Tuesday, June 8, 2021

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


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