2012 Reading Challenges summary

My 2012 Reading Challenges goals were kind of a big bust!  Of seventeen challenges I committed to, I only succeed in five of them!  Eeek!  Of course, has that stopped me from considering a badrillion more in 2013? NOPE.

A-to-Z (26 books) : Only made it to 'O' and I have at least one letter with an outstanding review. Ooops!

Bloomsday Readathon : Fail!  (I got the book, but didn't open it.)

Books in Translation (3 books) : Fail! Only read 1.

Clarissa Group Read : Fail! (Didn't even get the book! :/)

Dewey Decimal Challenge (5 books) : Victory!  Read 12.

E-books (25 books) : Victory! Read 29.

Edgar Awards (3 books) : Super epic fail. ZERO.

Europa Editions (2 books) : Super epic fail. ZERO.

Fearless Poetry (1 book) : Super epic fail. Zero.

Forever Amber Readalong : Fail! Bought the book though!

Gothic Fiction in October : Super epic fail.

Historical Fiction (20 books) : Super epic VICTORY!  Read 63!  Beat out last year's best, too!

Immigrant Stories (3 books) : Victory! Read 15.

NetGalley (10 books) : Victory! Read 20.

RIP VII (4 books) : Fail. ZERO.

Victorian Challenge (2 books) : Victory.  Read 5.

Witches and Witchcraft (5 books) : Fail.  Read 3.

Comments

  1. I'm impressed that you signed up for so many challenges! I signed up for two, participated for a couple of months, then promptly forgot about them. Thus I think I won't sign up for any for 2013!

    ReplyDelete

  2. I saw 6 victories! That's better than my record with challenges.

    ReplyDelete

  3. I haven't looked at my numbers yet...trying to put that off for as long as possible :p

    ReplyDelete

  4. Hahaha, that's hilarious! I love it. This is why I don't assign myself specific challenges, so I can just be like:
    I read these things: VICTORY!

    ReplyDelete

  5. awww :-) are you going to give Europa another try in 2013? I hope so!

    ReplyDelete

  6. 8 challenges in which you didn't read one, versus 9 that you at least attempted and read something for is pretty good for the large number of challenges you joined. Congrats! I posted my wrap-up today and the poetry 2013 challenge for 2013 yesterday.

    Hope you have a great end of year!

    ReplyDelete

  7. I gave up on formally signing up for reading challenges because I could never accomplish them (or then those weren't actually a challenge!), so I think you did great:-)

    ReplyDelete

  8. Some of these challenges sound like fun!! I am signed up for the Immigrant one already...that AtoZ sounds good...but the link back to the creator doesn't seem to work...are you doing that one again this year?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Krystyn -- I was going to but also saw that the creator's webpage doesn't work so I guess not! :/

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Where They Bury You by Steven W. Kohlhagen

Image
Title:Where They Bury You
Author: Steven W. Kohlhagen

Genre: Fiction (Historical / 1860s / New Mexico / Civil War / Native Americans / Kit Carson / Historical Figures Fictionalized / Con Artists / Theft)
Publisher/Publication Date: Sunstone Press (9/2/2013)
Source:JKS Communications

Rating: Liked.
Did I finish?: I did -- raced through it!
One-sentence summary: A handful of gamblers try to make a big score in 1860s New Mexico and Arizona, at a time when the region is torn up with conflict and war.
Reading Challenges:E-book, Historical Fiction

Do I like the cover?: You know what? I do. I thought I didn't, but when I viewed the image full size, the textured background, the 'Western' font, and the silhouettes actually appeal to me.

First line: I'll be damned.

Buy, Borrow, or Avoid?: Borrow or buy if you like Westerns, the Southwest as a setting, or want a look at a wild and tempestuous time in US history.

Why did I get this book?: I've always been a bit curious about Kit Carson …
Read more

Historical Novel Society 2013 Conference: Gushing & a Story

Image
I'm back from both my work conference and the Historical Novel Society's 2013 Conference.

I had an amazing time.

Some off-the-top-of-my-head points:

I rode in the same van as Diana Gabaldon on the way to the conference, and me and my fellow shuttle-mates all tried to play it super cool.  Gabaldon was incredibly gracious. Amy of Passages to the Past and Historical Novel Virtual Book Tours and Heather of The Maiden's Court are as fabu as one would expect and I'm grateful that they were my con buddies! (Also, how crazy is it that I had to go to Florida to meet Heather, who lives, like, 40 minutes away from me!?!)got to meet bloggers like Meg of A Bookish Affair and reviewer/author/GoodReads friend Jane Steenevery author I met was adorable, gracious, enthusiastic, collegial, sweet, and supportive, not just of each other, but of the aspiring writers, bloggers, readers, and fanshad the head spinning experience of people gasping when they met me!the panels were fun and intere…
Read more

The Taker by Alma Katsu

Image
Title:The Taker
Author: Alma Katsu

Genre: Fiction (Contemporary / Maine / Historical / 19th century / Paranormal)
Publisher/Publication Date: Gallery (9/2011)
Source: The publisher.

Rating: Okay.
Did I finish?: I did.
One-sentence summary: One woman, two hundred sordid years, and one unending love.
Reading Challenges:Historical Fiction, R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril

Do I like the cover?: Yes, although I vastly prefer the UK cover. While neither exactly capture the novel's feel (to me), the UK version is sort of reminiscent of the tattoos some of the 'chosen' have.

I'm reminded of...: Karen Essex, Anne Rice, Cate Tiernan

First line: Goddamned freezing cold.

Do... I love the freebies the author offers on her website?: YES. Signed bookplates and bookmarks, plus a chance to Skype with her if you read this for a book club.

Did... I love reading about historical Maine and Boston?: YES. I'm a sucker for New England historicals!

Am... I going to get the second book in this series?: YES, …
Read more

Book Review: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Image
First line: Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond.

I had to grit my teeth to get through this book. (All 209 pages.)

I'm ashamed to admit this since a surprising number of folks online and in person have cited this novella as one of their favorite books, but I found everything about this brief read to be agonizing -- the plot, the narrative style, the characters -- it and I just did not connect.

I went in expecting to love this book given its reputation and subject matter. Achebe depicts the story of a Nigeria broken by white colonialism; our hero is deeply flawed and stubbornly committed, living in a world with problems triply complicated by the unnecessary influence of white colonizers. Achebe's narrative style is straight-forward and clear, even as he articulates a world deeply foreign to modern audiences.

I suspect I didn't understand this book; I'm also not a huge fan of tragedies (I loathe Hamlet) so Okonkwo as a character didn'…
Read more