The Cardathon ChallengeBecky is the hugest Orson Scott Card fan. She has developed a challenge to try and convert the rest of the world. It's a nice, easy, ongoing challenge with its own blog.
I first heard of Orson Scott Card at the top 50_books list of books, because Ender's Game was in the top 20. When that book was picked by Becky, natch, for the Something About Me Challenge, I decided to read it. It was good, even though I'm not a huge science fiction fan. When a book is well written with great characters, regardless of the genre, it will be a good read.
Becky has set up this challenge in a way that it is nearly impossible to ignore. It is not just Orson Scott Card books, it is any book he may have touched in his life. I'm kidding. But books he has written, or introduced, or reviewed at his website are eligible. And that is where this challenge really opens up. With a quick perusal of reviewed books, I easily found over ten books I want to read, plus a sequel and parallel novel to Ender's Game by Card himself. I don't know if I'll read all the books I picked out, that's why we make lists with alternates.
This challenge is officially for a year, but I think Becky would also like it to be open ended.
The Rules: pick 6 - 12 books, preferably with 1 or 2 by Card
read, enjoy, review
join the blog if you want (it's usually more fun if you do)
My List of Potential Books
Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card
Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card
Xenocide by Orson Scott Card
Princess Academy - Shannon Hale
Howl's Moving Castle - Diane Wynne Jones
Because of Winn-Dixie - Kate DiCamillo
A Midsummer's Night Dream - Shakespeare
Robert B Parker mysteries
The Trouble with Physics: The Rise of String Theory -Lee Smolin
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid - Bill Bryson
Brainiac - Ken Jennings
I Shouldn't Even be Doing This - Bob Newhart
The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde
The Princes of Ireland - Rutherford
Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson
Teacher Man - Frank McCourt
Stardust - Neil Gaiman
The Chocolate War - Robert Cormier
For now, this is my pile of books to pick from. In one year, I hope to read a minimum of 6, but probably more. Go check out the blog and get pulled into Becky's plot to turn everyone into Card-ites? Orson groupies?
I signed up for this challenge too...and I haven't even read 1 Orson Scott Card book. How crazy is that?? But the potential list of books sounded so good, it was hard to pass up.
ReplyDeleteBesides, it's an 08 challenge!! Right now, I really need to get on finishing up some of these 07 challenges!
stephanie - I only read Ender's Game this summer, so I'm not a gigantic fan, yet. I shouldn't be planning for next year, but the list is all books I want to read. It's not the end of the world if you don't finish a challenge anyway. I'm beginning to think it's just as much fun making the list in the first place.
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