Reading challenges of various sorts are the latest rage in the blogosphere. So far, I've managed to resist the urge to get involved. I know once I do it will be a long slippery slope, a slide into the oblivion of stacks of dusty books, and no hope of rescue in sight. But....Today I caved. Yup. My first true "reading challenge".....you heard it here first.
How could I refuse? It's all about my favourite genre -- fantasy! I'm imagining it as a quick, easy, and pain-free method to return to fantasy reading with a passion. It's called the Once Upon a Time Challenge, and there are many ways to play. I've decided on Quest #1 .... and have committed to read five books from any of the fantasy sub-genres between March 22nd and June 21st. (Yes, I know the proper terminology is I should be committed, but c'mon now, be nice.) Conveniently enough (*grins*), I'm well along in the challenge already. My last finish, The Golden Compass, is #1, and my current Harry Potter read (about halfway through) is #2.
Here's my full list:
1. The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman
2. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, by J.K. Rowling
3. Anansi Boys, by Neil Gaiman (folklore sub-genre)
4. The Once and Future King, by T.H. White (a monster of a selection - close to 900 pages! yikes! - from the mythology sub-genre)
5. Once Upon a Marigold, by Jean Ferris (a quick and easy young adult fantasy to round out the field)
Listening to: Slide (Kaya Project), on iTunes radioioAMBIENT.
Glad to report: Essay #1 of 3 is complete.
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10 comments:
Great list! I love The Golden Compass, or rather Northern Lights as it is titled over here in the UK.
Anansi Boys is a great book, hope you enjoy it!
Thanks, Q. I picked up GC in Canada before I moved across the pond last fall, hence I have the N.Am. version. And, yes, it was truly magical....loved every page.
I read (and loved) American Gods about a year ago, and have wanted to get back to Gaiman again. This seemed the perfect opportunity, and I've heard so many good things about AB. :)
From your list, I can heartily recommend Martin's Game of Thrones. I've read the whole series. Each one is frighteningly massive, but oh so enthralling.... Enjoy!
Awesome! Thanks for joining in. We're proud to have you doing Once Upon a Time as your first reading challenge.
Great choices for the books. Once Upon a Marigold is such a fun little book.
Thanks, Carl. What can I say? I stumbled across your challenge in a weak moment. *tee hee* Looking forward to the reads.
P.S. I scooped the Jung quote from your Challenge post for my header....for a little while.... THANKS! *grins*
Great list!
The Once and Future King is huge, yes, but it's also unputdownable, so you should be able to go through it swiftly enough.
As for Philip Pullman, have you ever read His Dark Materials before? If not, I should warn you, you won't be able to stop at The Golden Compass!
Some good titles there, really enjoyed Anansi Boys, thought probably not quite as much as I loved American Gods.
Thanks, Arianna, Arianna, Arianna. *grins* (oops, sorry, couldn't resist....don't know why your post came through three times). GC is my first Pullman, yes, but I guarantee it won't be my last.
Thanks for stopping by, Fence. I'm really psyched about AB. Got a few other titles to clear off my stand first though.... :-|
Great list. I see you're reading Anansi Boys now. Can't wait to see what you think of it.
Just on the last few pages of Anansi Boys, Chris. Hope to have a review up tomorrow. *grins*
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