Not very spring-like I'm sure we'd all agree. But no matter, while I'm curled up happily in front of the fire (LOL) I can read one of my favourite genres, fantasy, for one of my favourite challenges of the year, Carl's Once Upon a Time VII.
“Come away, O human child: To the waters and the wild with a fairy, hand in hand, For the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand.”
~William Butler Yeats
Here are the 'rules':
Rule #1: Have fun.
Rule #2: HAVE FUN.
Rule #3: Don’t keep the fun to yourself, share it with us, please!
Rule #4: Do not be put off by the word “challenge”.
As always there are various categories to choose from, to cover however much you wish to commit to. I would say there was something for everyone here. I'm going to do:
Read at least 5 books that fit somewhere within the Once Upon a Time categories. They might all be fantasy, or folklore, or fairy tales, or mythology…or your five books might be a combination from the four genres.
I may also do this over a couple of weekends:
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 any weekend, or weekends, during the challenge. Ideally you would post about your short story readings on Sundays or Mondays, but this is not strictly necessary.
These are the books I plan to read from:
It remains to be seen how many of these will actually get read. My normal practise is to get waylaid by other people's choices, find a shiny new series and just read those, or get new stuff from the library! I would hope to read at least three off my tbr pile, but who knows quite frankly!
I also must make a confession and that is that I already started the challenge a day or two ago and have almost finished my first book - Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch. Which is why book two, Moon Over Soho is sitting there on the shelf, hoping not to be noticed because yes... it *is* a shiny new series for me.
Other books I really do want to read... The Name of the Wind, The Lies of Lock Lamora and The Ship of Magic. If I can get just those off the tbr pile that would be a major achievement for me I feel. For the short story weekends I have two anthologies, Shelf Life edited by Greg Ketter (bookshop fantasy stories), and A Blink of the Screen by Terry Pratchett.
So that's it really. Thanks to Carl for once again hosting and I hope everyone else has as much fun with this as I plan to.
11 comments:
Lovely collection to choose from, Cath! I love the Liveship books (like the way you can piece together bits from the Robin Hobb world, rather like you can with Pern). I didn't like Locke Lamora very much, myself, I couldn't get involved. The Name of the Wind, though, is really deceptive, I think - seems quite straightforward at first and even derivative, but then you start to notice that conventions are being subverted and lots is being set up. I Must get to the second soon, because I really, really liked the first.
Happy Once Upon a Time reading!
well you wasted no time getting that up! LOL.. mine is about ready too I guess I should go an post it! The only book there I can comment on is Name of the Wind... I liked it even read the second book.. they didn't "wow" me but I did enjoy them but knew it would wind up waiting years for book 3 which I wont read because by the time it comes out I would have to read the other two over and I didnt like them enough to read them again (since they are chunksters!)
Looks like plenty to choose from...and do I see something Terry Pratchett on that shelf? :)
I started the challenge two days early too! I got too impatient...
Have fun, Cath. One of these years, I will give this challenge a try.
First Rider's Call - that reminds me that I have to buy book 2 again, I lent it to my niece and she still hasn't returned it. lol I did enjoy the first book so much. You have a lovely list there, Cath. I have the LIes of Locke Lockmora to read also on my pile, and Moon Over Soho.
I have read Name of the Wind and really enjoyed it, so I hope you get to it. I have the first Live ship book to read also....that's on my shelf for this year.....I will be posting this weekend for this challenge. I am so excited about it! I've been saving books all year.
Rain for you, snow for us.....will it ever warm up? At least we have warm homes and can curl up with books while we wait for spring to come! Happy reading, Cath. You have a lovely collection there for the challenge.
Geranium Cat: I'm absolutely determined to get that first Liveship Trader book read this time round. I love Robin Hobbs' writing so much and it's a shame I haven't read anything by her in several years.
Would hope to get to The Name of the Wind too as it's about time! I always seem to be last to the party!
Pat: Yeah, I was in there quick as soon as the post was up. LOL. Name of the Wind is a long book which is probably what's been putting me off, but Drood was even longer so I know I can do it. LOL.
Cheryl: Yes, that's Terry's new volume of short stories. Can't wait to get to it.
Penny: It's a really fun challenge, I wouldn't miss it for the world.
Susan: Yes, that first book (Green Rider?) was very good indeed so I would like to get to book 2 as well.
Moon Over Soho will certainly get read as I seem to be in a London mood at the moment (and Egyptian) and that's a good series.
Seems like we have several books in common. LOL. Look forward to your post.
Not warming up here at all. Snow all over the country except here in the SW. All it does here is rain.
Happy reading to you too, Susan.
I'm a bit later than you joining in Once Upon a Time! I didn't think I'd enough books until I looked and then found more than I thought.
You've certainly got some very interesting choices! I do like the look of The Name of the Wind - looking forward to your reviews.
I hope the weather hasn't been too bad where you are this weekend. We've only had a sprinkling of snow - but it's soooo cold - definitely still winter.
You do have a pretty view from your window Cath! Enjoy your fantasies!
Hi Cath,
So far, our little corner of Somerset has escaped the return of Winter. We have had some rain, although not anything like the amounts that you folks in Devon and Cornwall have endured ... and more importantly no snow! As you so rightly point out though ... IT IS COLD!!
The best place is indoors in the warm with one of your favourite challenges. As you know, I have never managed to arouse a lot of interest for the fantasy genre, so I don't think I shall be joining Carl's challenge any time soon.
I did notice that you have 'Fallen' on your fantasy shelf and I have heard nothing but good things about this one from friends who are as addicted to the genre as you are!
Enjoy all the books you choose and have a good week.
By the way ... did you have a good few days away, or is that a silly question in this weather?
Yvonne
Hi Cath, your book lists look really interesting! I'm excited to be part of this challenge again and look forward to reading your reviews. I've added many of your reads to my TBR list over the years! Enjoy!
Margaret: I always have more books than I thought. LOL!
My problem is that I want to read all of these books but know I won't be able to as I also like to read other genres and non-fiction as well.
We've had no snow in this area at all but it has been pretty chilly for a couple of weeks now.
Peggy Ann: Thank you and I will.
Yvonne: Our weather's been similar to yours I think, lot of rain but now dry and frosty. We've had no snow apart from a few flurries yesterday.
LOL. No... I don't think this fantasy challenge would be for you.
Ah, that's nice to know. My daughter passed Fallen on to me and it's a book that sounds good but I've not heard anything whatsoever about it.
Yes, we had a couple of nice days in Cardiff. As you supsected though the weather was cold so we kept to the city and did museums and shops.
Robin: I think we'd added quite a few of each others books to our tbr piles. In fact you were one of the very first people I got to know when I started blogging. Nice that we're both still here writing our blogs.
Post a Comment