The Reading Challenge Group discussion
Personal Challenges - 2015
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Camille's 2015 Reading Challenge
This Year's ReadingsJANUARY-APRIL
January
1. Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki (#)
2. Out of Africa by Karen Blixen (~)
3. Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah (*)
4. Medieval Scotland; The Making of an Identity Paperback by Bruce Webster (~)
5. Persuasion by Jane Austen (#)
6. Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie (*)
7. A Room with a View by E.M. Forster (#)
8. The Assassination of the Archduke: Sarajevo 1914 and the Romance that Changed the World by Greg King (~)
9. Another Time and Place by Samantha Grosser (*)
10. A Dog's Tale by Mark Twain (#)
11. My Lady Deceiver by Freda Lightfoot (*)
Monthly Group Reads
- The Book Thief (read in December 2014)
- Persuasion
Genre, World and Non-Fiction Challenges
- Historical Fiction: Winter Garden, Another Time and Place, My Lady Deceiver
- History: Medieval Scotland; The Making of an Identity Paperback, Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman, The Assassination of the Archduke: Sarajevo 1914 and the Romance that Changed the World
- South America: N/A
41.5 points
- General book (1 point per book): A Room with a View
- "Shortie" (0.5 points per book): A Dog's Tale
- Group read book (5 points per book): Persuasion
- Buddy read book (5 points per book): N/A
- Genre challenge (3 points per book): Winter Garden (Historical Fiction), Medieval Scotland: The Making of an Identity (History), The Memoirs of Catherine the Great (History), The Assassination of the Archduke: Sarajevo 1914 and the Romance that Changed the World (History), Another Time and Place (Historical Fiction), My Lady Deceiver (Historical Fiction)
- Mini-challenge (3 points per book): Japanese Fairy Tales (Decade Challenge), Out of Africa (Decade Challege)
- Complete a multi-book mini-challenge (10 extra points): N/A
- Bonus** - read a "chunkster" (500 pages or more)(5 points per book): Out of Africa, Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman
February
12. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque (*)
13. The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka (*)
14. O Pioneers! by Willa Cather (~)
15. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (#)
16. American Indian Stories by ´Ü¾±³Ù°ì²¹±ô²¹-Å ²¹ (#)
17. The British Channel Islands Under German Occupation, 1940 1945 by Paul Sanders (~)
18. Family, Sex and Marriage in England 1500-1800 by Lawrence Stone (~)
19. A Garland for Girls by Louisa May Alcott (#)
Monthly Group Reads
N/A
Genre, World and Non-Fiction Challenges
- Romance & Chick-Lit: N/A
- Sociology/Relationships/Family: Family, Sex and Marriage in England 1500-1800
- Middle Eastern Lit: N/A
33.5 points
- General book (1 point per book): All Quiet on the Western Front, The Buddha in the Attic, The British Channel Islands Under German Occupation, 1940 1945
- "Shortie" (0.5 points per book): The Yellow Wallpaper
- Group read book (5 points per book): N/A
- Buddy read book (5 points per book): N/A
- Genre challenge (3 points per book): Family, Sex and Marriage in England 1500-1800 (Sociology, Relationships, Family)
- Mini-challenge (3 points per book): O Pioneers! (Decade Challenge), American Indian Stories (Decade Challenge), A Garland for Girls (Decade Challenge)
- Complete a multi-book mini-challenge (10 extra points): N/A
- Bonus** - read a book that has been on your TBR (physical or digital) for more than 6 consecutive months (6 points per book): The Buddha in the Attic, The British Channel Islands Under German Occupation, 1940 1945, Family, Sex and Marriage in England 1500-1800
March
20. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett (#)
21. The Story of My Life by Helen Keller (~)
22. The Last Diary of Tsaritsa Alexandra by Tsaritsa Alexandra (*)
23. A Modern Cinderella by Louisa May Alcott (#)
24. Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography by Laura Ingalls Wilder (~)
25. A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift (#)
26. Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente (*)
27. Animal Farm by George Orwell (*)
28. Last Dinner On the Titanic Menus and Recipes From the Great Liner by Rick Archbold (*)
Monthly Group Reads
N/A
Genre, World and Non-Fiction Challenges
- Contemporary and Literary Merit:N/A
- Autobiography/Memoir: The Story of My Life, The Last Diary of Tsaritsa Alexandra, Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography
- Sub-Saharan African Lit: N/A
16.5 points
- General book (1 point per book): A Little Princess, {book:Deathless|8694389], Animal Farm, Last Dinner On the Titanic Menus and Recipes From the Great Liner
- "Shortie" (0.5 points per book): A Modest Proposal
- Group read book (5 points per book): N/A
- Buddy read book (5 points per book): N/A
- Genre challenge (3 points per book): The Story of My Life (Memoir), The Last Diary of Tsaritsa Alexandra (Memoir), Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography (Memoir)
- Mini-challenge (3 points per book): A Modern Cinderella (Decade Challenge)
- Complete a multi-book mini-challenge (10 extra points): N/A
- Bonus** - read a book that has been made into a movie that you have seen (5 points per book): N/A
April
29. East of the Sun and West of the Moon: Old Tales from the North by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen (#)
30. Eight or Nine Wise Words about Letter-Writing by Lewis Carroll (#)
31. The Nose by Nikolai Gogol(~)
32. The Saga of Gunnlaug Serpent-tongue by Anonymous (~)
33. How Much Land Does a Man Need by Leo Tolstoy (~)
34. Goblin Market by Goblin Market (~)
35. Wailing Ghosts by Pu Songling (~)
36. Love and Freindship and Other Early Works by Jane Austen (*)
37. Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang (#)
38. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (*)
Monthly Group Reads
N/A
Genre, World and Non-Fiction Challenges
- Poetry and Plays: Goblin Market
- Arts/Hobby/Skill related: N/A
- Southeast Asian Lit: N/A
47.5 points
- General book (1 point per book): East of the Sun and West of the Moon: Old Tales from the North, Love and Freindship and Other Early Works, Rebecca
- "Shortie" (0.5 points per book): Eight or Nine Wise Words about Letter-Writing, The Nose, The Saga of Gunnlaug Serpent-tongue, How Much Land Does a Man Need?, Wailing Ghosts
- Group read book (5 points per book): N/A
- Buddy read book (5 points per book): N/A
- Genre challenge (3 points per book): Goblin Market (Poetry)
- Mini-challenge (3 points per book): Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China (Decade Challenge)
- Complete a multi-book mini-challenge (10 extra points): N/A
- Bonus** - Length Matters - read books with 5 or more words in the title (6 points per book): East of the Sun and West of the Moon: Old Tales from the North, Eight or Nine Wise Words about Letter-Writing, The Saga of Gunnlaug Serpent-tongue, How Much Land Does a Man Need?, Love and Freindship and Other Early Works, Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China
TOTAL
38/75 books
139 points
MAY-AUGUSTMay
39. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (~)
40. Angel by Elizabeth Taylor (*)
41. Gooseberries by Anton Chekhov (~)
42. There Was a Wee Lassie Who Swallowed a Midgie by Rebecca Colby (*)
43. Selkie by Gillian McClure (*)
44. The Professor by Charlotte Brontë (*)
45. The Italian Wife by Kate Furnivall (~)
Monthly Group Reads
N/A
Genre, World and Non-Fiction Challenges
- Fantasy (including Utopian): N/A
- Health/Wellness/Self-Improvement: N/A
- Central America/Mexico & Caribbean Lit: N/A
20 points
- General book (1 point per book): Frankenstein, The Italian Wife
- "Shortie" (0.5 points per book): Gooseberries, There Was a Wee Lassie Who Swallowed a Midgie
- Group read book (5 points per book): N/A
- Buddy read book (5 points per book): N/A
- Genre challenge (3 points per book): Selkie
- Mini-challenge (3 points per book): Angel (Decade Challenge), The Professor (Decade Challenge)
- Complete a multi-book mini-challenge (10 extra points): N/A
- Bonus** - Read books with a fantasy creature in the title (8 points per book): Selkie
June
46. Love On The Dole by Walter Greenwood (~)
47. The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl (~)
48. Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl (~)
49. Histoire de l'Ecosse by Michel Duchein (~)
50. The Twits by Roald Dahl (~)
51. Esio Trot by Roald Dahl (~)
52. George's Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl (~)
53. The Witches by Roald Dahl (~)
54. James & The Giant Peach by Roald Dahl (~)
55. Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl (~)
56. The Giraffe And The Pelly And Me by Roald Dahl (~)
57. What Was She Thinking? Notes on a Scandal by Zoë Heller (*)
58. The Storyteller's Granddaughter by Margaret Redfern (*)
59. Tamara Drewe by Posy Simmonds (*)
60. Ethel and Ernest by Raymond Briggs (*)
61. Barefoot Gen, Volume One: A Cartoon Story of Hiroshima by Keiji Nakazawa (*)
62. The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (*)
63. Blacksad by Juan DÃaz Canales (*)
64. Arctic-Nation by Juan DÃaz Canales (*)
65. Âme rouge by Juan DÃaz Canales (*)
Monthly Group Reads
N/A
Genre, World and Non-Fiction Challenges
- Minority Studies/LGBT: N/A
- Biography: N/A
- Western European Lit: Love On The Dole, The Magic Finger, Danny the Champion of the World, Histoire de l'Ecosse, The Twits, Esio Trot, George's Marvellous Medicine, The Witches, James & The Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Giraffe And The Pelly And Me, What Was She Thinking? Notes on a Scandal , The Storyteller's Granddaughter, Tamara Drewe, Ethel and Ernest, The Complete Persepolis, Blacksad, Arctic-Nation, Âme rouge
126 points
- General book (1 point per book): Barefoot Gen, Volume One: A Cartoon Story of Hiroshima
- "Shortie" (0.5 points per book):
- Group read book (5 points per book): N/A
- Buddy read book (5 points per book): N/A
- Genre challenge (3 points per book): Love On The Dole, The Magic Finger, Danny the Champion of the World, Histoire de l'Ecosse, The Twits, Esio Trot, George's Marvellous Medicine, The Witches, James & The Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Giraffe And The Pelly And Me, What Was She Thinking? Notes on a Scandal , The Storyteller's Granddaughter, Tamara Drewe, Ethel and Ernest, The Complete Persepolis, Blacksad, Arctic-Nation, Âme rouge
- Mini-challenge (3 points per book):
- Complete a multi-book mini-challenge (10 extra points): N/A
- Bonus** - "Author Allegiance" - read 2 or more books this month by the same author. 5 points per book (10 points total for completing the first two books, 5 additional points for each book by the same author thereafter): The Magic Finger (Roald Dahl), Danny the Champion of the World (Roald Dahl), The Twits (Roald Dahl), Esio Trot (Roald Dahl), George's Marvellous Medicine (Roald Dahl), The Witches (Roald Dahl), James & The Giant Peach (Roald Dahl), Fantastic Mr. Fox (Roald Dahl), The Giraffe And The Pelly And Me (Roald Dahl)
Blacksad, Arctic-Nation, Âme rouge (Canales)
July:
Read a general book: 1 point per book:
- One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd
- The History of Mary Prince: A West Indian Slave Narrative
- Summer
- The Canterville Ghost
- The Life and Death of Harriett Frean
- White Gardenia
- Mary Ingalls on Her Own
Read a "shortie" (short story, poem, play): 0.5 points per
- The Nursery January, Feb, March, April, May, June 1873
- The Nursery April 1875
- The Queen of Spades
- We Should All Be Feminists
Read a group read book: 5 points per book
Read a buddy read book: 5 points per book you read with a buddy
Read a book for the genre challenge: 3 points per book
Read a book for a mini-challenge: 3 points per book
- The History of Mary Prince: A West Indian Slave Narrative, The Life and Death of Harriett Frean (Decade Challenge)
Complete a multi-book mini-challenge: 10 extra points
Bonus** "Second Chances" - read a book that you have previously abandoned. Bonus = 8 points per book
17.5 points
August:
Read a general book: 1 point per book
- West from Home: Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder, San Francisco, 1915
- English Women
- The Little House Cookbook: Frontier Foods from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Classic Stories
The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt
- On the Way Home: The Diary of a Trip from South Dakota to Mansfield, Missouri, in 1894
- Wonderland
- Mad Dogs And Englishmen: An Expedition Round My Family
- Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey
- The Play Room
Read a "shortie" (short story, poem, play): 0.5 points per
- The Nursery May 1875, July 1875, October 1875, January 1877, January 1877
- The Importance of Being Earnest
- The Ballad of Mulan
12.5 points
TOTAL
For the period: 59 books and 156 points.
Yearly: 97 books and 295 points.
SEPTEMBER-DECEMBERSeptember:
Camille's September Tally
Read a general book: 1 point per book
The Orange Fairy Book
The Ship
Read a "shortie" (short story, poem, play): 0.5 points per
Le Horla
Read a group read book: 5 points per book
Read a buddy read book: 5 points per book you read with a buddy
Read a book for the genre challenge: 3 points per book
A Family Apart
Caught in the Act
In The Face of Danger
Of Mice and Men
The Woman at the Light
A Place to Belong
A Dangerous Promise
The Forties in Pictures
Keeping Secrets
Circle of Love
Read a book for a mini-challenge: 3 points per book
Complete a multi-book mini-challenge: 10 extra points
Total: 32.5 points
OCtober:
October:
G- Horror/Thriller &/OR Short Story Collections
NF- Psychology
W- Eastern European Lit
November:
G- Adventure &/OR Travel
NF - Travel/Food/Essays
W- Oceania/Australian Lit
December:
G- Children's Lit &/OR Traditional Lit
NF - Religion/Spirituality/Philosophy
W- East Asian Lit
Decade ChallengeMy aim is to read only books written by female authors for this challenge. I used this list for help.
Here is the plan so far, but it can change if needed:
1800-1809
Zofloya [ebook]
1810-1819: Persuasion - read 01/15, published in 1818.
1820-1829
Hope Leslie: or, Early Times in the Massachusetts [to buy]
1830-1839: The History of Mary Prince: A West Indian Slave Narrative - read 07/15, published in 1831.
1840-1849: The Professor - read 05/15, published in 1846.
1850-1859
Uncle Tom's Cabin [ebook]
Villette [ebook]
North and South[ebook]
Cranford[ebook]
Ruth[ebook]
My Lady Ludlow[ebook]
1860-1869: A Modern Cinderella - read 03/15, published in 1860.
1870-1879
Middlemarch [ebook]
Phoebe Junior [ebook]
Love and Freindship: and Other Youthful Writings [ebook]
Little Lord Fauntleroy [ebook]
Black Beauty [ebook]
Under the Lilacs[ebook]
Little Men[ebook][#2]
Rose in Bloom[ebook][#2]
Eight Cousins[ebook][#1]
1880-1889: A Garland for Girls - read 02/15, published in 1887.
1890-1899: The Yellow Wallpaper - read 02/15, published in 1892.
1900-1909: Japanese Fairy Tales - read 01/15, published in 1903.
1910-1919: O Pioneers! - read 02/15, published in 1913.
1920-1929: The Life and Death of Harriett Frean - read 07/15, published in 1922.
1930-1939: Out of Africa - read 01/15, published in 1937.
1940-1949
Winter Wheat [to buy]
1950-1959: Angel - read 05/15, published in 1957.
1960-1969: The Play Room - read 08/15, published in 1969.
1970-1979: American Indian Stories - read 02/15, published in 1976.
1980-1989: Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey - read 08/15, published in 1982.
1990-1999: Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China - read 04/15, published in 1991.
2000-2009: Another Time and Place - read 01/15, published in 2008.
2010-2015: Winter Garden - read 01/15, published in 2010.
1. Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora OzakiA nice and easy ready to start the year, which also counts towards by Decade Challenge as it was published in 1903. It's available on Project Gutenberg for free for those interested!
Go Camille, already one book! good luck with your challenges and happy reading in 2015!
Thanks, Kiwi :-)2. Out of Africa by Karen Blixen
I loved this one. I've always heard my mum rave about it and now I understand why!
4. Medieval Scotland; The Making of an Identity Paperback by Bruce WebsterA bit dated but interesting.
6. Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. MassieOnce you get over the fact that it has 600 pages, it is worth the read. I found it very interesting, well researched and it read easily.
Excellent, I was always intrigued by Catherine, I often compared her to Elisabeth I, added the book to my tbr, thanks for the rec Camille!
You're welcome :-) She is indeed compared to Elizabeth I with regards to the power and intelligence she had. I find Catherine's time period very interesting as well.7. A Room with a View by E.M. Forster
I needed a short, good read after the long history book om Catherine, and I wasn't disappointed by this one!
8. The Assassination of the Archduke: Sarajevo 1914 and the Romance that Changed the World by Greg KingInteresting read overall.
9. Another Time and Place by Samantha GrosserI don't know how no one has heard of it before, it's great!
Go for it, the writing is so poetic, I really enjoyed it.
They are amazing, aren't they? When I encounter such books, I always wonder why I hadn't read them before!16. American Indian Stories by ´Ü¾±³Ù°ì²¹±ô²¹-Å ²¹
Camille let me know how you like Helen Keller's book. I read her biography when I was a child and loved it, it was a translation though.
The book is ok, but I didn't love it. I thought especially the second part about her going to college went into her ideas about books, etc. when I expected more about her everyday life. The second part of this book is made of letters, from the first one she wrote up until she was in her twenties. While the later letters were a bit boring for me, I found very interesting to read her first letters (she started writing at 7!) as you could see the progression of her language.So I would say it is ok, but I'd like to check her other works to understand more. It feels like she is trying to be "normal" when I wanted to know how life was for her.
I always liked Helen Keller, I had a book about her childhood when I was a child, which I read many times. It's only very recently that I realised she had actually written a lot.
23. A Modern Cinderella by Louisa May AlcottRead this for the Decade Challenge. I liked it as usual with Alcott. Two of the stories were actually very interesting as they weren't the usual love story that she tends to write about, but about the Civil War.
24. Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography by Laura Ingalls Wilder (~)
It might be the fangirl in me, but I absolutely loved this one!
29. East of the Sun and West of the Moon: Old Tales from the North - you can't go wrong with tales!30. Eight or Nine Wise Words about Letter-Writing - as usual with Lewis Carroll, it's witty, it's fun and a lot of the advice mentioned in this essay can still be used nowadays. [Available for free online]
I was away for about two weeks for a family wedding and then got ill, hence my absence. I struggled to read during this time so focused on shorter reads - plus I know have to read all these little black Penguin classics I couldn't resist buying!!31. The Nose by Nikolai Gogol(~)
32. The Saga of Gunnlaug Serpent-tongue by Anonymous (~)
33. How Much Land Does a Man Need by Leo Tolstoy (~)
34. Goblin Market by Goblin Market (~)
35. Wailing Ghosts by Pu Songling (~)
35. Love and Freindship and Other Early Works by Jane Austen (*)
36. Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang (~)Probably one of the best books I have read so far this year.
40. AngelAbsolutely loved this one. The main character is so annoying, I dislike her, but it's so compelling and well-written (she is meant to be that annoying).
I also watched the film adaptation a few years ago and remember loving it. I will watch it again and see how it compares to the book.
Mod
I did take a few breaks when I was reading it and I found it helped. It can be pretty intense.
42. There Was a Wee Lassie Who Swallowed a Midgie by Rebecca Colby (*)43. Selkie by Gillian McClure (*)
I got these books for a friend's baby but couldn't help reading them myself. Both are lovely.
The Reading Challenge Group
Books mentioned in this topic
Circle of Love (other topics)The Orange Fairy Book (other topics)
Le Horla (1887) [Nouvelle] (other topics)
A Family Apart (other topics)
Caught in the Act (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Juan DÃaz Canales (other topics)Marjane Satrapi (other topics)
Raymond Briggs (other topics)
Posy Simmonds (other topics)
Roald Dahl (other topics)
More...
[] Reduce my Physical TBR by reading at least one book per month from it (marked with ~)
[] Reduce my Library TBR list by reading at least one book per month from it (marked *)
[] Ebooks will be marked #
[] Do not buy more than two books a month. All books bought join the Physical TBR pile and can be read at any time.
[] Complete the Decade Challenge to read more books by female authors.
[] Read 75 books.
[] Take part in the Monthly Group Reads when interested.