGRESS
Alternate History:
1-Anno Dracula by Kim Newman | read 13 June
2-Bloody Red Barron by Kim Newman | read 1 July
both reviews coming soon
Short Stories:
1-The Haunted Looking Glass, edited by Edward Gorey
read 28 May 2008 | my review
Classics:
Vampire Books:
1-Dead Until Dark: Charlaine Harris | read 15 February 2008
A somewhat lighthearted Southern Vampire mystery and first in a series; I'm considering reading the second.
2-Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean: Justin Somper | read 22 February 2008
YA book about, you got it, Vampires who are also pirates. This was the first in a series and rather good but Stoney says the second "just left him cold" so I didn't get around to reading it.
3-Anno Dracula by Kim Newman | read 13 June 2008
Newberry Award Winners:
Recommended Reads:
1-The Ragamuffin Gospel: Brennan Manning | 16 March 2008
Recommended by my Mom
Christian book with an amazing take on grace and mercy and is truly a life-changing experience. Thanks to our reading of it, Stoney and I both consider ourselves, God's Ragamuffins and are much less concerned with what other people think of us. Wonderful book for those who are interested in Christian reading of this sort.
2-The Ship Who Sang: Anne McCaffrey | read 14 April 2008
Recommended by my friend, the author Kate McKeever.
Amazing, wonderful, 5 star book that is actually a set of short stories written over years that fit perfectly together and make a great book. The premise is that in this particular future, there are "shell people" who are trained to be the brains inside and that work space ships. This books follows some of the career of the ship, Helva. This comes highly recommended, with the warning to not pay any attention to the blurb on the back of the book as it is very misleading.
3-Beautiful Boy by David Sheff
Recommended by my friend Caroline, and it was recommended to her by our mutual friend, Judy.
read 1 June 2008 | read my review
4-Tweak by Nic Sheff
Also recommended by my friend Caroline.
read 19 June 2008 | read my review
3-Beautiful Boy by David Sheff
Pre-20th Century Works:
1-The Way of the Pilgrim | read 23 February 2008
I've wanted to read this 19th century anonymous work since I read about it in Salinger's Frannie and Zoey. I finally came across a copy and was not disappointed. It's another Christian work, about an anonymous Russian pilgrim traveling with practically nothing and saying the Jesus Prayer continually. It's a fascinating and thought provoking work, whether it's a true account or an allegorical story, and is highly recommended for any one interested in learning more about developing internal, continual prayer. It's one I'll certainly read again. I do not, however, recommend, the sequel The Pilgrim Continues his Way. To my mind, it's not written by the same author, and was unappealing and dry. I didn't finish.
To-Be-Read Shelves:
1-Horns and Wrinkles by Joseph Helgerson | read 19 May 2008
review can be read here.
Anyway. . . The 888 Challenge caught my eye, so I had to join in, too! Here it is:
1. Challenge runs from January 1 through December 31, 2008.
2. Choose 8 categories of your own that you would like to read 8 books EACH in.
3. You will be allowed 8 overlaps, for a total of 56 unique book titles.
4. You may overlap these 56 titles with any other challenge.
5. You may change your list or your categories at any time.
6. Post a comment here that you are participating, and I will add a link to the sidebar. Request an invite including your e-mail address if you want to post your list to this blog. However, we will NOT be writing reviews here! You may update your lists by providing the link to books read. Please use your name as a label, along with the book categories you're reading from.
7. Check back here to see who is participating and cheer others on.
8. Participants who complete all 56 books will be in the running for in-stock books from paperbackswap.com. (I have mucho credits.) Overseas is okay!
9. Have fun reading!
I gave MUCH thought (read "one full week") but I've finally chosen my 8 categories. They are:
1) Alternate HistoryThis was orginaly steampunk but I was having too much trouble finding what I deemed to be true steampunk and didn't want to miss out completing this challenge because I'm a purist. Since so many that I was finding called steampunk were actually just Alternate History, I decided to change it to Alternate History--another of my favorite genres anyway!
2) Short Stories
I used to think, as a teenager being forced to read them, that short stories were written by people who couldn't write novels or were novels that writers didn't take the time to flesh out to full length. Happily, I've spent some time actually reading these awesome works of fiction (and some particularly good ones at that) and have become a huge fan of them. I particularly enjoy 19th century works, the more fantastical the better, but I'm prone to let my collections set on my to-be-read shelf and gather dust. This should encourage me to dig them out and READ them!
3)Classics
I have a lovely collection of books that can be generically lumped into the "classics" category that I've just not read yet, but that I always say I'm going to. Now here's the utch I need.
4)Vampire Books
When I first discovered the idea of vampires back in my pre-teen years, I was as fascinated as most people are. Bram Stoker's Dracula is one of my favorite books, and I'm always looking for more vampire fiction. Nothing can match the "wow" that Dracula gives me (with all it's 19th century-isms) but I recently came across an article in my latest acquisition (an annotated Dracula) that listed lots of earlier vampire writers. Naturally I had to fill my to-be-read shelves with those works, so I have fair amount of early AND modern vampire fiction to read. Huzzah!
5)Newberry Award Winners
A few years ago, I started on a quest to read all of Newberry Award Winners. This was a dismal failure when I read one that I didn't find award material AT ALL and it simple put me off them entirely. I still haven't regained my faith in the decision makers, but I'm willing to give it another try.
6)Recommended Reads
I'm always hearing "you need to read this!" from friends and family and really planning on doing so, but. . . not doing so. They end up on the to-be-read shelves with the others and I just don't get around to them. Now I have no excuse!
7) Pre-20th Century Works
My favorite literary centuries are 18-19th but my frequent trips to the library's new book shelves are causing me to read more 20th century works and less earlier works. I'd like to get back to where my interest really lies, if I can.
8)To-Be-Read Shelves
Being addicted to the public library sometimes causes me to neglect that roughly quarter of my 1000+ book personal library that is sitting in my to-be-read shelves. Though the other 7 categories can mostly be found in my to-be-read shelves too, this is a more generic category that will allow me to just pull any ol' book out and read it when I feel like it. :D
Now, here's the deal: I'm starting this pretty darn late in the year and I'm not really sure that I can complete it this late. That being said, and the fact that it runs from January through December, I'm going back to my reading journal and adding any books that I've already read that fit these categories. If I read enough from now to December to fill it out to the full eight without January to April, then I'll delete them from the list. Sound fair? Okay!
--------
PROGRESS
Alternate History:
1-Anno Dracula by Kim Newman | read 13 June
2-Bloody Red Barron by Kim Newman | read 1 July
both reviews coming soon
Short Stories:
1-The Haunted Looking Glass, edited by Edward Gorey
read 28 May 2008 | my review
Classics:
Vampire Books:
1-Dead Until Dark: Charlaine Harris | read 15 February 2008
A somewhat lighthearted Southern Vampire mystery and first in a series; I'm considering reading the second.
2-Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean: Justin Somper | read 22 February 2008
YA book about, you got it, Vampires who are also pirates. This was the first in a series and rather good but Stoney says the second "just left him cold" so I didn't get around to reading it.
3-Anno Dracula by Kim Newman | read 13 June 2008
Newberry Award Winners:
Recommended Reads:
1-The Ragamuffin Gospel: Brennan Manning | 16 March 2008
Recommended by my Mom
Christian book with an amazing take on grace and mercy and is truly a life-changing experience. Thanks to our reading of it, Stoney and I both consider ourselves, God's Ragamuffins and are much less concerned with what other people think of us. Wonderful book for those who are interested in Christian reading of this sort.
2-The Ship Who Sang: Anne McCaffrey | read 14 April 2008
Recommended by my friend, the author Kate McKeever.
Amazing, wonderful, 5 star book that is actually a set of short stories written over years that fit perfectly together and make a great book. The premise is that in this particular future, there are "shell people" who are trained to be the brains inside and that work space ships. This books follows some of the career of the ship, Helva. This comes highly recommended, with the warning to not pay any attention to the blurb on the back of the book as it is very misleading.
3-Beautiful Boy by David Sheff
Recommended by my friend Caroline, and it was recommended to her by our mutual friend, Judy.
read 1 June 2008 | read my review
4-Tweak by Nic Sheff
Also recommended by my friend Caroline.
read 19 June 2008 | read my review
3-Beautiful Boy by David Sheff
Pre-20th Century Works:
1-The Way of the Pilgrim | read 23 February 2008
I've wanted to read this 19th century anonymous work since I read about it in Salinger's Frannie and Zoey. I finally came across a copy and was not disappointed. It's another Christian work, about an anonymous Russian pilgrim traveling with practically nothing and saying the Jesus Prayer continually. It's a fascinating and thought provoking work, whether it's a true account or an allegorical story, and is highly recommended for any one interested in learning more about developing internal, continual prayer. It's one I'll certainly read again. I do not, however, recommend, the sequel The Pilgrim Continues his Way. To my mind, it's not written by the same author, and was unappealing and dry. I didn't finish.
To-Be-Read Shelves:
1-Horns and Wrinkles by Joseph Helgerson | read 19 May 2008
review can be read here.
posted by Medbie at 8:08 PM
3 Comments:
You need an intervention! ;D
I'm doing the first of 5 contests for the autographed Mudbound books. Go here if you would like to play.
LOL--If I join an intervention group, I won't have time to read!
challenges are so addictive.
I joined triple 8 too.
I love the classics and anything vampire related.
have fun reading.
http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/
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