Allison’s Comments (group member since Jan 02, 2015)

Allison’s comments from the The Reading Challenge Group group.

Shelf bender it is! I've set up a new challenge for it.

Kitten squisher... what a terrible name. I could maybe go for spider squisher though. :D

I usually think of of literary as the kinds of books that win awards or get assigned in schools, and contemporary as about 1960s or later. I agree that we can go with authors from the 20th and 21st centuries, as long as they're not a specific genre.

My goal is 2 shelf benders this year:

Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson (1080 pgs)
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (1440 pgs)

Edit: revised goal down to just one, War and Peace.

Progress:

✔ Book 1
➜ Book 2
Book 3
Book 4
Book 5
Book 6
Book 7
Book 8
Book 9
Book 10
Book 11
Books 12-15
Epilogues

There's a new challenge for books over 1000 pages now. Some of you might be interested in that one.

Take an epic journey and get lost in the pages of a weighty tome. This challenge is for the intrepid souls who are ready to dive into books that run over 1000 pages long. State your own goal.

See also:

Chunkster Challenge (400-600 pgs)
Doorstopper Challenge (600-1000 pgs)

New Release Challenge *Completed*

Books published in 2018.
Goal: Level 3

Level One: Curious: read 1 new release
1. The Broken Girls

Level Two: Curiouser: read 2 new releases
2. Fleshers

Level Three: Most Curious: read 4 new releases
3. Voyager of the Crown
4. Lethal White

Level Four: You killed the cat: read 6 new releases
5. Bellewether
6. The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

Completed

Reach for the Stars (Jan-June) *Completed*

Level 1 Suiting Up 1-5 books
1. For Darkness Shows the Stars
2. Across a Star-Swept Sea
3. Labyrinth
4. Borders of Infinity
5. Sky Raiders

Completed

Down with History (Jan-June) *Completed*

Level 1 - Ancient Ancestors (2 Books)
1. What Angels Fear - 19th C
2. One Corpse Too Many - 12th C

Level 2 - Medieval Mayhem (4 Books)
3. Lion Heart - 12th C
4. A Curious Beginning - 19th C

Level 3 - Days of Empire (7 Books)
5. Frederica - 19th C
6. Truly Yours - 19th C
7. The Moor - 20th C

Level 4 - Wars of Old (10 Books)
8. Shadows and Strongholds - 12th C
9. The Face of a Stranger - 19th C
10. Murder on Sisters' Row - 20th C

Level 5 - The Past is the Past (15 Books)
11. The Broken Girls - 20th C
12. A Useful Woman - 19th C
13. As the Crow Flies - 20th C
14. Murder at the Brightwell - 20th C
15. The Anatomist's Wife - 19th C

Completed

New to You in 2018 (Jan-June) *Completed*

There are several authors I've been meaning to try for years now. I'll start out with level 3.

Level One: Test the Waters (1 New Author)
1. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

Level Two: Wade in the Shallow End (3 New Authors)
2. In This House of Brede: A Novel by Rumer Godden
3. The Lost Book of the Grail by Charlie Lovett

Level Three: Take a Swim (6 New Authors)
4. What Angels Fear by C.S. Harris
5. Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling
6. Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn

Level Four: Dive Right In (10 New Authors)
7. Leviathan by Scott Westerfield
8. A Familiar Tail by Delia James
9. The Magic of Recluce by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
10. As the Crow Flies by Jeffrey Archer

Shelf Bender (1000 pgs +) *Completed*

My goal is 1 shelf bender this year: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (1440 pgs)

So that didn't work out, but I did read Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas (1066 pgs)

Doorstopper (600-1000 pgs) *Completed*

My goal for the year is 4 doorstoppers:

✔ 1. As the Crow Flies by Jeffrey Archer (800 pgs)
✔ 2. Fool's Assassin by Robin Hobb (688 pgs)
✔ 3. Fool's Quest by Robin Hobb (768 pgs)
✔ 4. Assassin's Fate by Robin Hobb (888 pgs)
✔ 5. Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas (656 pgs)
✔ 6. Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas (704 pgs)
✔ 7. Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman (608 pgs)
✔ 8. Lethal White by Robert Galbraith (658 pgs)
✔ 9. Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas (668 pgs)

Completed

The Finish Line

Goal: Complete 14 Series

1. The Fitz & the Fool - Robin Hobb - 1/20/18
2. The Mage Wars - Mercedes Lackey - 1/21/18
3. Scarlet - A.C. Gaughen - 2/17/18
4. Paladin's Legacy - Elizabeth Moon - 3/1/18
5. My Notorious Aunt - Kathleen Baldwin - 4/7/18
6. The Split Worlds - Emma Newman - 5/2/18
7. For Darkness Shows the Stars - Diana Peterfreund - 5/18/18
8. Midnight Thief - Livia Blackburne - 6/1/18
9. The Wrath & the Dawn - Renee Ahdieh - 6/20/18
10. Wildwood - Juliet Marillier - 8/17/18
11. Seraphina - Rachel Hartman - 10/17/18
12. Orphan's Tales - Catherynne M. Valente - 10/22/18
13. The Grisha - Leigh Bardugo - 12/12/18
14. Throne of Glass - Sarah J. Maas - 12/29/18

Literary Anniversaries

Several authors have anniversary birthdays in 2018. The challenge is to choose one author (or more) and read one or more of their works.

Leo Tolstoy (9th September 1828)

Planned: War and Peace

Travel the World *Completed*

Around the World

🚂 1st Leg: North America

✔ The Kingdom (South Carolina)
✔ Murder on Sisters' Row (New York)
✔ A Familiar Tail (New Hampshire)
✔ The Broken Girls (Vermont)
✔ The House on Tradd Street (South Carolina)
✔ The Widow's House (New York)
✔ Lethal (Louisiana)
✔ Walk on Earth a Stranger (Pioneer Trail)
✔ Bellewether (New York)



🚙 2nd Leg: South America

✔ The Seven Sisters (Brazil)



🚃 3rd Leg: Europe

✔ Nine Coaches Waiting (France)
✔ Secrets of the Lighthouse (Ireland)
✔ The Memorist (Austria)
✔ The Castle of Otranto (Italy)
✔ All Is Fair (England)
✔ The Lost Book of the Grail (England)
✔ A Place Beyond Courage (England)
✔ The Moor (England)
✔ One Corpse Too Many (England)
✔ A Curious Beginning (England)
✔ The Face of a Stranger (England)
✔ A Useful Woman (England)
✔ As the Crow Flies (England, France, Australia)
✔ Murder at the Brightwell (England)
✔ The Anatomist's Wife (Scotland)
✔ A Perilous Undertaking (England)
✔ When Gods Die (England)
✔ Dissolution (England)





🚎 4th Leg: Middle East

✔ The Wrath & the Dawn (Persia/Iran)
✔ The Rose & the Dagger (Persia/Iran)
✔ Cybele's Secret (Turkey)



🛩 5th Leg: Africa

✔ Daughter of the Sky (South Africa)
✔ The Thousand Names (North Africa)



🛵 6th Leg: Asia

✔ The Star-Touched Queen (India)



🛥 7th Leg: Australia & Oceania

✔ As the Crow Flies (England, France, Australia)
✔ Evergreen Falls (Australia)

Clue *Completed*

Each character from the game represents the career of the MAIN CHARACTER (male or female) of the book you read.

✔ Miss Scarlet: career in law - Dissolution
✔ Colonel Mustard: career in the military - Echoes of Betrayal
✔ Nurse White: career in medicine - Murder on Sisters' Row (Midwife)
✔ Reverend Green: career in religion - One Corpse Too Many (Monk)
✔ Professor Plum: career in education - The Lost Book of the Grail
✔ Mrs. Peacock: career in business - As the Crow Flies
✔ Sergeant Gray: career in law enforcement - The Face of a Stranger
✔ Mr. Brown: career as a con artist or spy - Luck in the Shadows (Spy)

Extra-Credit..
✔ Mr. Black/Mr. Boddy: is dead or dies in the story - Secrets of the Lighthouse (Includes Ghost POV)

Cereal Numbers

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Level 1: Grab A Spoon: 3-4 books *Completed*

The Fitz & the Fool - Robin Hobb



✔ 1. Fool's Assassin
✔ 2. Fool's Quest
✔ 3. Assassin's Fate

----------------------------------------------------------------

Level 1: Grab A Spoon: 3-4 books *Completed*

Paladin's Legacy - Elizabeth Moon



✔ 3. Echoes of Betrayal
✔ 4. Limits of Power
✔ 5. Crown of Renewal

----------------------------------------------------------------

Level 1: Grab A Spoon: 3-4 books *Completed*

The Split Worlds - Emma Newman



✔ 3. All Is Fair
✔ 4. A Little Knowledge
✔ 5. All Good Things

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Level 2: Pour The Milk: 5-10 books *Completed*

Throne of Glass - Sarah J. Maas



✔ 0. The Assassin's Blade
✔ 1. Throne of Glass
✔ 2. Crown of Midnight
✔ 3. Heir of Fire
✔ 4. Queen of Shadows
✔ 5. Empire of Storms
✔ 6. Tower of Dawn
✔ 7. Kingdom of Ash

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Level 1: Grab A Spoon: 3-4 books *Completed*

Penric & Desdemona - Lois McMaster Bujold



✔ 3. Penric's Fox
✔ 4. Penric’s Mission
✔ 5. Mira's Last Dance
✔ 6. The Prisoner of Limnos

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Level 2: Pour The Milk: 5-10 books *Completed*

Kate Daniels - Ilona Andrews



✔ 1. Magic Bites
✔ 2. Magic Burns
✔ 3. Magic Strikes
✔ 3.5 Magic Mourns
✔ 4. Magic Bleeds
✔ 4.5 Magic Dreams
5. Magic Slays
5.4 Magic Gifts
5.5 Gunmetal Magic
6. Magic Rises
6.5 Magic Steals
7. Magic Breaks
8. Magic Shifts
8.5 Magic Stars
9. Magic Binds
9.5 Iron and Magic
10. Magic Triumphs

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Level 1: Grab A Spoon: 3-4 books *Completed*

Protector of the Small - Tamora Pierce



✔ 1. First Test
✔ 2. Page
✔ 3. Squire
4. Lady Knight

Monthly Genre Challenge

January: Contemporary/Literary Fiction


February: Romance/Chick Lit


March: Mystery


April: Fantasy


May: Comedy/Tragedy


June: Travel/Survival/Adventure


July: Young Adult/Middle Grade


August: Science Fiction/Dystopia


September: Historical Fiction


October: Horror/Thriller/Paranormal


November: Classics


December: Children's

I love this Renee! I'm going to give it a try.

*Completed*

Each character from the game represents the career of the MAIN CHARACTER (male or female) of the book you read.

✔ Miss Scarlet: career in law - Dissolution
✔ Colonel Mustard: career in the military - Echoes of Betrayal
✔ Nurse White: career in medicine - Murder on Sisters' Row (Midwife)
✔ Reverend Green: career in religion - One Corpse Too Many (Monk)
✔ Professor Plum: career in education - The Lost Book of the Grail
✔ Mrs. Peacock: career in business - As the Crow Flies
✔ Sergeant Gray: career in law enforcement - The Face of a Stranger
✔ Mr. Brown: career as a con artist or spy - Luck in the Shadows (Spy)

Extra-Credit..
✔ Mr. Black/Mr. Boddy: is dead or dies in the story - Secrets of the Lighthouse (Includes Ghost POV)

Gianna wrote: "hi! my name is gianna. i'm from florida and i like fantasy and dystopian novels. i tend to use reading as a form of escape from the not-so-great reality of the world. i've loved books and reading f..."

Hi Gianna, welcome to the group! Same here - the last thing I want to do is read about daily reality, so I'm a big fantasy reader too. The great thing about most of the challenges in this group is that you can tailor them to your own tastes. Have fun!

True enough :)