UPDATE: Completed Challenges

It's time to update some challenges I've completed recently:



Once upon a Time Challenge Mar 21 - June 21/08

goal: Read 5 books in the fantasy/fairy tale/folklore genre.
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
Zel by Donna Jo Napoli
The Complete Fairy Tales by Oscar Wilde
Beauty, by Robin McKinley
Stardust by Neil Gaiman

I'm learning that this isn't my favorite genre, it can be rather hit or miss.
Hits: The Goose Girl and Zel
Misses: Stardust and Oscar Wilde

But Carl V still rocks and I'll definitely be around for his RIP III in the fall.

In the Pub '08 all year
Goal: read 8 books published in 2008
1. Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella
2. The Quirks and Quarks Guide to Space by Jim Lebans
3. The Bleeding Dusk by Colleen Gleason
4. The Ravine by Paul Quarrington
5. A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif
6. The Outcast by Sadie Jones
7. Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
8. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway

I was quite surprised how easy this one was, but getting advanced copies, winning books, and just being more aware of new releases made this one easy. There are some great books on this list. Favorite: Remember Me?, but they were all good and I would recommend any of them for different readers. A toast to 3M(Michelle) for hosting this and bringing me into the new release section of the bookstore. There is still time to join this challenge, the year is only half over.

Heard it Through the Grapevine May 1 - Nov 30/08
Goal: read 3 books that have been recommended to you

1. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett, recommended by 3M at onemorechapter
2. Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill both recommended by kookiejar at a fraternity of dreamers
3. Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips, recommended by tinylittlelibrarian, and kookiejar

Haven't got to yet, but still plan to:
1. Sacred Cows by Karen E. Olsen, recommended by chris at book-a-rama
2. Broken For You by Stephanie Kallos, recommended by literary feline at musings of...
3. Then We Came to The End by Joshua Ferris, also by kookiejar

You can't go wrong with this challenge, because all the best people with the best taste are suggesting great reads. Thanks to Lynne at her little corner of the world for putting this one together. There is a whole blog for this one that I didn't join mostly so Iwouldn't get even more recommendations, but there is still time to join up; three books in four months? Easy.

Chunkster Challenge 2 til Dec 20th, beating the Christmas rush

Goal: read 4 books, each over 450 pages.

from the original list:
1. The Book Thief, Markus Zusak: 550 pages
3. The Night Watch, Sarah Waters: 503 pages
6. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Betty Smith: 483 pages
8. Angry Housewives Eating Bonbons, Lorna Landvik, 483 pages

The best of these is The Book Thief, but none felt like a chunkster, which is the best compliment I can give a big book. Thanks to think pink dana for hosting this one. You should see all the Chunksters that have been read already for this one.

BOOK: The Complete Fairy Tales by Oscar Wilde

The Complete Fairy Tales by Oscar Wilde

Once Upon a Time II challenge

The Importance of Being Ernest is a play I studied several times in university and I really enjoyed it. Last summer I read the highly lauded novel The Picture of Dorian Grey and found it too boring. One good and one bad. Fairy Tales is my deciding book and I'm leaning toward boring. There is nothing wrong with the stories, but I never became engrossed. I found the writing slightly dated but it wasn't too serious. Overall, just an OK read. I really think it is me though; the tales just didn't appeal to me.

It has taken me a month to finish this last book for the Once Upon a Time II Challenge. I finished the first half, a collection called The Happy Prince and then it took me until the deadline was looming to pick up The Pomegranate Stories. The Happy Prince includes the title story about a statue who gives his jewels to the poor people of his town; The Selfish Giant which was a story I first heard in one of those reader books my children have brought home in grade 1. And when I read back these summaries now, I like the stories. I haven't been able to pinpoint what disappointed me about the stories, but I would be put to sleep as I read each one. It's not as if I don't like short stories either, because I do. Maybe not being familiar with the stories first makes them seem strange as I'm not appreciating the repetitive quality.

Common themes to fairy tales include repetition of three, princesses and kings, ogres, connection with the magical world, dark themes. All the good stuff is here. I think I would appreciate them individually written in children's book. So it's not the story, it's the writing. I think my crush on Oscar is gone. I'm sure lots of people would like these stories so don't let my opinion here alter yours. The whole fairy tale genre has been hit or miss with me this challenge. I need to get back to my mysteries.

BOOK: The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

Once Upon a Time II, Cardathon

I've had this book from the library for several weeks, and I had to renew it before I even started it. You know how there are books that people rave about and you want to read, but for some irrational reason, you avoid it. And what usually happens is the book is terrific, and you wonder why it took so long to decide to read it. This is one of those books.

It was lovely. Hale retells the fairy tale of The Goose Girl, a story I was not familiar with. Her writing is wonderful and she incorporates the mystical and magical parts of fairy tales in a way that seems perfectly natural. The characters are ordinary people with strengths and weaknesses, and love stories that make you root for the couple. There was the perfect mix of treachery and sword fights, mistaken identities and folk tales, royalty and common folk. Ani was a wonderfully strong character who grows and learns how strong she can be. She is different because she can communicate with animals and doesn't fit in, but finds out how to believe in herself. Her friend Enna was loyal and strong and the next book is called Enna Burning. I look forward to reading it.

If you have reviewed this book as well, leave a link in the comments.

BOOK: Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Once Upon a Time II, novella challenge

I'm sure I'll be going against the grain here when I say this book was just OK. I realize that Gaiman has some terrific devotees, but so far for me, he's been good, but I'm not inspired to raving. I haven't seen the movie of this one, and I imagine it was good, as the story has some great elements and I can visualize the special effects that might have happened. Maybe I'm not a huge fairy tale / fantasy reader. I've liked some books but they aren't making me run to the library for another one.

That was my feeling through most of the book. I will say Gaiman pulled together a very good ending, very good, and my opinion of the book rose, but it was a struggle to get through and at times I thought about not finishing because I didn't care what happened to Tristan and Yvaine or the Witch Queen. I liked the seven brothers who were fighting over the title of Lord of Stromhold. I wish there had been a lot more with them and their battles. And I think that is my biggest complaint - so much of the details were just glossed over. It made the story shorter, which was good, but I never got really into the story and the Faerie world.

My apologies to Gaiman and his fans, but for me, I think it's a genre thing.

BOOK: Beauty by Robin McKinley

Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty & the Beast by Robin McKinley


Once Upon a Time II, Young Adult Challenge


I've seen the Disney movie, I've seen the stage musical, and now I've read the story: Beauty and the Beast. Is the song in your head now? McKinley wrote this version in 1978, and has even redone this story herself again, in Rose Daughter. I thought I might read that as well, but I think I would wait a while. There can't be that many ways to tell this story.

This version is similar to the Disney movie, but the back story changes quite a bit, as Beauty is the youngest of three daughters, and she is not a beauty either, more of a tomboy and scholar. Her family loses their fortune and moves to the country. Her father gets lost in the enchanted woods behind their home when he comes home with a fantastic tale of a terrible promise made to the Beast who saved his life, Beauty volunteers to go live with the Beast. Knowing the story, the real enjoyment was just in seeing how McKinley gets the reader to the inevitable end.

There were some nice touches. I liked the enchanted library with all books written, even ones yet to be written, and the Beast even read one of my favorite poems, Browning's "Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister." There was no Gaston coming to 'save' Beauty; I liked that Beauty comes to her own understanding about love and wasn't treated as property by men. The roses still played a big part, and the country respect of magic, to explain things that can't be easily understood was plausible. It was a good read, not great, but a nice little fairy tale nonetheless.

BOOK: Zel by Donna Jo Napoli

Zel by Donna Jo Napoli

Once Upon a Time II, Young Adult Challenge, Eponymous Challenge

Napoli uses beautiful writing to retell the fairy tale of Rapunzel. This was set in Switzerland during the 1500s, and I forgot how much of the story I knew, but as I kept reading, another element made me remember. I liked how the prince was a count, and the love story was perfect. It was really the story about love, different kinds of love, and the things that love can drive you to do. I'd read another fairy tale by Napoli.

A great start to the Once Upon a Time Challenge II.

Also reviewed by : mawbooks

CHALLENGE: Once Upon a Time 2008

It's finally here, and here are the options:

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

Quest the Second
Read at least one book from each of the four categories. In this quest you will be reading 4 books total: one fantasy, one folklore, one fairy tale, and one mythology. This proved to be one of the more difficult quests last year merely because of the need to classify each read and determine which books fit into which category. I am not a stickler, fear not, but I was fascinated watching how folks worked to find books for each category.

Quest the Third
Fulfill the requirements for Quest the First or Quest the Second AND top it off with a June reading of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Love the story, love the films, love the idea of that magical night of the year and so this is my chance to promote the reading of this farcical love story.

Three is a magical number, a number of portent in fantastical tales, and so three quests seems about right.

Last year, this genre was very new to me. Oh, I had read Harry Potter, but in general, fantasy/ folklore was new. I've been seeing other books since then, and I've been making a mental list. I'm lucky because I get to read the tip of the iceberg, the best of the genre. I'm going to try Quest First with an emphasis on Fairy Tales, with an option to change it to Quest Three if I feel so inspired. Here's my list of potential reads:

• The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
• Zel by Donna Jo Napoli
• The Complete Fairy Tales by Oscar Wilde
• Beauty, by Robin McKinley
• Stardust by Neil Gaiman
• a book I see a great review for
• whatever I feel like!

Go check out Carl's intro post, and get inspired by his writing and the lists by other great readers.

CHALLENGE: Once Upon a Time II

Look what I found on Carl's Stainless Steel Droppings:

The time for the second annual Once Upon a Time Challenge is fast approaching. I like to have this coincide with spring (and my wife’s birthday), and so this year Once Upon a Time II will begin on Friday, March 21st and will go through Friday, June 20th, the last day of spring and Midsummer Night’s Eve.
This is going to be big. There will be multiple quest options, great contests and giveaways, and all the wonderful reading a person can handle. More details including banners and official sign up will be available sometime next week. Get your to-be read piles dusted off and ready to go!




Last year I hesitated, and wavered, and eventually joined since I was reading His Dark Materials Trilogy anyway. It wasn't hard to try a few more, as this whole genre was rather new to me and not my most comfortable. I enjoyed reading my choices and was glad I joined. And to top it off, I won a prize at the end! My own little poppet I named Christie, and some bookmarks and posters. So of course I am keen to join Carl's next challenge. And don't forget how much fun the RIP II was in the fall.

I wish I had gotten on board earlier in the challenge last spring, because part of the fun would have been chosing books in the different categories: Folklore, Fantasy, Fairy Tale and Mythology. I think that this year I'm going to try all Fairy Tales and I've been collecting a little list, waiting for this challenge to start. It's just about spring!

Carl is all about the equinoxes.