Continents reading challenge

 I have heard white people complain about there not being white heritage months or white pride etc.

Sure, let's have it.

Let's dedicate all the months to different people on this planet.

Now, I am aware of the fact that some people are a mix of people from different continents. Do as you please with this. I would choose "people who identify as ---, or people who are mostly ---"
I for example identify some Latinx people as of European heritage, being mostly Spanish or Portuguese - but I also recognize that there's been quite a lot of "mixing" going on in Central and South America - there's a lot of Black and Native American blood in people who identify themselves as Latinx. Put them in any category you think they fit, or use June and December to read Latinx authors.

January and July - Oceania - read only books written by the indigenous people of the Pacific (This means Pacific Islanders, Maori, Australian Aboriginal people etc. Not the descendants of the Europeans living in the area.)

February and August - Europe - read only books written by White people

March and September - Americas - read only books written by Native Americans

April and October - Africa - read only books written by Black people

May and November - Asia - read only books written by Asian people

June and December - One World - read books written by people unlike you.

Mythical, mystical yada yada :-D

Read a fantasy novel from 10 different countries

Now, this is, I assume, easier for me than for a lot of other people, because I'm fluent in three languages, and can manage reading books in two more. Nevertheless, I am 100% certain of that there's English translations of enough Fantasy books from different countries.

I am going to choose a Finnish Fantasy novel, because that's my motherland, and I love her, and I appreciate Finnish fantasy very much. One of my favorite Fantasy books come from Finland; Anne Aarnio's Lintukansan poika (Son of the Bird People).
I chose Neiti Kymenen ihmeellinen talo (The wondrous house of miss Kymene)

Next I'm going to choose a Swedish Fantasy novel, because I live in Sweden, and Sweden has some pretty original Fantasy also. I think I want to read Niklas Krog's first fantasy serie, because I love his Jor & Ka. I'm pretty sure I'll appreciate the fantasy series as well.

Of course there will be a USonian, British, and Canadian Fantasy book on the list.
I choose Anne McCaffrey's Dragonflight for USA
Mary Stewart's Merlin books for UK
For Canada there's R. Scott Bakker, Guy Gavriel Kay, and Charles de Lint to choose from

Michael Scott is Irish, and I have a couple of his books on my TBR list

I have Garth Nix Sabriel on my TBR list, and he's Australian.

I'll read a Witcher novel, from Poland. (Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski)

I'll finish The Secret of Jie, from France (and I have another French fantasy book on my TBR list, the last book on the Mirror Visitor series)

I need to read Cornelia Funke's Dragon Rider, and also finish Walter Moers' Rumo.

And that's 10

I could have chosen also Kaoru Kurimoto's Guin saga. She's Japanese.

Read a fantasy novel with

- black and white cover (can have different shades of grey on it, but no color)
- red cover (mostly red)
- orange cover
- yellow cover
- green cover
- blue cover
- purple/lilac/violet cover
- brown cover

Read a book from each of these lists:

Pre-Tolkien Fantasy (and alike)
Fantasy Classics
The Best Epic Fantasy
Hidden Gems: YA-Fantasy Novels
Best Fantasy on Goodreads with less than 100 ratings
Popular Fantasy on Goodreads with between 100 and 999 ratings
Popular Fantasy on Goodreads with between 1000 and 9999 ratings
Popular Fantasy on Goodreads with between 10000 and 24999 ratings 

I chose
The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany
The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
Magician's Ward by Patricia C. Wrede
I'm changing my mind on this, and I choose Mistress of Mistresses by E.R. Eddison
City of Skies by Farah Cook
The Red Wyvern by Katharine Kerr
Daggerspell by Katharine Kerr

Read a Fantasy novel written in

1930s Jirel of Joiry by C.L. Moore
1940s The Well of the Unicorn by Fletcher Pratt
1950s The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson
1960s Witch World by Andre Norton
1970s Deryni Rising by Katherine Kurtz
1980s Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
1990s Homeland by R.A. Salvatore
2000s Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
2010s Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
2020s Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko
and two written before the 1930s
The Well at the World's End by William Morris and The Tale of Tales by Giambattista Basile, Giambattista

Pick an author who writes Fantasy. Read their favorite Fantasy book, a Fantasy book that has inspired them, a Fantasy book they recommend.

Neil Gaiman and Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirrlees

Read a Fantasy novel written by a female author

Alanna by Tamora Pierce

Read a Fantasy novel written by a male author

A Spell for Chameleon by Piers Anthony

Read a Fantasy novel with a female MC

The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley

Read a Fantasy novel with a male MC

Magic's Pawn by Mercedes Lackey

Read a Fantasy novel with a female mentor/tutor/guardian/parental figure

The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan

Read a Fantasy novel with a male mentor/tutor/guardian/parental figure

The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold

Read a Fantasy novel written by a person who has a different ethnicity/nationality/religion/skin color etc. from you

I chose
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir - A Pakistani-American Muslim woman, born in 1983, English-speaking
Tales of Nevèrÿon by Samuel R. Delany - An American man, born in 1942, black, English-speaking, gay

Read a Fantasy novel where the MC has a different ethnicity/nationality/religion/skin color etc. from you

I chose The Never Tilting World by Rin Chupeco. Rin is Philippine, so I hope there's more diversity in this book. The MCs are lesbian if I have understood it correctly.

Read a Fantasy novel where the MC has at least one parent and grandparent alive, and they have a good relationship with them

Raven's Shadow by Patricia Briggs - I'm not sure about this, but people say it fits

Read a Fantasy novel with less than 250 pages

The Leopard Mask by Kaoru Kurimoto 231 pages

Read a Fantasy novel with 250-350 pages

 New Arabian Nights by Robert Louis Stevenson, 256 pages

Read a Fantasy novel with 300-500 pages

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker 486 pages

Read a Fantasy novel with 500+ pages

The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss 994 pages

Read a Fantasy novel from 10 different subgenres.

Dying Earth Fantasy
The Dying Earth by Jack Vance

Grimdark Fantasy
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie

Erotic fantasy
Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey

Fantasy of Manners
Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner

Flintlock / Gunpowder fantasy
Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan

Steampunk fantasy
Soulless by Gail Carriger

Bangsian fantasy
A House-Boat on the Styx by John Bangs

Urban fantasy
Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

Wuxia fantasy
Jade City by Fonda Lee

Fairy tale
Andrew Lang's Pink Fairy Book

Read the three first books you haven't read from any list of "best Fantasy books"

The Palm-Wine Drinkard by Amos Tutuola
My Life in the Bush of Ghosts by Amos Tutuola
A Hero Born by Jin Yong

Read a Fantasy book that has received an award

 Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold

Read a non-Fantasy book that's related to Fantasy

Either
The Inklings: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, and Their Friend by Humphrey Carpenter
or
Bandersnatch: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and the Creative Collaboration of the Inklings by Diana Pavlac Glyer

Read a Fantasy book with an amazing cover

 

Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard

Read a Fantasy book with a horrible cover

These both are pretty bad, but I think I'll choose Wizard at Large by Terry Brooks.
Grendel at least has a nice layout and AD. Wizard at Large is a total mess.

Read a Fantasy book with a one word title

Terrier by Tamora Pierce

Read a Fantasy book that was made into a movie or tv-series

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Read the Fantasy book you are most ashamed/sorry/irritated of not having read :-D 

Now, I have deliberately filled this list with the books I'm most ashamed, sorry, irritated of not having read, so what's left is
Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson

Read the Fantasy book that has been on your TBR the longest time

The Inheritance Quartet by Christopher Paolini

Read the Fantasy book that has been on your TBR the shortest time

The Enchantment Emporium by Tanya Huff

Finish a Fantasy series 

The Inheritance Quartet by Christopher Paolini

Start a Fantasy series

Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

Reread a favorite

 Earthsea by Ursula leGuin

Read a self-published fantasy novel

The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington

Reread the first Fantasy book you ever read (or the first you remember) 

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S.Lewis (I think I was about 7 or 8)

Literary Map Chain

I chose 10 and started with
Mary Stewart - The Walk in Wolf Wood
Patricia C. Wrede - Mairelon the Magician
Patricia McKillip - The Forgotten Beasts of Eld
C.S.Friedman - Black Sun Rising
Anne Bishop - Daughter of the Blood
Juliet Marillier - Daughter of the Forest
Janny Wurts - Curse of the Mistwraith (Janny Wurts)
Lynn Flewelling - Luck in the Shadows
Ellen Kushner - Thomas the Rhymer
Megan Whalen Turner - The Thief
Cinda Williams Chima - The Demon King

Mythical, Mystical, Magical Reading Challenge 2021

 I could have named this "Fantasy Reading Challenge", but there are quite a lot of them around already :-D

Why my own? Because I can. I like big challenges, and I can't lie ;-)

 

Read a fantasy novel from 10 different countries

Read a fantasy novel with

- black and white cover (can have different shades of grey on it, but no color)
- red cover (mostly red)
- orange cover
- yellow cover
- green cover
- blue cover
- purple/lilac/violet cover
- brown cover

Read a book from each of these lists:

Pre-Tolkien Fantasy (and alike)
Fantasy Classics
The Best Epic Fantasy
Hidden Gems: YA-Fantasy Novels
Best Fantasy on Goodreads with less than 100 ratings
Popular Fantasy on Goodreads with between 100 and 999 ratings
Popular Fantasy on Goodreads with between 1000 and 9999 ratings
Popular Fantasy on Goodreads with between 10000 and 24999 ratings

Read a Fantasy novel written in

1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
and two written before 1930s

Popular Pre-1900 Fantasy Novels
Popular 1900s, 10s and 20s Fantasy Novels
Popular 1930s and 40s Fantasy Novels
Popular 1950s Fantasy Novels
Popular 1960s Fantasy Novels
Popular 1970s Fantasy Novels
Popular 1980s Fantasy Novels
Popular 1990s Fantasy Novels
Popular 2000s Fantasy Novels

Pick an author who writes Fantasy. Read their favorite Fantasy book, a Fantasy book that has inspired them, a Fantasy book they recommend.

Read a Fantasy novel written by a female author
Read a Fantasy novel written by a male author

Read a Fantasy novel with a female MC
Read a Fantasy novel with a male MC

Read a Fantasy novel with a female mentor/tutor/guardian/parental figure
Read a Fantasy novel with a male mentor/tutor/guardian/parental figure

Read a Fantasy novel written by a person who has a different --- from you

- gender
- generation
- race/ethnicity
- nationality
- mothertongue
- sexual orientation
- religion (either personal, or if not religious or known, the majority religion of the society/background they come from)

Choose one, choose many, choose all, read one book by each category, combine them all, what ever rocks your boat

Read a Fantasy novel where the MC has a different --- from you
(mothertongue in this case means the language the character was written in, not their language.)

Read a Fantasy novel where the MC has at least one parent and grandparent alive, and they have a good relationship with them

Read a Fantasy novel with less than 250 pages
Read a Fantasy novel with 250-350 pages
Read a Fantasy novel with 300-500 pages
Read a Fantasy novel with 500+ pages

Read a Fantasy novel from 10 different subgenres.
Try to choose ones you don't usually read.
One of them has to be fairy tales. Not retellings. Read a fairy tale you haven't ever read or heard in any version before.

Read the three first books you haven't read from any list of "best Fantasy books"

For example:
Times The 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time
The 25 Best Fantasy Novels
31 of the best fantasy books everyone should read
Top 100 Fantasy Books
The 60 Best Fantasy Books of All Time
Top 25 Best Fantasy Books
/r/fantasy best books

Read a Fantasy book that has received an award

Read a non-Fantasy book that's related to Fantasy, for example a book about Fantasy literature or fairy tales, a biography of a Fantasy author, or about writing Fantasy

Read a Fantasy book with an amazing cover
Read a Fantasy book with a horrible cover

Read a Fantasy book with a one word title

Read a Fantasy book that was made into a movie or tv-series

Read the Fantasy book you are most ashamed/sorry/irritated of not having read :-D 

Read the Fantasy book that has been on your TBR the longest time
Read the Fantasy book that has been on your TBR the shortest time

Finish a Fantasy series
Start a Fantasy series

Read a self-published Fantasy novel

Reread a favorite

Reread the first Fantasy book you ever read (or the first you remember) 

A literary Map Chain Challenge

Pick a number (how many books you are going to read, at least 5), and pick one of your favorite Fantasy authors and write his/her name on the Literature Map
(If you don't know where to start, start with Tolkien :-D)
You get a "map" with authors who are more or less similar to that author. The names closest are most similar to the author.
Pick one of the names, check that they have written Fantasy, and read a Fantasy book by that author.
Then insert his/her name in the map and choose the next author.
Continue until you have read the number of books you chose in the beginning of the challenge.
Don't read the same author twice!

The only rule is that the book has to be Fantasy. 

Not Science Fiction, not Horror. 

So - what's the difference?

* fantastical elements must be obvious through the whole work. 

Outlander doesn't classify as Fantasy, because the only fantastical element I know of was the time travel through some kind of magic. I think there's some witches in the series later on, but 99% of the book is about the MC and her life in a totally normal environment in our world, and relations with other totally normal humans.

 * non-humans should be Fantasy races, not classical horror monsters, like vampires, werewolves, zombies and ghosts. Let's say that if they were humans once, and then something happened and now they are something else, then it's not fantasy. Even when the story in itself isn't a horror story, I classify it as belonging to Horror genre. This is why I have discarded a bunch of books that are marked as "Fantasy" on Goodreads, and that some others classify as Fantasy. If you have a vampire fighting heroine, or vampires fighting other vampires and werewolves, I classify it as part of Horror, not Fantasy.

* Paranormal events and talents classify also as Horror (ghost stories, most of the things Stephen King writes about), even if the story in itself isn't horrifying. Like Bid Time Return (Somewhere in Time). Unless the story is set in a Fantasy world, and the paranormal is just part of that world.

* science should be equal or lesser partner to magic. Steampunk counts as Fantasy, when it's set in a Fantasy world, like in Terry Pratchett's Discworld. If the world doesn't have magic, more than our world does, and everything can be explained with science, technology, machines, and aliens, then it's SciFi, not Fantasy.

* Dystopian and post-apocalyptic stories are 9/10 SciFi, and not Fantasy. Hunger Games is not Fantasy. 

* Magical realism is not a subgenre of Fantasy in my book, but it's own genre. It can be hard to separate Urban Fantasy and Magical realism, because they both are set in our modern world, but with a magical twist. In Urban Fantasy, the world is fantastical, with magic and magical beings, just as any other kind of Fantasy, but it's set in a world that looks like our world. In Magical realism, it's our world, but with... let's say chaos pockets, where magical things can happen. 

* Even though a book is classified as Fantasy or Urban Fantasy, I don't count it as Fantasy, unless it fulfills these requirements. Check the genre classification on Goodreads, and if it says something like this:
Fantasy > Paranormal,
Fantasy > Supernatural,
Romance > Paranormal Romance,
Fantasy > Urban Fantasy,
Paranormal > Vampires
Science Fiction > Steampunk
Horror > Zombies
Science Fiction > Alternate History
Science Fiction > Time Travel
etc., it doesn't qualify as Fantasy for this challenge.

 

Bah, whom am I kidding? :-D
Read what ever you want. :-D

2021 Reading Challenges Part II

Here's the "2021 Master List of Reading Challenges" :-D

The 52 Reading Club

Read a book set in a school
Read a book featuring the legal profession
Read a book with a dual timeline
Read a book by an author that is deceased
Read a book published by Penguin
Read a book with a character who shares a name with a male member of your family
Read a book by an author with only 1 published book
Read a book in the 900s of the Dewey Decimal System
Read a book set in a Mediterranean country
Read a book related to the word "fire"
Read a book with discussion questions inside
Read a book with a title starting with the letter "D"
Read a book which includen an exotic animal
Read a book written by an author who was over 65 when it was published
Read a book mentioned in another book
Read a book set before the 17th century
Read a book with a character "on the run"
Read a book with an author with a 9 letter last name
Read a book with a deckled edge
Read a book by Kristin Hannah
Read a family saga
Read a book with an ending that surprises you
Read a book you think should be read in schools
Read a book with multiple character POV
Read a book by an author of color
Read a book where the first chapter ends on an odd page number
Read a book that includes a historical event you know little about
Read a book featuring the environment
Watch out for dragons!
Read a book which has a title similar to another book
Read a book with a selfish character
Read a book featuring adoption
Read a book you'd rate 5 stars
Read a book set in a country that starts with the letter S
Read a book with a nameless narrator
Read an educational read
Read a book recommended on BookBub
Read an alternate history novel
Read a book found via #bookstagram
Read a book with an endorsement by a famous author on the cover
Read an epistolary
Read a book with a character who has a pet cat
Read a book that includes a garden
Read a coming of age novel
Read a National Book Award winner (any year)
Read a book with a character with a disability
Read a book with a cover with a woman facing away
Read a book with a flavour in the title
Read a book with a shoe on the cover
Read a book published 2021
Redo one of the previous challenges

Beachcombers mystery reading challenge sounds absolutely delightful

Likewise the Century Club :-)

Beat the Backlist sounds amazing as well :-D

* more than one author (a book written by at least 2 authors; not an anthology)
* dragons OR lizards (a book featuring one or the other, or both!)
* it’s on a ship! (a book that takes place on a ship, the type of ship is up to you)
* purple cover (bring on the purple!)
* set in a major city (this can be any major city around the globe)
* book you forgot you had (don’t lie, you know there’s at least one… well, maybe you don’t know… yet)
* caused a major book hangover (the book was so good that you just don’t think you can start a new one just yet)
* multiple points of view (there are at least two different character perspectives)
* book you’re giving another chance (you tried it before and it just wasn’t working, but maybe this time…)
* quest to find lost/hidden object (this can be a search for any lost and/or hidden object so get creative!)
* chapter title page has art (the pages that mark the beginning of a new chapter feature some sort of artwork or design)
* kept you up late reading (definitely not a book you can easily put down)
* picked by a friend/trusted reviewer (whether a friend decided it or a reviewer online you trust recommended it, either is fair game)
* non-human character (a prominent character in the story is not human)
* first line is less than 10 words (that’s right, count ’em!)
* banned book (need ideas? check out this list!)
* cover features your favorite color prominently (make sure that color dominates the book cover)
* all about music (a story where music is a strong focus in some way)
* character lets out a breath they didn’t realize they were holding (if you’ve seen a line like this is a book, that’s what we’re looking for here)
* genre you never/rarely read (there has to be at least one genre you don’t usually pick up)
* standalone (allll byyy itself…)
* lost royalty (lost in time, lost to the world, don’t know who they are, interpret “lost” as you see fit)
* cover with your country’s flag colors (ideally the main colors of the cover but you may have to get creative)
* written in letters or diary entries (yes, we mean books told through letters or diary entries, the word is “epistolary” if you were looking for it)
* book centered around politics (everything from court intrigue to presidential elections!)
* features a carnival or circus (doesn’t have to be the main story, just part of it)
* snake on the cover (we bet you can think of a few…)
* on the Indie Bestseller list in 2020 or earlier (you can find the list archive by clicking here)
* historical with a twist (stories set in history that didn’t quite happen that way)
* character has a dream scene (if the protagonist details a dream then wakes up, you’ve got a dream scene)
* set in autumn (at least part of the story)
* based on non-Greek/Roman mythology (literally any other mythology works here)
* non-binary protagonist (the book’s protagonist identifies as non-binary)
* a book with illustrations (anything from graphic novels and manga to small illustrations throughout an otherwise text-heavy novel)
* WTF plot twist (those twists that make you wonder WTF, whether it’s in a good way… or bad)
* second book in a duology (time to get to that duology you started but haven’t finished yet)
* non-fairytale re-telling (any spin on something that isn’t a classic fairytale)
* from your 2020 backlist TBR (a backlist book you planned to read last year… and didn’t)
* book where the woods/forest are important (exactly like it sounds, the woods are forest are an important part of the story in some way)
* black and white (interpret as you wish)
* novella (generally under 200 pages)
* person on the cover (character art or models count!)
* anthology (here is where you can play the anthology card, short stories generally around a theme with one or more editors)
* has a map (any kind of map will do!)
* book about bones OR “bone” in the title (take your pick, a book featuring bones prominently or one that has the word “bone” in the title)
* good book, bad cover (another one exactly as it sounds, you liked the book but the cover is… not good)
* brings out the geek in you (whether it’s a fandom dream or you’re just really into rocks and this book talks about rocks, whatever makes you geek out!)
* bought it for the cover (we’re sure you’ve done it at least once)
* book written in verse (a novel told through poetry)
* includes a 2nd person point of view (at least one character narrates the story as “you walk” or “you go” vs “I walk/They walk”)
* author has a book releasing in 2021 (let’s support authors’ backlists! if they have a new book coming out, count any of their previous books published in 2020 or earlier)
* mentions a pineapple (yes we’re serious.)

2021 Book Club

* an unusual format
* set in a country you've never visited
* LGBTQ+ protagonist
* a story about witches or magic
* read in one sitting
* with foiling on the cover
* based on a real event
* a multigenerational story
* on your TBR for over a year
* set at or featuring a wedding
* one word title
* with a face on the cover
* a murder mystery
* a play
* mentioned in a TV show or film you love
* an autobiography or memoir
* a 2021 release
* with snow on the cover
* an audiobook
* written by an author who is younger than you
* a book with illustrations
* 500+ pages
* with flowers on the cover
* 2020 Goodreads Choice Award winner or nominee

Book Riot’s 2021 Read Harder Challenge

* Read a book you’ve been intimidated to read
* Read a nonfiction book about anti-racism
* Read a non-European novel in translation
* Read an LGBTQ+ history book
* Read a genre novel by an Indigenous, First Nations, or Native American author
* Read a fanfic
* Read a fat-positive romance
* Read a romance by a trans or nonbinary author
* Read a middle grade mystery
* Read an SFF anthology edited by a person of color
* Read a food memoir by an author of color
* Read a work of investigative nonfiction by an author of color
* Read a book with a cover you don’t like
* Read a realistic YA book not set in the U.S., UK, or Canada
* Read a memoir by a Latinx author
* Read an own voices book about disability
* Read an own voices YA book with a Black main character that isn’t about Black pain
* Read a book by/about a non-Western world leader
* Read a historical fiction with a POC or LGBTQ+ protagonist
* Read a book of nature poems
* Read a children’s book that centers a disabled character but not their disability
* Read a book set in the Midwest
* Read a book that demystifies a common mental illness
* Read a book featuring a beloved pet where the pet doesn’t die

Books and Tea 2021 reading challenge

1. Hexed with Colour – ask a friend for a colour, read a book with a cover to match
2. Hidden Creations – an author’s lesser known book / a lesser known author
3. Stardust – a book you’ve owned since 2016
4. Awesome, Of Course – a book by an author of colour
5. In Satan we Stan – a book with 666 pages or longer
6. Full of Pride – LGBT+ books and authors
7. Highly Recommended – a recommendation from a friend
8. A Fresh Look – a new to you diverse read*
9. Star’s the Limit – travel to another country or world
10. New Kids on the Pub(lisher) – 2021 debut author
11. Opposites Attract – swap a TBR entry with someone
12. Small Stories – an anthology or book that’s shorter than most 

A Book A Week Reading Challenge 2021 with The Booklist Queen

1. A Productivity Book
2. Book Becoming Movie in 2021
3. Goodreads Winner in 2020
4. Biography
5. About a Pressing Social Issue
6. A Book About Books
7. Set in the 1920s
8. An Author Who Uses Initials
9. Poetry
10. A 2020 Bestseller
11. Recommended by a Colleague
12. With a Number in the Title
13. Bottom of Your To-Read List
14. Reread a Favorite Book
15. Own Voices Story
16. Published in the 1800s
17. Local Author
18. Longer Than 400 Pages
19. A Book Turned Into a TV Series
20. A Book That Makes You Think
21. A WWII Story
22. A Highly Anticipated Book
23. Eye-Catching Cover
24. A Summer Read
25. Coming of Age Story
26. Bestselling Memoir
27. Book Club Favorite
28. A Book About Friendship
29. An Audiobook
30. Set in Australia
31. By a Nobel Prize winner
32. About an Immigrant
33. Time Travel Novel
34. An Author You Love
35. Childhood Favorite
36. Classic Read in High School
37. Borrowed from the Library
38. Nonfiction New York Times Bestseller
39. From an Indie Publisher
40. Fantasy
41. A Sequel
42. Recommended by a Librarian
43. Psychological Thriller
44. Oprah Winfrey Book Club Pick
45. A Book About Technology
46. Title with Three Words
47. Debut Novel of Famous Author
48. Genre You Don’t Usually Read
49. A Book Everyone Is Talking About
50. You Own But Haven’t Read
51. Borrowed from a Friend
52. A 2021 New Release

Build Your Library 2021 Reading Challenge

* A book with your favorite color on the cover
* A story that takes place under the sea
* A story set in a country you want to visit
* A story written in verse
* A story set in a library
* A story inspired by mythology
* A fairy tale retold
* A book written by an Indigenous author
* A genre you never pick up (ex: mystery, romance, fantasy...)
* A book about a game
* A sequel you have been meaning to pick up
* A book with a household pet in the story
* A book in translation
* A book by a favorite author
* A book by an author you have never read from before
* A book you think will be a new favorite
* A book that was released the year you were born
* A book about food
* A book with a house on the cover
* A book that makes you feel nostalgic
* A new release you are excited about
* A book recommended by a friend
* A book that a family member loves
* A biography or memoir
* A classic
* A book published in your lifetime that you think should be a considered a classic
* A book that won an award
* A book about an issue that is important to you
* A book written by a person of color
* A short story collection
* A book that was adapted into a movie or television show
* A book about music
* A book with LGBTQIA+ representation
* A play
* A book written by a local author
* A non-fiction book about a topic you want to learn more about
* A book about girls in STEM
* A book set in your favorite vacation destination (ex: beach, camping, amusement park...)
* A book with an animal on the cover
* A book with a cover that makes you feel cozy
* Your favorite book

Oh, the troubles I've seen...

 So... 

So many thoughts. 

About The Bronze Horseman. USA's relationship with Russia might not have been very warm before WWII, but a lot of people immigrated from Russia to USA. USA and Russia were allied during the WWII. Russia was at war with Finland. Finland was allied with Germany.
So, no, you wouldn't have gone to Finland to escape Soviet Russia. Especially when Alexander was USonian. Idiot.

About writing commissioned work, and translating... I'm trying, but the story feels so stupid, I have serious difficulties. How do I keep my contempt from showing in the writing? How do I stop myself from "improving" the book? It's not that there's anything elementally wrong with the story, it's just that I don't belong to the target audience, my taste and preferences are very different. I would rate this book one or two stars if I was to read it. *sigh*
I'm glad I don't need to do this, at the same time, I wish I could. I wish I could see it as just work, and keep my personal preferences, taste, opinions and feelings out of it. 

I really wish I could push out pulp fiction thousands of words every day...

2021 Reading Challenges part I

2021 PopSugar Reading Challenge

A book that's published in 2021

An Afrofuturist book 

A book that has a heart, diamond, club, or spade on the cover

A book by an author who shares your zodiac sign

Some authors who share my zodiac sign are Gertrude Chandler Warner, Anne McCaffrey, Kate DiCamillo, Joseph Campbell, Patrick Süskind, Nikolai Gogol, Andrew Lang, Hans Christian Andersen, Sue Townsend, Maya Angelou, Barbara Kingsolver, Marguerite Henry, James Branch Cabell, and Karen Blixen.

A dark academia book

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

A book with a gem, mineral, or rock in the title

A book where the main character works at your current or dream job

That would be a librarian :-D

A book that has won the Women's Prize for Fiction 

A book with a family tree

A bestseller from the 1990s 

A book about forgetting

Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler
but I might re-read The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall. Loved it.

A book you have seen on someone's bookshelf

A locked-room mystery 

A book set in a restaurant 

A book with a black-and-white cover

A book by an indigenous author

I would like to read a book by an indigenous author from my part of the world

A book that has the same title as a song

A book about a subject you are passionate about

I'm passionate about many things, but I chose languages for this
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
Native Tongue by Suzette Haden Elgin (I have studied some Láadan :-D)
Sing by Karin Tidbeck
Looking Through Lace by Ruth Nestvold
Amatka by Karin Tidbeck
Monteverde: Memoirs of an Interstellar Linguist by Lola Robles
Always Coming Home by Ursula K. Le Guin

A book that discusses body positivity

Flora Segunda by Ysabeau S. Wilce
Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines
War for the Oaks by Emma Bull

A book found on a Black Lives Matter reading list

A genre hybrid

Some suggestions:

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

A book set mostly or entirely outdoors

I think of Warriors and Watership Down :-D Books about wild animals.

A book with something broken on the cover

A book by a Muslim American author

A book that was published anonymously

I'm choosing The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes

A book with an oxymoron in the title

A book about do-overs or fresh starts

Middlegame by Seanan McGuire
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

A magical realism book

A book set in multiple countries

A book set somewhere you'd like to visit in 2021

A book by a blogger, vlogger, YouTube video creator, or other online personality

The Forgetting Moon by Brian Lee Durfee

A book whose title starts with Q, X, or Z

Zothique by Clark Ashton Smith
Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson
The Queen of the Tearling

A book featuring three generations (Grandparent, parent, child)

A book about a social justice issue

A book in a different format than what you normally read

A book with fewer than 1000 reviews on Amazon/Goodreads

Alane Adams' The Witches of Orkney series - less than 200 ratings!

A book you think your best friend would like
A book about art or an artist
A book everyone seems to have read but you

     1Q84

Your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

Advanced

The longest book (with most pages) on your TBR list

Clarissa by Samuel Richardson 1,534 pp
Le Roman de Renart  1,593 pp

The shortest book (with least pages) on your TBR list

Love of Seven Dolls by Paul Gallico (125 pages)

The book on your TBR list with the prettiest cover

 The book on your TBR list with the ugliest cover

 The book that's been on your TBR list for the longest amount of time

World Without End by Ken Follett

A book from your TBR list you meant to read last year, but didn't

The Fire by Katherine Neville

A book from your TBR list you associate with a favorite person, place, or thing

Homeland by R.A.Salvatore

A book from your TBR list chosen at random

Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes

A DNF book from your TBR list

The Poppy War by R.F.Kuang

A free book from your TBR list (gifted, borrowed, library...)

So... I'm reading again...

 I "blame" my husband.

I stopped reading somewhere mid-November last year. The spark just wasn't there. I read two books in December, and a couple of books in March, but other than that... nah. I was on my "I'll make clothes for dolls" mode, there was no time to read anything. 

But my husband... he recommended a book. And it was good. And I read the sequel, and #3 in the series as well, and then we we reading #4 at the same time, so we started listening to it together, so I needed to find another book to read while we weren't listening to #4, and... now I'm reading. Forget dolls, who cares about dolls? I suppose I have to pack all my dolls now and clean the space in front of the bookshelves :-D

Anyway, I have my Fantasy book project - not going to read all the Fantasy published in 2021 for Goodreads awards, that stuff stinks anyway, but reading "the best Fantasy books..."

You know me, I can't resist a challenge... so I happened to see the Medieval-a-Thon

I want to do all of it :-D

So, the Medieval-a-thon was supposed to run in January, but, what the heck, I'm here on June. It doesn't matter at all. :-D

Blacksmith:
 

Read a book with gold, silver, or bronze in the title or cover
I suppose it's high time to read the Daevabad Trilogy :-D (The City of Brass, The Kingdom of Copper and The Empire of Gold)
Or maybe A.A.Aguirre's Apparatus Infernum (Bronze Gods and Silver Mirrors)

A book you're scared to read
That would be A Game of Thrones

A book with a weapon on the cover
Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
Black Prism by Brent Weeks
Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan

A hardcover
This could be anything

A series finale
Ursula K. Le Guin The Other Wind

Tailor/Seamstress

Read a book you're unsure about

First book to a series
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

A book embossed or foiling on the cover
The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald

The last book you bought/borrowed
The Eye of the World (for Daniel Greene's read-a-long)

Prettiest book on your shelf
Rin Chupeco's Bone Witch or Never Tilting World
The Starlit Wood (New fairy tales by several authors)
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

Bard 

Read a book with a great first line
"When you are tired of life, come to Haven. And someone will kill you."
The Guards of Haven by Simon R. Green

A book with a travel element
The Wayfarer Redemption by Sara Douglass

A book title that's a character name
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

A book over 400 pages
It's Fantasy, so all of these books have over 400 pages :-D
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

A book with multiple authors
The Golden Key by Jennifer Roberson, Melanie Rawn, Kate Elliot

Clergy 

Read an underrated book
The Baker's Boy by J.V. Jones
C.S.Friedman's Black Sun Rising
Jennifer Roberson's Shapechangers
Melanie Rawn's Dragon Prince

A book about books
The Book Jumper by Mechthild Gläser

A book with a person on the cover
Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb

A book with the chosen one trope
The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
Burn by Patrick Ness
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Read whatever you want
Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson

Baker 

Read a book chosen for you
that would be Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

A debut novel
Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft

A book with brown on the cover
The Crown Tower by Michael J. Sullivan

A book from a genre you don't read from
Hmm... what would that be? I mean, I read most genres, mostly Fantasy though, and the genres I do not read I don't read for a reason, and I will not read those genres.

A book by an author you admire