The Reading Challenge Group discussion

Alright, I'm SO ready for my first year not in school (including summers) in 7 years! Time to READ!

My Goals This Year:
*Read 104 books
*Read 30 books set in distinct countries and written by authors around the world
*Read 30 fantasy/sci-fi novels
*Maxi Challenge: Fantasy Faire 2020 (goal: 15)
*Read 10 non-fiction works
*Read 10 "Classics" (definition pending)
*Read 5 Hugo and/or Nebula winners
*Read 50 books written by women authors
*Mini Challenge: Moon Magic Winter 2020
*Mini Challenge: Frost Bitten Winter 2020
*Maxi Challenge: Mt TBR (Goal: 15)
*Maxi Challenge: New To You in 2020 (Goal: 10)
*Maxi Challenge: Chunksters 2020 (400-599 pgs) (Goal: 10)
*Maxi Challenge: Down With History 2020 (Goal: 15)

Whew! That's a long list but reading is one of my big goals this year, I've missed it so much while stuck on textbooks and homework and theses, and I want to make sure I get a widespread experience!

Have fun with your challenges, Claire. I studied literature in university aeons ago, but I still remember that sense of relief of not HAVING to read a book.

Rosemarie wrote: "Have fun with your challenges, Claire. I studied literature in university aeons ago, but I still remember that sense of relief of not HAVING to read a book."

Thank you! I certainly plan too. And yes, it feels wonderful to be able to read whatever I want, whenever I please, and even better - they're not $300 textbooks!

30 Books From Around The World:
All books must be set in a different country and the author must be from or have lived for some time in this country.

1. Do They Hear You When You Cry by Fauziya Kassindja - Togo, West Africa
2. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank - The Netherlands, West Europe
3. The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See - Jeju, South Korea, East Asia
4. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot - Yorkshire, England, West Europe

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30 fantasy/sci-fi novels

1. Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews - 01/15/2020
2. Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews - 01/16/2020
3. One Fell Sweep by Ilona Andrews - 01/16/2020
4. The Land: Founding by Aleron Kong - 01/23/2020
5. His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik - 01/24/2020
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Maxi Challenge: Fantasy Faire 2020 (15 Fantasy Novels, no SF)
1. The Land: Founding by Aleron Kong - 01/23/2020
2. His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik - 01/24/2020
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10 Non-Fiction Works

1. (Short Audiobook) Rivals! Frenemies Who Changed the World by Scott McCormick - 01/06/2020.
- In this audiobook Scott McCormick recounts a a selection of rivalries throughout history, with a spattering of commentary and opinion throughout.
- This was clearly a work of love for McCormick but I found myself struggling to pay attention; his soothing voice is easily lost into the background and the stories were so-so.

2. Do They Hear You When You Cry by Fauziya Kassindja - 01/11/2020

3. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank - 01/12/2020

4. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot - 01/18/2020

5. In Progress: A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft

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10 "Classics"
Defined as, broadly, having universal meaning, societal importance and possibly implemented in education, with significance and the potential to change attitudes.

1. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank - 01/12/2020
2. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot - 01/18/2020
3. In Progress: A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft
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5 Nebula and/or Hugo Award Winners

1. His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik - 01/24/2020, nominee (author won Hugo 2015, 2018 for other novels)

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50 Books Written By Women Authors 2020

1. Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw - 01/06/2020
2. Do They Hear You When You Cry by Fauziya Kassindja - 01/11/2020
3.The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank - 01/12/2020
4. Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews - 01/15/2020
5. The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See - 01/15/2020
6. Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews - 01/16/2020
7. One Fell Sweep by Ilona Andrews - 01/16/2020
8. His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik - 01/24/2020
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Mini Challenge: Moon Magic Winter 2020
1. Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews - 01/15/2020
2. Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews - 01/16/2020
3. One Fell Sweep by Ilona Andrews - 01/16/2020

A magical inkeeper ;) very unique magic system and powers.

Mini Challenge: Frost Bitten Winter 2020
1. His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik - 01/24/2020

Dragons! Dragons Dragons Dragons! Biting and clawing and roaring, dragons!

Maxi Challenge: Mt To Be Read
15 books on my physical shelves or already purchased as ebooks!
1. Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw - 01/06/2020
2. Do They Hear You When You Cry by Fauziya Kassindja - 01/11/2020
3. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot - 01/18/2020
4. The Land: Founding by Aleron Kong - 01/23/2020

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Maxi Challenge: New To You in 2020
20 Authors I haven't read before

1. Do They Hear You When You Cry by Fauziya Kassindja - 01/11/2020
2. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank - 01/12/2020
3. Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews - 01/15/2020
4. The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See - 01/15/2020
5. Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu - 01/19/2020
6. The Land: Founding by Aleron Kong - 01/23/2020
7. His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik - 01/24/2020

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Maxi Challenge: Chunksters 2020
10 Books 400-599 pages long

1. Do They Hear You When You Cry by Fauziya Kassindja - 01/11/2020, 544 pages
2. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot - 01/18/2020, 437 pages

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Maxi Challenge: Down With History 2020
15 Historical Fiction Novels

1. Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw - 01/06/2020. This is set in Egypt, in 15th Century BC.

2. The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See - 01/15/2020. This is set in 1930's-1960's South Korea, on Jeju island.

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The Big Long List Of All Books I've Read This Year (2020):

1. Peter Pan Audible Original by J.M. Barrie - 01/06/2020
⁃Fantasy, audio-book
⁃Did not enjoy overall. Great voice acting, dark and unnecessarily creepy pirates.

2. Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Mara, Daughter of the Nile - 01/05/2020
-Historical Fiction
-A wonderful tale in ancient Egypt from a master world-builder.
The build was slow but full of character and world development, and worth the fascinating plot towards the end.

3. Rivals! Frenemies Who Changed the World by Scott McCormick - 01/06/2020
-Non-fiction, History, audio-book
-Felt a bit like being in history class with a professor trying to show his love of history, and it was endearing, but I still found myself pretty bored. Clearly the author put a lot of passion into this project, and it shows, but just not for me.

4. Do They Hear You When You Cry by Fauziya Kassindja - 01/11/2020
-Non-fiction, autobiography
-Wow, I have few words. This was truly an amazing, eye-opening, and painful but important experience. I believe every American and many internationally should read this novel.

5. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank - 01/12/2020
-Non-fiction, historical, diary
-A difficult but so important read. Anne was both a brilliant and growing writer and smart, independent thinker and a classic teenager! So angsty. Yet so many adult thoughts and life circumstances. Truly a heartbreaking experience and fascinating glimpse into her world.

6. The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See - 01/15/2020
-Historical Fiction, 1940-1960's Jeju Island, South Korea

7. Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews - 01/15/2020
-Fantasy, science fiction

8. Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews - 01/16/2020
-Fantasy, science fiction

9. One Fell Sweep by Ilona Andrews
-Fantasy, science fiction

10. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot - 01/18/2020
-Non-fiction, memoir?

11. Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu - 01/19/2020
- Errrrm????

12. Interview with the Robot by Lee Bacon - 01/21/2020
- Science Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult

13. The Land: Founding by Aleron Kong - 01/23/2020
- Fantasy, Science-fiction-ish, "video game becomes real" concept

14. His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik - 01/24/2020
- Fantasy, dragons!

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Decided to add the Generations/Decades Challenge to the list, mostly focusing 1920-2020 each decade, but keeping track of the other two just for fun.

1920-2020

Level 1 Half Century
1920-1929:
1930-1939:
1940-1949: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
1950-1959:
1960-1969:

Level 2 Centurion
1970-1979:
1980-1989:
1990-1999: All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot & Do They Hear You When You Cry by Fauziya Kassindja
2000-2009:
2010-2020


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(just for fun)

1820-1920

Level 1 Half Century
1820-1829:
1830-1839:
1840-1849:
1850-1859:
1860-1869:

Level 2 Centurion
1870-1879:
1880-1889:
1890-1899:
1900-1909:
1910-1919:


2000-2020

Level 1 Start The Countdown
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004

Level 2 Double Down
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009

Level 3 Moving Forward
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari

Level 4 Decade Master
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020