Kell Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 I know it’s still just over two months till the end of the year, but when it comes to setting up a reading challenge, the sooner you get the word out there, the better! Throughout next year I will be hosting the 2012 Genre Challenge and taking part in the Maxi Challenge. I now have a good two months to decide which genres I will choose and then choose my books to suit the genres as the months approach. I hope all my reading friends out there in Blogland and on the forum will take part too. For full details see the 2012 Genre Challenge page HERE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawnbirduk Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Hi, just looked at your challenge, I am interested never having done a challenge like this, I would worry about which books to go for, so thinking about it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isandriena Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I may participate in this if I can find 12 books id like to read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted October 23, 2011 Author Share Posted October 23, 2011 I do urge people to choose one or two genres out of their comfort zone if possible, just to give other things a try and broaden horizons. I'm determined to try a western (I've never read one before!) and am looking to try more speculative fiction, war and my sadly neglected classics and modern classics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali9321 Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Looks like a great way to expand my horizons! Count me in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nali Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Ok... Maybe its just me being really daft... but how does one sign up for this? Do I create my own page and link to that or what? It says: "Sign up by leaving a comment with your name, a link to your sign-up post / page, and the challenge option you have chosen." It's late here and maybe I just don't get it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted October 24, 2011 Author Share Posted October 24, 2011 Sorry, I've changed the wording a little - you create a page or post to log your progress in the chellenge and link to that. Then I can list all the links so that all the participants can go and cheer each other on throughout the challenge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 Hi Kell, just looking at some of the catagories...how do you define a "saga"? And I thought "speculative fiction" was the same as SciFi, can you explain the difference? Thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted October 24, 2011 Author Share Posted October 24, 2011 No problem. I took the genres from a list on Wikipedia, so you can see the kinds of things that comes under them here: Saga sub-genre - Family Saga Speculative Fcition Sub-genre - Science Fiction Sub-sub-genre - Hard science fiction Sub-sub-genre - Soft science fiction Sub-sub-genre - Space Opera Other sub-genres: - Punk (Cyberpunk, Dieselpunk, Atompunk, Nanopunk, Postcyberpunk, Steampunk, Clockpunk, Biopunk) - Alternative universe - Scientific romance So, although Sci-fi is a subgenre of speculative fiction, I felt it was so well-known and popular on it's own, it could stand as a seperate genre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ooshie Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 This looks a really good idea, Kell, I think it will be my New Year resolution! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 I signed up for the midi challenge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nali Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 signed up for the maxi challenge and left a link to my post on this forum for my progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 I'd like to try it too. Will link to a post in this Reading Challenge area . Thank you . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted November 27, 2011 Author Share Posted November 27, 2011 Thanks, Julie - I'll update the blog challenge page with a link to your thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 Thanks, Julie - I'll update the blog challenge page with a link to your thread. Thanks Kell Looking forward to starting, and already choosing which genres I want to pick. Should be fun . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 I started a blog too, thanks Kell I have chosen one book so far. Feel free to stop by good people ~ http://worldofweave.blogspot.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 Hi Weave I just visited your blog and tried to post a hello,but I must need a blog or something to be allowed to comment,so I'll just comment on here . It sounds like you are excited about your first book selection,to have it picked out that far before it is published. Hope you enjoy it and have fun with the Challenge . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 Hi Kell Sorry if someone has already asked ,but what is considered a mash-up book ? I'm a little fuzzy on that . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaliepud Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 A mash up song is a medley of different songs, kind of mixed together, could a mash up book be a mix be a mix of different books?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 That's right chaliepud, the mash ups are the recent(ish) crop of books like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 Oh, ok, thanks ,guys ~ I didnt understand what it meant .It almost sounded like a car -chase type book where they crash ? I'm a little slow on the uptake with the new type books. I think I saw one that was Abraham Lincoln,Vampire Killer or some such thing . Thanks for clearing it up for me . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted November 27, 2011 Author Share Posted November 27, 2011 Indeed - a mash-up is usually a classic novel which has been given an unusual twist. In many cases it's a horror/supernatural twist (as in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies; or Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters), but sometimes it's a re-working of a classic in a slightly different way (for example Murder at Mansfieild Park, which turns all the characters topsy-turvy). They're a lot of fun. Some mash-up titles to consider might be: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters Mr Darcy; Vampyre Queen Victoria; Demon Hunter Abraham Lincoln; Vampire Slayer Android Karenina Mansfield Park and Mummies Murder at Mansfield Park The Meowmorphosis Jane Slayer Little Vampire Women Little Women and Werewolves I Am Scrooge - A Zombie Story for Christmas Actually, looking at this list, I've already read quite a few of them! I have to say I've enjoyed them all (some to a lesser degree than others, but they've all been enjoyable romps!). In the case of the Austen and Bronte mash-ups, they remain particularly faithful to the original story and they work suprisingly well with the supernatural additions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted November 27, 2011 Share Posted November 27, 2011 Hi Weave I just visited your blog and tried to post a hello,but I must need a blog or something to be allowed to comment,so I'll just comment on here . It sounds like you are excited about your first book selection,to have it picked out that far before it is published. Hope you enjoy it and have fun with the Challenge . Thanks Julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Hi Kell Would the Gregory Maguire books count, the retelling of fairy tales ,such as Wicked , etc ? Not sure if they'd be mash ups or fantasy or something else . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted November 28, 2011 Author Share Posted November 28, 2011 Theu would be fantasy - retelling a tale from another point of view. Mash-ups are a total subversion of a story, usually with an addition of a different genre element, such as horror or murder-mystery, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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