Flights of Fantasy discussion

Any suggestions? I know Christa is the Queen of challenges.


*hint, hint*

Heh. Well, I actually don't have any ideas that are a fit for this group. The 2014 challenges I've set for myself so far are in other genres, except for the UF series I plan to read.

Christa wrote: "Heh. Well, I actually don't have any ideas that are a fit for this group. The 2014 challenges I've set for myself so far are in other genres, except for the UF series I plan to read."

what is that?

There are more than one. Several, actually. I've listed them here: http://booksplatter.wordpress.com/the...

Subject to change, of course.

Ooooh. I likes.

Following

Thanks! I've been following you for a few days now. But we still haven't solved the challenge question. Unless you want to do some variation of my Shitstormers challenge, since there are a few prominent shitstormers in the SciFi genre (Brave New World, Handmaid's Tale, among many others).

I saw the movie...there's no way you can talk me into Handmaid's Tale. *shudder*


Lemme think....

Christa wrote: "There are more than one. Several, actually. I've listed them here: http://booksplatter.wordpress.com/the...

Subject to change, of course."

Cool challenge Christa; I especially like the series one. That alone would probably take the entire year! :)

I also like Mrs. J's:

I'll Try Anything Once... Challenge!


Adventure
Auto-Biography/Biography
Chick-Lit
Childrens Book
Classics
Cyberpunk
Drama
Dystopian
Educational
Erotica
Espionage
Fantasy
Graphic Novels
Gothic
Hard-Boiled
Historical Fiction
Horror
Humour
Literary Fiction
Magical Realism
Mystery
Noir
Non Fiction
Paranormal
Philosophical
Poetry
Post-Apocalyptic
Romance
Science Fiction
Steampunk
Supernatural
Thriller
True Crime
Urban Fantasy
Victorian
Young Adult


And I even added a few:

Bonus Categories:

Award Winner
Banned or Challenged
Mobile Read Author [could change to Good Read Author]
Mythology


But then we'd have the same multigenre issue.

I like the Try Anything challenge. I did one last year, but I lost steam midway through. I think if I was going to do it again, I'd narrow it down to 10 genres that are outside my normal range and give myself 3 months or something to read them.

---

On another topic, is anyone interested in task and/or point based challenges?

Becky wrote: "I like the Try Anything challenge. I did one last year, but I lost steam midway through ..."

Yeah, thats pretty much what happened to me this year...

Becky wrote: "On another topic, is anyone interested in task and/or point based challenges?"

Please explain....

Well, like:

5 points - Read a book with a green cover
10 points - Read a book with an undead main character
20 points - Read a SF book featuring intergalactic travel or communication

That kind of thing.

Becky wrote: "Well, like:

5 points - Read a book with a green cover
10 points - Read a book with an undead main character
20 points - Read a SF book featuring intergalactic travel or communication

That kind o..."

Oh... I tried one or two of those before... a couple years ago.

I'd be cool with that.

Cool. :) They are fun. I usually end up reading some interesting books trying to find something to fit to a task.

I've actually been working on making a series challenge for 2014. Mostly in my head, at this point. But some sort of reward-based thing for knocking out series books.

Maybe a reward being a credit to use to start a new series after reading x amount of series already started and unfinished.....

Tell me more... -_^

Hehe...it's still a work in progress. Basically the goal is to clean up and finish off series that have been started but left undone.

Like from all those "other" groups that made us try the first book in a series.

I like the Try Anything challenge too. I gave it a shot this year but failed miserably. I have a modified list somewhere that I was going to use for 2014, with a bit more emphasis on non-fiction, because I don't read enough of that.

Becky wrote: "On another topic, is anyone interested in task and/or point based challenges?"

Very much so!

Becky wrote: "Well, like:

5 points - Read a book with a green cover
10 points - Read a book with an undead main character
20 points - Read a SF book featuring intergalactic travel or communication

That kind o..."

I like this type of challenge, especially because I can do them concurrently with my own planned reading, and they work well with me being a mood reader.

What I don't like are specific book challenges, unless I've made the list myself. Even all these years after leaving school, I don't do well with "assigned reading".

Christa wrote: "I like this type of challenge, especially because I can do them concurrently with my own planned reading, and they work well with me being a mood reader.

What I don't like are specific book challenges, unless I've made the list myself. Even all these years after leaving school, I don't do well with "assigned reading". "

This conversation is teaching me about myself...

This may be the reason I have a hard time with monthly group reads, and my well intentioned participation promises tend to "fail". I've realized that I am very much a mood reader, and like Christa, I don't do well with "assigned reading", even when I assign it to myself.

I could pick 10 "Must Read" novels, but as soon as I put them on a list and say "Okay these are my next 10 reads", chances are I might only get through two of them.

O_o

That...sounds like me.

That's also how I am.

Yeah, I think I've followed through with a group read once.

Funnily enough, it's actually my love of structure that hampers me when it comes to group reads. I always read series straight through (unless they are just too bad to continue with) without breaks, so when a group read is for book one of a twenty book series, I have to ask myself, am I going to want to read all twenty of these right now? Because if the answer's no, I ain't gonna read the first one.

This is also a killer when it comes to challenges. Read the first book in a trilogy! Right, but then I have to read books two and three, which invariably don't fit any of the tasks. LOL.

I know myself too well to try to change any of it now though.

My series challenge should work for you then.

Titania wrote: "Funnily enough, it's actually my love of structure that hampers me when it comes to group reads. I always read series straight through (unless they are just too bad to continue with) without breaks..."

I was like that up until a few years ago...

What broke the cycle for me was actually the Southern Vampire (Sookie Stackhouse) series. I learned about it around book 7, I believe. I was able to read those straight through, then waited for 8. It was around then (or maybe book 9) when I learned that Harris was ending the series with book 13. I decided then to just wait until the series ended before revisiting it - I'll pick it up again as soon as book 13 is available in paperback.

I then chose to do the same with The Hollows once its series end was announced.

After allowing myself to stop, I've been able to read the first book of a series without always having to jump right into the next one. That won't stop me, however, from purchasing all of the available books in a series (finances willing), which can be just as daunting.

I was agonizing over purchasing the Kindle version of the Morganville series box set, even though I haven't read the first one, because I had a gift card that would cover most of the cost. The option became moot, however, when I opted to use the card to help purchase one of my husband's Christmas gifts.

I just quit reading the Sookie series around book 9 when I kept liking the books less and less. I don't regret that decision.

Wasn't the last book called Dead Beaten Horse?

Chris wrote: "Wasn't the last book called Dead Beaten Horse?"

Ha! It should have been.

How are those Morganville books? I was eyeing them the other day. I was just starting to ponder my 2014 TBR and love the idea of some challenges.

Chris wrote: "Wasn't the last book called Dead Beaten Horse?"

Awesome.

I am a sucker for challenges! And making a list and planning ahead, but I am notorious for going off course! Lol. But I'm all for challenges!

I'm a terrible planner. I never plan ahead. And when I do I never stick with the original plan. So... yeah. Probably not many challenges from me. But I do have a resolution for 2014. I tend to start and never finish series. So that's my goal. Read and finish all those series that I kept putting off. My biggest is to finally finish the Wheel of Time books. Finally!

Sounds like your series challenge is going to be a winner, Chris. :D

I think it should be the series challenge. I have so many series I need to finish that its shameful.

Nienna - I am with you on WoT, but my problem is I forget where I left off and I am sure as spit not starting over! Oh to go back in time and be using GoodReads when I was reading them...

I know where I left off in WoT but my problem is when I tried to pick it back up again I couldn't remember who half the characters are. Unfortunately, I'll be starting over... again. This will be my third attempt. I'm not giving up.

Wikipedia has some summaries, and Tor.com did a re-read a couple of years back. There are also some good fan site/resources you can use to refresh yourself on WoT.

Frankly I might have to resort to that. But now that the series is officially finished I've been really really good about avoiding most spoilers and have been staying away from any fan sites.

Despite my I-always-finish-a-series mantra, I have to admit, I wandered off the Wheel of Time somewhere in, uh, book two.

It's one of those series that I really want to experience but every time I think about wading through all those enormous tomes, there's something else I gotta do first.

Ti - exactly! I think I made it to book three in high school and though I liked them for some reason they scared me (I was a very sheltered Christian kid). So I want to get back to the series but those bricks feel like they're going to crush me. When I think about starting it I also think about how I've never read Of Mice and Men and it's only 98 pages. Best to start there.

Oh heavens, I've never read Of Mice and Men either. See, so much to do first!

Gary Sinise does the audio for Mice & Men, and does a great job with it.

I love Gary Sinise.

Does anybody know if Benedict Cumberbatch does audiobooks? I could listen to him talk for the rest of my life.

Chris wrote: "Gary Sinise does the audio for Mice & Men, and does a great job with it."

Oh yes. So much agreement here. That audio is amazing.

Felina wrote: "Does anybody know if Benedict Cumberbatch does audiobooks? I could listen to him talk for the rest of my life."

Here you go, Felina:

http://www.benedictcumberbatch.co.uk/...

He's also in the recent radio production of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere.

His voice makes me pregnant.

Haha. Maybe I should delete that link until you've had a talk with your SO... :p

LOL

That's terrifying.