Category: Challenges

Challenges

Challenge: A Decade Of Award Winners

Rinn

A Decade of Award Winners

I’m always up for new challenges, as well as finding some great new science fiction and fantasy – so why not combine them? I’ve decided to challenge myself to read the past decade of award winners for the following awards: Hugo, Nebula, British Science Fiction Association, Mythopoeic, Locus Science Fiction, Locus Fantasy, British Fantasy Society, Campbell Award, PKD Award, Clarke Award, Locus First Novel, Stoker, Locus Young Adult, Shirley Jackson Award, David Gemmell Legend Award and David Gemmell Morningstar Award. And using the fantastic website Worlds Without End, I’m going to keep track of my progress here! I’m aiming for this challenge to be an ongoing one, with no strict deadline, and I am counting books read before the creation of the challenge. I will cross a book off if I attempted it but did not finish – after all, this is about trying out celebrated fiction, and if I don’t enjoy it then I won’t make myself read it. If you want to join in, let me know!

2014

2013

Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan Doctor Sleep Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie

2012

2011

Jack Glass by Adam Roberts The Night Circus The Wise Man's Fear

2010

2009

The Graveyard Book Blood of Elves The Windup Girl

2008

2007

Emissaries from the Dead by Adam-Troy Castro His Majesty's Dragon Wintersmith

2006

2005

2004

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Challenges

Challenge: Review Copy Cleanup

Rinn

After my worries earlier this week about my Netgalley ratio, I have been introduced to the perfect solution by several people: the February Review Copy Cleanup hosted by Vicky @ Biscuits and Tea and Celine @ Nyx Book Reviews. These lovely ladies are challenging each other, and other bloggers, to read as many review copies in the month of February as they can. It’s perfect for people like me who may have gone a little crazy with the ARC requesting.

I’ve gone through my ‘to review’ list and my Netgalley dashboard, and submitted a message for all the books I lost when I got a new Kindle. My ratio is now 30.5% (the highest it’s ever been!), but should actually be higher as it says I’ve submitted 36 pieces of feedback, rather than 48. Apparently this is a glitch that Netgalley are working on, so I’m hoping it will be sorted soon to reflect my real ratio. Thank you also to Faith @ Student Spyglass, who has shared a post on improving your Netgalley ratio, including a brilliant formula to work out how many books you need to read to reach certain percentages. I’ve used the formula on my to review spreadsheet, and apparently I need to read 94 books to reach the recommended Netgalley ratio of 80%! I’ll also be putting my Weekly Roundup feature on hold for now, as I attempt to stop buying and requesting books. Madness.

I don’t have a specific goal for February, I just want to read as much as possible – but my overall goal before I start my Masters is at least 65% – EDIT: I finally hit over 50% yesterday, when Netgalley caught up to my most recent feedback where I informed the publishers of lost books. 65% should be another thirteen or fourteen books, and now I’ve looked at it that way, it doesn’t seem all too bad! You can see which of my ARCs I will read first this month by taking at look at my review copy ‘to read’ list. If you want to sign up to the challenge, please click the image above!

Are you taking part in the challenge? Do you have many review copies to read?

Challenges, Sci-Fi Month

Sci-Fi Month: Definitive Science Fiction Reads

Rinn
scifipostheader2

Today I want to share a challenge with you all: my definitive list of science fiction reads! They are books I feel every sci-fi fan should read at least once in their lifetime, and as well as creating a challenge for myself I hope that it can be challenge for some of you too. Although I already have a Top Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books Challenge, I wanted to create one that reflected all different types of science fiction, including Young Adult. So it will actually be a mix of books I’ve loved, books I really feel I should read because they’re considered classics, and some titles that might often be overlooked, as well as some books that I’ve heard a lot of good things about.
 
If you’d like to join in, feel free! I’ll be keeping track of my progress too, on a separate post. Don’t forget to check out the schedule for the rest of today’s posts. You can also Tweet about the event using the hashtag #RRSciFiMonth.

‘Classic’ science fiction

Newer science fiction

Young Adult science fiction

What do you think of the challenge? Are you going to join in?

Challenges

Challenge: TBR Pile 2013 Challenge Progress

Rinn
 
I am currently taking part in the 2013 TBR Pile Reading Challenge, and as of yet have not written any progress posts, so I’m taking the chance to make one now! My goal was  to read 15 books over the year, from a list of 30. You can view my original post here, which includes the list.
 

So how have I done so far?

 

  1.  An Abundance of Katherines by John Green – my first John Green book (The Fault in Our Stars is waiting for me…) and such a sweet read.
  2. Tristan and Iseult by Rosemary Sutcliff – I just finished this one. A bit disappointing really. This was meant to be the ‘romantic’ version, rather than Tristan and Iseult falling in love because of a love potion, but it really didn’t feel it.
  3. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness – Beautiful and so, so moving.
  4. The Maze Runner by James Dashner – Fantastic dystopian YA story, and I also recently read the second book in the series, The Scorch Trials.
  5. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater – This one caught me by surprise, it was original and interesting, and rather different from what I was expecting!
  6. The Magicians by Lev Grossman – Definitely accurate in the ‘Harry Potter for adults’ description, with some C.S. Lewis thrown in for good measure.
  7. The Sun in my Eyes: Two-wheeling East by Josie Dew – I love Josie’s travel writing, she’s so witty and has some amazing experiences.
  8. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen – This book was so sweet, especially compared with many of today’s characters.

 
Eight out of fifteen, and only (basically) four months into the year – I think I will achieve my target, perhaps I could even read all thirty!
 

And now, my readers, how are you doing with the challenge if you’re taking part? What have you read this year so far that you loved?

 
Challenges

Challenge: 2013 TBR Pile Challenge

Rinn


I am continuing this challenge throughout 2014, as I hope to have read all 30 books by the end of the year.

I have decided to join the 2013 TBR Pile Reading Challenge, which runs from 1st January – 31st December 2013. You can read the rules and join the challenge here. There is also a handy Goodreads group for the challenge, which will track your challenge books for you, as long as you shelf them correctly.

I have almost 300 books on my TBR list, and some have been sitting there for years. One of the rules of this challenge is no books published after 2013, and no ARCs – which rules out a lot of my review books. This means I can read the books I want to, and have been meaning to read for some time – which means they’ll most likely be ones that I already own. I have set a goal of 15 books (considering that I also have to read review copies), any from this list:

1. The Odyssey by Homer
2. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (read 2014)
3. Endymion by Dan Simmons
4. The Rise of Endymion by Dan Simmons (read 2014)
5. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
6. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
7. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
8. Redhead by Ian Cook
9. Tristan and Iseult by Rosemary Sutcliff
10. The Oxford Murders by Guillermo Martinez
11. The Ice Storm by Rick Moody
12. The Twelve by Justin Cronin
13. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
14. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
15. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
16. The Magicians by Lev Grossman
17. Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs
18. The Sun in my Eyes: Two-Wheeling East by Josie Dew
19. The Weeping Empress by Sadie S. Forsyth
20. A Walk in the Wood: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trial by Bill Bryson
21. Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
22. Dear Fatty by Dawn French
23. Gone by Michael Grant
24. Virals by Kathy Reichs
25. Chasm City by Alastair Reynolds
26. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch (read 2014)
27. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh (read 2014)
28. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
29. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
30. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Keep track of my progress or take a look at my tbr-pile-challenge shelf!

 Just under half of my list…