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Devi's Reading Challenge


Devi

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a book by your favorite author

 

a new to you author (someone YOU haven't read before)

 

a new release (2014 book)

 

a book that was first published in a year when you were born

 

an award winning book (Hugo, Nebula, BSAF award, Mythopoeic Award, Locus awards (SF and Fantasy), BFS award, World Fantasy Awards, Philip K. Dick Award, Arthur C. Clarke Award - all of these count).

 

a book that was/is banned somewhere from SF/F genre ( potential list available here - https://www.worldswithoutend.com/lists_banned_sff.asp)

 

a book that has had adaptations (either movie or graphic novel, or any adaptation)

 

a book that you have already bought but haven't read

 

an audiobook

 

a book where the MC is a person of color, or an author of color

 

a book written by a woman

 

a book that was originally published in language other than English

 

a fantasy or science fiction classic

 

a book influenced by mythology (could be Greek, Norse, Irish, Japanese...whatever)

 

a book with pictures in it

 

a book with more than 500 pages

 

a book with less than 200 pages

 

a horror book

 

a YA book

 

start and finish a series

 

a book with a wizard/witch

 

a book with a dragons

 

a book with red or blue on the cover

 

a book with animal(s) or non-human creature(s) (Elves, Fairies, Dwarfs and other suchlike beings count)

on the cover

 

a book with a one word title

 

a book with a title of 6 or more words.

 

a non-speculative fiction book (i.e non fantasy, non SF, non horror)

 

a novelization from a movie or a videogame (i.e first came the movie, then the book - the opposite from challenge 7).

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Hopefully you'll have a book for each of the catagories :). Some sound quite interesting, it's a nice list :). I look forward to see which ones you come up with. If you need suggestions feel free to ask though I can imagine you'd probably rather stick to your own TBR.

 

I'm a bit confused as to what 'non-speculative' means :blush2:. I tried to look it up but the definition confused me and I have no idea how to apply it to books.

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Not sure if you're after some suggestions or not, but I recently read Night by Elie Wiesel and at well under two hundred pages it'd be perfect for that section of your challenge. Haunting--essentially auto-biographical--portrayal of the atrocities that took place at Birkenau and Auschwitz that moved me profoundly, both to anger and tears.

 

An incredible must-read if you haven't already...

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Hopefully you'll have a book for each of the catagories :). Some sound quite interesting, it's a nice list :). I look forward to see which ones you come up with. If you need suggestions feel free to ask though I can imagine you'd probably rather stick to your own TBR.

 

I'm a bit confused as to what 'non-speculative' means :blush2:. I tried to look it up but the definition confused me and I have no idea how to apply it to books.

Sure, I am always open to suggestions.

 

I think its a fancy way of saying non fiction. Thats how I read it anyway.

 

 

A great selection of ideas in your challenge. Good luck. Do you have a timescale for completion? :)

No I didn't even think about that. :giggle2: I will give myself till end of year I think.

 

 

Oh, I do like the look of this challenge! Variety and lots of scope with each. :smile:

 

Do you know the books you will be reading? Do you want suggestions?

Go ahead! Always open to suggestions. :)

 

 

Not sure if you're after some suggestions or not, but I recently read Night by Elie Wiesel and at well under two hundred pages it'd be perfect for that section of your challenge. Haunting--essentially auto-biographical--portrayal of the atrocities that took place at Birkenau and Auschwitz that moved me profoundly, both to anger and tears.

 

An incredible must-read if you haven't already...

Oh definitely going to read this book for the 200 page challenge.

 

 

 

On a side note, while writing the above, I had trouble trying to think of a way to say I liked reading these types of books. I don't enjoy seeing people getting tortured or killed, but I do find it curious as to why people do these things. I however never know what to say without sounding awful, if you know what I mean. To say that you find the books interesting or fascinating - just sounds so wrong to me, and I feel bad for saying it. Is this just me?

 

P.S. What you said was fine Ben, this comment is directed at myself.

 

 

I can suggest the audiobook for Carrie, narrated by Sissy Spacek.  It's short and she does a brilliant job.  Sounds like fun!

Okay, it can be my audio book pick. Hopefully I can stay awake long enough to hear the whole thing. Audio books tend to relax me and send me to sleep. :giggle2:

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On a side note, while writing the above, I had trouble trying to think of a way to say I liked reading these types of books. I don't enjoy seeing people getting tortured or killed, but I do find it curious as to why people do these things. I however never know what to say without sounding awful, if you know what I mean. To say that you find the books interesting or fascinating - just sounds so wrong to me, and I feel bad for saying it. Is this just me?

No, it's not just you :smile: I read a lot of books on the holocaust and the Soviet Gulag system.  It is harsh reading, but the insight of the people writing amazes me.  Especially with Elie Wiesel (Night), he is such an amazing man to me.  Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E Frankl and Gulag, A History by Anne Applebaum are simply... great.  I'll just say it.  With these books, I can feel the experience.  And I love books that make me feel.  And I do find them interesting and fascinating.  I can not possibly fathom the experiences these people have gone through and I can't imagine the people who allow them, these books help me to understand "Man's inhumanity to Man", or at least, ponder the concept and frankly, the concept of God as well.

Edited by Anna Begins
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No, it's not just you :smile: I read a lot of books on the holocaust and the Soviet Gulag system.  It is harsh reading, but the insight of the people writing amazes me.  Especially with Elie Wiesel (Night), he is such an amazing man to me.  Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E Frankl and Gulag, A History by Anne Applebaum are simply... great.  I'll just say it.  With these books, I can feel the experience.  And I love books that make me feel.  And I do find them interesting and fascinating.  I can not possibly fathom the experiences these people have gone through and I can't imagine the people who allow them, these books help me to understand "Man's inhumanity to Man", or at least, ponder the concept and frankly, the concept of God as well.

Glad to know it's not just me. I often don't admit to reading true crime/holocaust type books to non readers, as I wonder what that person would think of me. I sometimes don't even tell some of my friends who read. They never look at my non fiction shelves when they are over anyway. :giggle2:

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I'm a bit confused as to what 'non-speculative' means :blush2:. I tried to look it up but the definition confused me and I have no idea how to apply it to books.

 

 

I think its a fancy way of saying non fiction. Thats how I read it anyway.

 

I believe it means any kind of fictional novels that are non-speculative. Wiki on speculative fiction: "Speculative fiction is a broad literary genre encompassing any fiction with supernatural, fantastical, or futuristic elements". 

 

So basically it means any novel that is realistic and contains no vampires, time machines, dragons, ghosts, etc etc etc :) 

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I believe it means any kind of fictional novels that are non-speculative. Wiki on speculative fiction: "Speculative fiction is a broad literary genre encompassing any fiction with supernatural, fantastical, or futuristic elements".

 

So basically it means any novel that is realistic and contains no vampires, time machines, dragons, ghosts, etc etc etc :)

So I was half right :giggle2: I figured it had to have involved people and not stuff with vamps, etc.

 

Thanks for the proper explanation Frankie. :)

Edited by Devi
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I believe it means any kind of fictional novels that are non-speculative. Wiki on speculative fiction: "Speculative fiction is a broad literary genre encompassing any fiction with supernatural, fantastical, or futuristic elements". 

 

So basically it means any novel that is realistic and contains no vampires, time machines, dragons, ghosts, etc etc etc :) 

Thanks Frankie :)!

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This sounds like a great challenge, you'll certainly get a lot of variety! Are you going through them in the order of the list or just based on what you feel like reading next?

What I feel like reading next, the book will pick the challenge for me.

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Sounds like a lot of fun your challenge...

 

One word title for you that I have read.... 'Sister' by Rosamund Lupton

Dragon ones.....kids books really but a lot of fun.... 'How to Train Your Dragon ' Cressida Cowell

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For a dragon one I would suggest Anne McCaffrey - The Dragonriders of Pern 1: Dragonflight but in all honesty there are quite a few good books with dragons in them (dragons are awesome) :).

 

For a one word title, my pick would be Stephen King - IT for people who like horror. It is a massive book though so I'm sure there are other, less big books around too with one word title. This is just the one that came to mind for me.

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  • 2 weeks later...

My plan is to let the books choose most of the challenges for me, I have already pre-planned reads for some though. Should really put those titles in.

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Not sure if you're after some suggestions or not, but I recently read Night by Elie Wiesel and at well under two hundred pages it'd be perfect for that section of your challenge. Haunting--essentially auto-biographical--portrayal of the atrocities that took place at Birkenau and Auschwitz that moved me profoundly, both to anger and tears.

 

An incredible must-read if you haven't already...

Is this the correct book Ben? It says it's a trilogy, and if there is more than one I will just grab the book.

 

http://www.bookdepository.com/Night-Trilogy-Elie-Wiesel/9780809073641

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Is this the correct book Ben? It says it's a trilogy, and if there is more than one I will just grab the book.

 

http://www.bookdepository.com/Night-Trilogy-Elie-Wiesel/9780809073641

There is a loose trilogy, but Night can stand alone.  Actually, they all can.  They are all about different parts of Elie Wiesel's experiences (Dawn is Fiction) and are all pretty short.  IMO, Dawn is EXCELLENT, as well as the other two.

Edited by Anna Begins
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There is a loose trilogy, but Night can stand alone.  Actually, they all can.  They are all about different parts of Elie Wiesel's experiences (Dawn is Fiction) and are all pretty short.  IMO, Dawn is EXCELLENT, as well as the other two.

So you recommend getting all three then?

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So you recommend getting all three then?

If you want too :smile: I am a HUGE Elie Wiesel fan (Both of his fiction and autobiographical novels).  I think you'd really like them. And Dawn is really interesting.  Dawn is only 81 pages and Day is only 100.  I think Night is...150.  They read pretty fast (especially Dawn), although Night is about the Holocaust.  It goes Nigh, Dawn and then Day, but I think I read Night, Day and then Dawn. 

 

He said "In Night it is the 'I' who speaks, In the other two, it is the 'I' who listens and questions."  :readingtwo: 

 

Edited by Anna Begins
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