Once Upon a Time VII

Dates: 21 March - 21 June, 2013
Hosted by: Carl V. @ Stainless Steel Droppings

Guidelines (quoted from the challenge announcement page):

• Readings should come from these four genres: fantasy, fairy tale, folklore and mythology. 
• Participants can choose one or more of the following levels (or Quests):

1. The Journey - Read at least one book from any of the four genres. No need to commit to any set number of books.
2. Quest the First - Read at least 5 books that fit somewhere within the Once Upon a Time III 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.
3. 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.
4. 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 OR a viewing of one of the many theatrical versions of the play.
5. Short Story Quest - This quest involves the reading of one or more short stories that fit within at least one of the four genres during the course of the weekend. Ideally you would post about your short story readings on Sundays or Mondays, but this is not strictly necessary.
6. Quest on the Screen - To participate in this quest simply let the other participants know about the films and/or television shows that you feel fit into the definitions of fantasy, fairy tales, folklore or mythology that you are enjoying during the challenge.

✸ I'm signing up at the "Journey" level, so I'll be reading at least one book, but (as usual) hope to read a few more.

See my original post about the challenge HERE.
See the challenge announcement/sign-up page HERE.
See the challenge review page HERE.

MY READING LIST (books read, with links to reviews):

1. Half Magic. Edward Eager 
2. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. L. Frank Baum 
3. Mistress Masham's Repose. T.H. White

LIST OF POSSIBLE CHOICES:

The 13 Clocks. James Thurber
The Bell at Sealey Head. Patricia A. McKillip
The Book of Lost Things. John Connolly
The Castle of Llyr. Lloyd Alexander
The City of Dreaming Books. Walter Moers
The Crystal Cave. Mary Stewart
The Eyre Affair. Jasper Fforde
The Fairy-Tale Detectives (Sisters Grimm #1). Michael Buckley
Five Children and It. E. Nesbit
Inkheart. Cornelia Funke
The Mabinogion.
The Magic of Finkleton. K.C. Hilton
Magic or Not? Edward Eager
Mistress Masham's Repose. T.H. White
The Mists of Avalon. Marion Zimmer Bradley
The Moon of Gomrath: A Tale of Alderley. Alan Garner
The Phantom Tollbooth. Norton Juster
Photographing Fairies. Steve Szilagyi
The Prince of Mist. Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Princess and the Goblin. George MacDonald
The Red Pyramid. Rick Riordan
Silver on the Tree. Susan Cooper
Stuart Little. E.B. White
The Trumpet of the Swan. E.B. White
The Well-Wishers. Edward Eager
The Wind in the Willows. Kenneth Grahame
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. L. Frank Baum

2013 Books in Translation Reading Challenge

**Challenge complete. See my wrap-up post HERE.**

Dates: 1 January - 31 December, 2013
Hosted by: The Introverted Reader

Guidelines:

• Read translations of books, from any language into the language(s) you're comfortable reading in; books don't have to be in English. 
• Any genre is allowed, and books can be for any age range. 
• Crossovers with other challenges are OK. 
• Any format that you choose is acceptable. 
• You don't need a blog to participate. 

Levels:

1. Beginner: Read 1-3 books in translation 
2. Conversationalist: 4-6 
3. Bilingual: 7-9 
4. Linguist: 10-12 

** I'm signing up at the "Beginner" level, so I'll be reading 1-3 books.

See my original post about the challenge HERE.
See my challenge wrap-up post HERE.
See the challenge announcement/sign-up page HERE.

MY READING LIST (books read, with links to reviews):

1. Ignorance. Milan Kundera; translated from the French by Linda Asher  
2. Invisible Cities. Italo Calvino; translated from the Italian by William Weaver 
3. Chéri. Colette; translated from the French by Roger Senhouse 

2013 Nonfiction Reading Challenge

**Challenge complete.  See my wrap-up post HERE.**

Dates: 1 January - 31 December, 2013
Hosted by: The Introverted Reader

Guidelines: (quoted from challenge announcement page) "Read any non-fiction book(s), adult or young adult. That's it. You can choose anything. Memoirs? Yes. History? Yes. Travel? Yes. You get the idea? Absolutely anything that is classified as non-fiction counts for this challenge."

Levels:

1. Dilettante -- Read 1-5 non-fiction books
2. Explorer -- Read 6-10
3. Seeker -- Read 11-15
4. Master -- Read 16-20 

** I'm signing up at the "Dilettante" level, so I'll be reading 1-5 books.

See my original post about the challenge HERE.
See my challenge wrap-up post HERE.  
See the challenge announcement/sign-up page HERE.

MY READING LIST (books read, with links to reviews):

1. Darwin's Ghosts: The Secret History of Evolution. Rebecca Stott