Literary Exploration discussion

Well done Mish:)

Brenda wrote: "Well done Mish:)"

Thankyou Brenda, I'm getting there..slowly :)

Mish wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Well done Mish:)"

Thankyou Brenda, I'm getting there..slowly :)"

Still have more than half the year left - you'll be fine! :)

I have finished my 21st - Poetry - Another Chapter by David J. Delaney 4★s

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I got through the Easy challenge much faster than I thought I would so moving on up to the Hard Challenge!

Adventure -Inferno
Auto-bio/Biography -The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
Chick Lit - Sorcery and the Single Girl
Classics - Anthem
Drama
Fantasy - The School for Good and Evil
Graphic Novels - Interview with the Vampire: Claudia's Story
Historical Fiction - Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Horror - Carrie
Humor - I Am America
Literary Fiction - Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer
Magical Realism
Mystery-The Big Sleep
Non Fiction-Assassination Vacation
Paranormal-Accidentally Dead, Again
Philosophical-Zen Speaks: Shouts of Nothingness
Poetry - Archy and Mehitabel
Pulp (Noir)- The Maltese Falcon
Romance - The Fault in Our Stars
Science Fiction - Fahrenheit 451
Steampunk - Incarceron
Thriller Reamde
Victorian A Christmas Carol
Young AdultCurtsies & Conspiracies

Finished my 22nd - Philosophical - A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman 5★s

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Finished my 23rd - Steampunk - Stardust by Neil Gaiman 4★s

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I have finished this challenge! My final read was Graphic Novel - The Arrival by Shaun Tan 5★s

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Here is my completed challenge:

Adventure - Time Square The Shift by S.W. Lothian ★★★.5
Auto-Biography/Biography - A Century of Wisdom: Lessons from the Life of Alice Herz-Sommer, the World's Oldest Living Holocaust Survivor by Caroline Stoessinger ★★★★★
Chick-Lit - The Girl in Steel-Capped Boots by Loretta Hill ★★★★★
Classics - The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain ★★
Drama - The Memory Child by Steena Holmes ★★★★★
Fantasy - The Sword of Demelza by J.E. Rogers ★★★★★
Graphic Novel - The Arrival by Shaun Tan ★★★★★
Historical Fiction - The Railwayman's Wife by Ashley Hay ★★★★★
Horror - Vessels by Kealan Patrick Burke ★★★★
Humour - Terms & Conditions by Robert Glancy ★★★
Literary Fiction - The Mystery of a Hansom Cab by Fergus Hume ★★★
Magical Realism - The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker ★★★★★
Mystery - Deserving Death by Katherine Howell ★★★★★
Non-Fiction - Firestorm: Black Saturday's Tragedy by Various ★★★★★
Paranormal - Grounded Spirits by Pippa Dee ★★★★★
Philosophical - A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman ★★★★★
Poetry - Another Chapter by David J. Delaney ★★★★
Pulp – (Hard-Boiled or Noir) - The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler ★★★
Romance - Poppy's Dilemma by Karly Lane ★★★★★
Science Fiction - Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins ★★★★★
Steampunk - Stardust by Neil Gaiman ★★★★
Thriller - Always Watching by Chevy Stevens ★★★
Victorian - The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson ★★★★
Young Adult - Music Box by Anya Allyn ★★★★★

That's awesome. It is an accomplishment to finish and so early in the year as well. Are you going to tackle the Insane challenge or are you done?

Thanks Laurie:) No, I'm done! I have about five challenges on the go at the moment. So I'm going to concentrate on getting through those as well now;)

Hi all,

I've only got a few genres left, but I'm not at all familiar with (the reason I'm doing this challenge!)

Anyone have any reccomendations for someone who has never read:
Steampunk
Pulp
Magical Realism (I've read Milan Kundera and love him, but want to branch out.)
Poetry

Thanks in advance!

Katie wrote: "Hi all,

I've only got a few genres left, but I'm not at all familiar with (the reason I'm doing this challenge!)

Anyone have any reccomendations for someone who has never read:
Steampunk
Pulp
Ma..."

Katie you could check others' lists to get some ideas:) My completed list is post #108..you might get some help there. Alternatively you could click on the links at the beginning, there are lots of ideas there. Good luck :)

Katie wrote: "Hi all,

I've only got a few genres left, but I'm not at all familiar with (the reason I'm doing this challenge!)

Anyone have any reccomendations for someone who has never read:
Steampunk
Pulp
Ma..."

This group is reading a Steampunk book in October if you check the poll - the voting hasn't finished yet. I have no idea what Steampunk is either. You can also do a genre search under the "Explore" tab at the top of the page.

Finally I've read another book for the challenge! I've been away for 3 months with only 2 books left to read. I chose Narzissus and Goldmund for the philosophical genre - it was my first book by Hesse and I'm glad to say I enjoyed it.
I've already started the next - and last - one: The talented Mister Ripley for Pulp.

Poetry is annoying me. Very slow going

This morning I finished reading The talented Mr. Ripley. It was fantastic.

I recommend this for the Pulp genre.

So... I have finished the challenge! Wohoo :)

Congratulations Iselin!!

FINISHED!!! Poetry is a pain in the neck

Adventure The Tournament
Auto-Biography/Biography Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Chick-Lit Mad About the Boy
Classics Bleak House
Drama The Help
Fantasy Ship of Magic
Graphic Novels The Walking Dead, Book Two
Historical Fiction Captive Queen: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine
Horror The Face of Fear
Humour The Color of Magic
Literary Fiction The Remains of the Day
Magical Realism The Snow Child
Mystery Scarpetta
Non Fiction The Ascent of Man
Paranormal Moon Called
Philosophical Sophie's World
PoetryParadise Lost
Pulp D Is For Deadbeat
Romance Shiver
Science Fiction Ender's Game
Steampunk Clockwork Princess
Thriller The Redbreast
Victorian Etiquette & Espionage
Young Adult Days of Blood & Starlight

Liz wrote: "FINISHED!!! Poetry is a pain in the neck

Adventure The Tournament
Auto-Biography/Biography Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Chick-Lit [book:Mad About the Boy|17262155..."

Poetry can be a pain in the neck, so I chose one of the fluffiest, easiest poetry books ever for my challenge. You chose something very difficult. I had to read Paradise Lost years ago when I was student teaching and then teach it to 12th graders. So kudos to you for making such a great choice and following through.

Congratulations Liz!

Completed this challenge today with The Postman Always Rings Twice for the pulp - noir category.

Adventure The Fellowship of the Ring 6/29/14 *****
Auto-Biography/Biography Alex Stewart: Portrait of a Pioneer 2/26/14 *****
Chick-LitThe Thorn Birds 9/22/14 *****
Classics The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie1/1/14 ***
Drama Lottery 2/14/14 ****
Fantasy The Color of Magic 1/9/14 ***
Graphic Novels How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You5/3/14 ***
Historical Fiction Winter Garden 1/28/14 *****
Horror Frankenstein 4/30/14 ****
Humour Three Men in a Boat 1/4/14 *****
Literary Fiction The Sound and the Fury 2/10/14 ****
Magical Realism One Hundred Years of Solitude 3/7/14 ***
Mystery The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time 5/2/14 ****
Non Fiction The Eighty-Dollar Champion: Snowman, the Horse That Inspired a Nation 2/18/14 ****
Paranormal Good Omens: The Nice & Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch 4/7/14 ****
Philosophical A Clockwork Orange1/14/14 ****
Poetry Plume: Poems 5/28/14 *****
Pulp – (Hard-Boiled or Noir)The Postman Always Rings Twice 9/24/14 ****
Romance I Capture the Castle 2/4/14 ****
Science Fiction The War of the Worlds 1/18/14 ***
Steampunk Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea 5/9/14 ****
Thriller Perfume: The Story of a Murderer 5/18/14 ****
Victorian The Jungle Book3/13/14 ****
Young Adult A Tree Grows in Brooklyn 4/15/14 *****

I am going to attempt to complete the insane challenge. I probably won't finish but it is worth a shot.

Hard Challenge Completed September 26, 2014
Adventure - The Three Musketeers
Auto-Biography/Biography - Wrapped in Rainbows: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston
Chick-lit - Your Roots Are Showing
Classics - Fahrenheit 451
Drama - As You Like It
Graphic Novels - Arrow Vol. 1
Historical Fiction - Wolf Hall
Horror - The Shining
Literary Fiction - The Secret History
Magical Realism - The Golem and the Jinni
Mystery - Wicked Autumn
Non-Fiction - Detroit: An American Autopsy
Paranormal - What's a Witch to Do?
Philosophical - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Philosophy: Everything Is Fire
Poetry - The Moments, the Minutes, the Hours: The Poetry of Jill Scott
Pulp - Odds On
Romance - Finding It
Science Fiction - Oryx and Crake
Steampunk - The Will of the Dead
Thriller - Dare Me
Victorian - Middlemarch
Young Adult - Just One Day

Completed the hard challenge this morning! October 15th. Books listed on my entry on page 2 of this thread.

Definitely could have done with study notes for paradise lost. Was a very hard slog. Worth it. An interesting read.

The Hard Challenge (Finished 11/8/14)

24/24

Adventure: Finished Treasure Island narrated by Frederick Davidson, written by Robert Louis Stevenson on 8/15/14
Auto-Biography/Biography: Finished The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls on 4/28/14
Chick-Lit: Finished Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella on 6/13/14
Classics: Finished The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner on 2/26/14
Drama: Finished The Fault in Our Stars by John Green on 4/12/14
Fantasy: Finished The Great Night by Chris Adrian on 3/2/14.
Graphic Novels: Finished The Canterville Ghost: The Graphic Novel by Oscar Wilde and Sean Michael Wilson on 6/24/14 and Amulet, Vol. 1: The Stonekeeper byKazu Kibuishi on 6/25/14
Historical Fiction: Finished Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides on 3/22/14
Horror: Finished At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft 9/30/14
Humor: Finished Dad Is Fat by Jim Gaffigan on 6/3/14
Literary Fiction: Finished Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter on 2/3/14
Magical Realism: Finished The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey on 5/5/14
Mystery: Finished The Roman Hat Mystery by Ellery Queen on 4/1/14
Non Fiction: Finished Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl on 4/19/14
Paranormal: Finished Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris 10/14/14
Philosophical: Finished The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis on 5/29/14
Poetry: Finished A Bouquet : Of Czech Folktales by Karel Jaromír Erben on 6/22/14
Pulp: Finished Emperor Mollusk versus The Sinister Brain by A. Lee Martinez on 3/23/14 and The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett on 7/18/14
Romance: Finished Atonement by Ian McEwan on 4/8/14
Science Fiction: Finished This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer on 5/31/14 and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro 9/7/14
Steampunk: Finished The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers 11/8/14
Thriller: Finished The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy on 6/18/14
Victorian: Finished North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell on 6/8/14
Young Adult: Finished The Giver by Lois Lowry on 2/18/14.

Well done Karen!

Thanks - it was fun. Definitely genres I would not normally be drawn to but it was fun to expand my horizons.

I agree - a great way to take us out of our reading comfort zone:)

It's a race against time. I'm nowhere near finishing but had a great time with this challenge :)

I'm currently reading The Visitors for my Victorian. I've borrowed This House of Grief for Non-Fiction and I might be able to squeeze in a John Green novel in for Romance before end of year :)

Here's my status update:

Completed

1 - Magical Realism - The Crane Wife Read Jan 14 - 5 stars, Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

2 - Thriller - The Last Winter of Dani Lancing Read Jan 14 - 4 stars, Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

3 - Classic - The Bell Jar Read Jan 14 - 5 Stars, No Review

4 - Mystery - In a Cat's Eye Read Jan 14 - 4 Stars, Review : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

5 - Drama - For Today I Am a Boy Read Feb 14 - 2 1/2 Stars, Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

6 - Horror - A Love Like Blood Read Feb 14 - 4 1/2 Stars, Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

7 - Historical Fiction - Ruby: A Novel Read Apr 14 - 3 Stars, Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

8 - Paranormal - The Quick Read Apr 14 - 3 1/2 Stars, Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

9 - Young Adult - The Fever Read Apr 14 - 4 Stars, Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

10 - Science Fiction - Angelmaker Read May 14 - 5 Stars, Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

11 - Literary Fiction - Golden Boys Read Sept 14 - 4 Stars, Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

12 - Adventure - If I Fall, If I Die Read Sept 14 - 4 Stars, Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

13 - Humour - Us Read Sept 14 - 5 Stars, Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

14 - Pulp - Farewell, My Lovely - Read Nov 14 - 5 Stars, Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

15 - Victorian - The Visitors - Currently Reading

Finished! What a wonderful year of reading it has been!

Victorian:The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde  
Finished Jan 11, 2014     Rating *****

Science Fiction:  Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper  
Finished: Jan 17, 2014   Rating ***

Drama:Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Finished: Jan 19, 2014   Rating: *****

Auto-Biography: All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot  
Finished: Feb 03, 2014    Rating:  *****

Literary Fiction: The Sound and the Fury  by Faulkner, William
Finished: Feb 18, 2014   Rating:  ****

Paranormal:  The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman  
Finished: March 10, 2014   Rating: ***

Fantasy: A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin  
Finished: Mar 22, 2014  Rating:  ****

Historical-fiction: Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather  
Finished: Mar 24, 2014. Rating: ****

Classic:  The Mayor of Casterbridge  by Thomas Hardy  
Finished:  Apr 11, 2014   Rating: ****

Adventure:Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling  
Finished: May 12, 2014   Rating: ****

Mystery:  The Thirteenth Tale  by Diane Setterfield  
Finished: May 27, 2014  Rating: ****

Hard-boiled:  The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett  
Finished:  Jun 16, 2014  Rating: ***

Steampunk: The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers
Finished:  Aug 13, 2014  Rating: *****

Young-adult:  Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson  
Finished: Aug 20, 2014   Rating: *****

Non-Fiction: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Finished: Sep 06, 2014  Rating: ****

Humour:  A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole  
Finished: Sep 16, 2014   Rating: ****

Chick-lit:  The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisbergern  
Finished: Oct 03, 2014  Rating: ***

Philosophical: Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse 
Finished: Oct 05, 2014   Rating: ****

Magical-realism: Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
Finished: Oct 15, 2014   Rating: ***

Horror: At the Mountains of Madness
by H.P. Lovecraft  
Finished: Oct 19, 2014   Rating: ***

Thriller: Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett
Finished: Nov 07, 2014.  Rating: *****

Romance: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Finished: Nov 16, 2014  Rating: ****

Graphic-novel: The Complete Persepolis by Satrapi, Marjane  
Finished: Nov 23, 2014   Rating: ****

Poetry: The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot
Finished: Nov 25, 2014  Rating: ***

Well done Beth!

Beth wrote: "Finished! What a wonderful year of reading it has been!

Victorian:The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde  
Finished Jan 11, 2014     Rating *****

Science Fiction:  [book:Little Fu..."

Oh man, that is a FABULOUS list! Congratulations!

I won't be able to finish the Hard challenge this year, I have five books left to read. I'll try again next year. :(