Once Upon a Time VI

“Come away, O human child: To the waters and the wild with a fairy, hand in hand, For the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand.”

~William Butler Yeats

Today is “officially” the first day of Spring, but thanks to unseasonably beautiful temperatures these last few weeks I have been experiencing that gentle urging, “Come away…”, for some time now. It is that voice that beckons me to revisit Middle-earth and Newford, that calls me to the gap in the village of Wall and to the world of London Below. It is the voice that packs so much promise into four little words…

“Once upon a time…”

Perhaps you too have heard that voice whispering on the spring wind, or perhaps Old Man Winter continues to drown out the sound; either way that time has come: Once Upon a Time is here!

Wednesday, March 21st begins the sixth annual Once Upon a Time Challenge. This is a reading and viewing event that encompasses four broad categories: Fairy Tale, Folklore, Fantasy and Mythology, including the seemingly countless sub-genres and blending of genres that fall within this spectrum. The challenge continues through Tuesday, June 19th and allows for very minor (1 book only) participation as well as more immersion depending on your reading/viewing whims.

Come away, and I’ll tell you more…

“I felt a curious thrill, as if something had stirred in me, half wakened from sleep. There was something very remote and strange and beautiful behind those words, if I could grasp it, far beyond ancient English.”

~J.R.R. Tolkien, on reading the Cynewulf lines about the star Earendel

Now, for the particulars:

The Once Upon a Time VI Challenge has a few rules:

Rule #1: Have fun.

Rule #2: HAVE FUN.

Rule #3: Don’t keep the fun to yourself, share it with us, please!

Rule #4: Do not be put off by the word “challenge”.

While this event retains the word “challenge” from its earliest days, the entire goal is to read good books, watch good television shows and movies, and most importantly, visit old friends and make new ones. There are several ways to participate, and I hope you can find at least one to your liking:

This is really as simple as the name implies. It means you are participating, but not committing yourself to any specific number of books. By signing up for The Journey you are agreeing to read at least one book within one of the four categories during March 21st to June 19th period. Just one book. If you choose to read more, fantastic! If not, then we have still had the pleasure of your company during this three month reading journey and hopefully you have read a great book, met some interesting people, and enjoyed the various activities that occur during the challenge. It has always been of utmost importance to me that the challenges that I host be all about experiencing enjoyable literature and sharing it with others. I want you to participate. Hence, The Journey.

Read at least 5 books that fit somewhere within the Once Upon a Time categories. They might all be fantasy, or folklore, or fairy tales, or mythology…or your five books might be a combination from the four genres.

Read at least one book from each of the four categories. In this quest you will be reading 4 books total: one fantasy, one folklore, one fairy tale, and one mythology. This proves to be one of the more difficult quests each year merely because of the need to classify each read and determine which books fit into which category. I am not a stickler, fear not, but I am endlessly fascinated watching how folks work to find books for each category.

Fulfill the requirements for The Journey or Quest the First or Quest the Second AND top it off with a June reading of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream OR a viewing of one of the many theatrical versions of the play. Love the story, love the films, love the idea of that magical night of the year and so this is my chance to promote the enjoyment of this farcical love story.

This quest involves the reading of one or more short stories that fit within at least one of the four genres during the course of any weekend, or weekends, during the challenge. Ideally you would post about your short story readings on Sundays or Mondays, but this is not strictly necessary.

Stories are not just limited to the printed page. Many entertaining, moving, profound or simply fun stories are told in the realm of television and film. To participate in this quest simply let us know about the films and/or television shows that you feel fit into the definitions of fantasy, fairy tales, folklore or mythology that you are enjoying during the challenge.

If you review any of the books you read or shows you watch for the challenge, please link to them in the Review Site here (or by clicking on the banner on the right hand side of my blog) that way we can come and visit you.

Over the years various well meaning, and not so well meaning, people have tried to dismiss this kind of literature as childish, no longer relevant, escapist, etc.

Terri Windling, in her marvelous essay “On Tolkien and Fairy Stories” writes:

It was only in the nineteenth century that magical literature and art was pushed into the nursery — ironically, at a time when adult interest in them could not have been higher. Prior to this, ancient epics and myths held a central place in the literary arts, while their country cousins, folk and fairy tales, were told to young and old alike. When fairy tales moved from the oral to the literary tradition, they did so as adult stories.

The literature that falls into these categories speaks to me in a way that no other literature does. I think it is all the history. Ancient folklore and mythology inform so many types of stories and there is something very special about those fantasy stories that in some way build upon that foundation. They are not kids stories to me. They never were. But they do retain the magic that they had when I was a child. And I am thrilled that it is that time of year for us to share these stories with one another.
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Artist Melissa Nucera was generous enough to once again allow me to utilize her art for this challenge. Her works were so perfect for RIP VI that I could not help but use them for Once Upon a Time VI. I’ve put together a variety of banners so that you can choose for yourself. If you need anything sized differently, please let me know.


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Additionally I will be hosting a couple of group reads during the challenge.

In April we will be reading:

and in May we will be reading:

Details of both will follow shortly. Stay tuned!

Now all that is left to do is to decide to take the plunge and join us! I do so hope you will. To sweeten the pot I will be doing a drawing for some of Melissa Nucera’s artwork from those who sign up during the month of March.

252 thoughts on “Once Upon a Time VI”

    1. Yes, I was working like a madman to try to get this done today! Whew! And here it is. Thanks for joining in, look forward to seeing what you decide to read.

  1. wow! great images for the banners. and so very excited to participate! and Sean said if I get him a copy of Mistborn he might join your group read.

    thanks for hosting this Carl! Now to figure out what I might should read/watch…

    1. Great, I hope he does! My intention is for that to be a fairly slow read of the book so that we can all squeeze in other stuff during the weeks of the group read. Are you up for handling a week of questions?

  2. I’m in. I’ll link up once I write an intro post. I’m excited for the groupreads, and I’ve been gathering books for this challenge all year! =D

    1. Yes! Grace, I was also wondering if you would be willing to handle a week of questions for the Mistborn group read?

  3. Fantastic! I was literally thinking about whether this challenge would be announced today when I saw it pop into my Google Reader. Looking forward to reading several fairy tale retellings I have on my TBR list, and can’t wait to get ideas from what other people read!

    1. It almost didn’t make it today, but I did finally get all the banners put together to my liking. It always takes much longer than it should, LOL! Great to have you in Cheryl.

  4. I just happened to be on to see the announcement go up. I put together a sign-up post, but I will probably also post a reading pool in the next couple days. Looking forward to it as always, Carl!

    1. Sounds great! Thanks! BTW, I pick up my copy of Spirits in the Wires from the library tomorrow. 🙂

  5. OMG, Carl! You are making my day. I love your challenges so much. There’s no way I’m going to miss this. I haven’t came up with a list yet. I’ll do that in a few days after I get a test (or two) out of the way. Thanks for hosting this again. 🙂

    1. Thanks Vasilly, glad you are in again. I haven’t come up with a list yet, but there are a bunch of books roaming around my head. 🙂

  6. Count me in! As I tend to do I will go The Journey route as that way I can pick from my fantasy pool. I started A Dance With Dragons by George RR Martin last month so I will continue with it and she what strikes my fancy when it’s completed.

    I have read both Mistborn and Neverwhere before and I would recommend each to all.

    I’ve already been watching some excellent fantasy television as well in the form of HBO’s Game of Thrones. One of the best book to television adaptions I’ve ever seen. Truly faithful to the source material without being a slave to it. Plus it has Sean Bean in it!!!

    1. Great to have you. Of course reading A Dance with Dragons is like reading about 7 books, isn’t it> 🙂

        1. I think that is an April Fool’s joke and they actually put it off ’til the fall. 😉

  7. I was so looking forward to this. and the banner are wonderful. I’ll be posting about it soon and the link to my blog.
    I’m glad you are hosting it again.

    1. Thanks! I love Melissa’s work. I’m so grateful she allow its use.

  8. ahha! i checked before I shut down last nite but it was before you posted..! I’ll be back to link when I post later today!! spring is official now with OUaT!

    *and not to be forgotten* HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARY!!!!

      1. Thank you for Mary, and also thanks for joining up (though I had no doubts you would do so!) I certainly will not try to pace you book for book. You are a reading whiz!

        1. ohhh my reading has gotten way slower thanks to “floaters” in my eyes but not to worry I will most likely read at least 4 or more books! lol (are you going to see Mirror Mirror in the movies? looks like a good entertaining one!)

  9. I had only just begun blogging when I first saw this challenge last year, so didn’t join in. But I’ve been waiting for it to come around again and I’ll definitely be participating this year. Love the banners.

    1. I am so glad you decided to join us this year, welcome and happy one year blogoversary! 🙂

  10. You know there are happy smiles around the globe today as they open this post, don’t you? In the craziness that has been our life as of late, I’m embarrassed to say that I didn’t even realize it was that time…so I think this put an even bigger smile on my face than usual! 😀 And you can bet your shorts that one of the first things I’ll do when we get to our new house and start unpacking our books is put together a big old pile for Once Upon a Time…

    Thanks, Carl, for the joy you bring to so many lives. And I think you know that it is a pure, unreserved joy!

    1. Time just flies like crazy. And life in 2012 has certainly been crazy! Wow!

      Always happy to have the S family on board for the challenge. Can’t wait to read more about your moving adventures.

      And thank you, but it is all of you who make this joyful, I just open the door. 🙂

  11. Due to personal and work related issues, I have stepped back from blogging the last couple of months. Things are settling back down so this is a good challenge to return to. I’m still deciding what I will read for this year’s challenge.

    1. I’m sorry Jim, I hope things are getting better with you now. If you need anything please drop me a line.

  12. Hi Carl. I was checking yesterday as well, but like Deslily, gave up before I saw it. Love the fox. I have a nice pool of books and am looking forward to reading them.

    1. This is probably the latest I’ve waited to announce it. Just got busy, and then getting it together took longer than it should have. 🙂 Glad you checked back though.

  13. Yay! I can’t believe it’s that time of year already! I am definitely joining in, with Quest the Second.

    1. I know, hard to believe a quarter of the year has passed already. Wow! Still, this is a fun time of year so no complaints from me.

  14. I’ve been anxiously awaiting the announcement for this challenge! I’m so excited! I haven’t decided yet if I’ll join in the Mistborn group read but I know for sure I’ll be there for Neverwhere.

    I’m in love with the fox and butterfly banner. Is it inspired from a story I don’t know about? If not, there is a story to be told there!

    1. So glad you are joining us for Neverwhere. It has been a few years since my last read of it (not sure how many times I’ve reread it…a lot!) and I am very much looking forward to enjoying it with the group.

      Aren’t those images great? I’m not sure what the inspiration was for that image, Melissa doesn’t say on her Etsy site. Foxes always remind me of fairy tales though.

  15. Ooh, I may join in on the Neverwhere group read. It’s been on my TBR for a while and I’ve never read it. And I really look forward to reading the responses to Mistborn. As for what I’m gonna read… Not entirely sure yet. Maybe some Tolkien, maybe some Norse mythology, probably some Gaiman (I haven’t read Stardust, either), and definitely some screen participation.

    Should be fun.

    1. You’ve never read Neverwhere?!?! Oh it will be so much fun to read it with you. I do hope you join in.

      I hope you’ll pop in and comment on the Mistborn posts as we read through it. I’ll be interested in your reaction to our reaction.

      I’m thinking of a re-read of Stardust too. It is a lovely story and its been awhile since I’ve read it.

  16. I had so much fun with this challenge last year, I am looking forward to getting started on this years. I am just going to do The Journey but I am hoping to read more than one!

    1. Great to have you along Anne. I love the ‘one book’ option. Sometimes even in my own challenges I want to just ease in and see where my whims take me.

  17. I just cannot believe that it’s already that time of the year Carl. I am going to see in the few day what books that I will read for this event.

    I agree with you about the warm weather here in Wisconsin it is 80 degrees and it is March. We are not suppose to think about gardening in March yet…crazy.

    1. I know, isn’t it crazy how time rushes by? Blows my mind sometimes.

      The weather has thrown me so far off course this season. I keep expecting things, like the Farmer’s Market, that are still a long way off.

    1. Crazy, isn’t it? It doesn’t seem right. I had to look at last year’s several times to make sure I was correct. And it will be 7 years for RIP this fall!!!

    1. Thanks Gavin. Its been a few years since I’ve watched A Midsummer Night’s Dream and I’m going to try to work it in again this year myself.

  18. Happy Spring and Reading! I’m so in!!!!!!!! Looking forward to it this year Carl. Thanks for hosting this fun event.

    1. So happy to hear it, TBM! I’m glad you are participating, and helping, with the group read. And I cannot wait to group read Neverwhere with you too.

    1. Tolkien is great! I’m planning on trying to read some Tolkien on March 25th, Tolkien Reading Day.

      As for folklore/mythology, I would recommend any of Charles de Lint’s Newford books which weave lots of folklore into the stories. Also Terri Windling’s excellent novel, The Wood Wife. There is some nice mythology woven into The Book of Flying. I really like the novel but it is a bit melancholy.

  19. My first time participating, and I’m really excited! I have a lot of reading planned, so I’m hoping I can live up to my own goals.

    1. Great Amanda, welcome to Once Upon a Time! 🙂 I hope you reach your goals as well, but remember rules #1 and #2–have fun!

  20. The sluggard & lacker here (me) says: I’ll not do anything formally, but I’ll try to read at least a couple of qualifying books. I started Mistborn four months ago and read 15 pages before I set it aside. It didn’t grab me, obviously. It’s one of the started, not finished books I’m going to clean up, but I keep picking one of the others and leaving it there. So a big maybe on the group read. I just don’t seem to be able to get going one reading much of anything lately. Certainly, there is no lack of qualifying books here!

    1. I have high hopes for Mistborn because of how much I LOVED The Way of Kings. Of course that is a later book so theoretically he has improved. But I hope for something good from Mistborn.

      I haven’t been reading like gangbusters either lately, but I’m hoping this time of year allows that to pick up.

  21. Oh, this looks awesome. I’m like a pig in mud!! I’ve signed up but don’t know what I’m going to read – need to go away now and study my piles of books. I’m so excited.
    BTW, yes please, would like to join in with Mistborn – even have my copy at the ready! Might join in with the comments on Neverwhere – just recently read that so it should still be fresh.
    Ha, claps and dances a jig! 😀
    Lynn

    1. Thanks for your excitement, it makes mine even greater when I see others being enthused. I have way too many books to pick from too.

      I hope you do join in on the comments with Neverwhere, the more the merrier. 🙂

  22. I was just talking to Kelly about when the announcement for this was going to be! I am in again, although at the moment I seem to be a bit short of books but I am sure that will rectify itself without too much trouble.

    1. Come on over to my place, Marg, and you’ll find plenty to pick from! Maybe if you read some of my books I can’t get to I could experience them vicariously through you, lol!

    1. Happy you are doing so Brie, and hope you have a wonderful time!

    1. That is terrific, Dawn. I’m so glad you found us. Hope you enjoy the experience and find a bunch of great stuff to read and watch.

  23. Beautiful artwork, Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere, and escape into magical lands. . . really Carl, how can I say no?

    and I did just pick up that beautifully fat Valente volume called Origins of Myth, might be just the thing for this.

    1. So glad to hear it! 🙂 And yes, Valente couldn’t be more perfect for this challenge. That book sounds great just from the title.

  24. I am new to the world of read alongs, but I think I am becoming addicted! 😀

    Thanks to Little Red Reviewer for posting this link as a Tweet.

    1. I’m pretty new to the read along part too, Sue, so you are in good company. And yes, it is very addictive. 🙂

    1. When I get back home I’ll definitely be checking it out! Got to about page 85 so far on Spirits in the Wires.

      1. I am on about page 100? I didn’t get a chance to read it on Friday, so I tried to read a bunch on Thursday. I will talk to you about it when you get back, but I am enjoying it.

    1. Awesome, Chris. Glad you are in again. I was actually thinking about you the other day when I was doing this as you are one of the bloggers that has been around for this thing for a looong time.

  25. Hi, I just stumbled upon your blog through another blog. This sounds like super fun to do. Now to just see if I have the time for such a thing. Even if I can’t join in, I will enjoy following the challenge.

    1. I love that Deb, yeah!!! Welcome. I hope you have time to at least fit one book in and join with us.

    1. Thanks Kristen! Glad you are in for both group reads. I was hoping you would join.

  26. I don’t have a blog anymore but I can’t resist this challenge. I’m only signing up for Quest the First and the Short Story Quest this year as I’m just finishing a course in Children’s Literature so my reading is all focused in that direction – social political novels not fantasy I’m afraid. Its been so long since I read any type of fantasy its unreal.
    Anyway whatever book I choose I’ll be taking for the plane ride to China next week 😀

    1. Great Katrina! Please feel free to post thoughts about what ever books you read in the comments here if you like.

      Have a wonderful trip to China!

  27. I heard about your challenge through LittleRedReviewer and I couldn’t pass it up. What a fun thing! I am going to try for Quest The Second. Thanks for hosting such a fun event.

    1. Welcome! Glad Andrea was able to point you our way. I hope you have a great time with your quest. 🙂

    1. I’m happy you are able to as well, Larissa. Thanks for taking part, hope you have lots of fun.

  28. *yay* Carl, thanks for hosting this challenge. I love those images. Your Once Upon a Time and R.I.P. are the two challenges I have to join each year 🙂 I’m writing up my post now.

    1. You are welcome. Aren’t Melissa’s images great? As soon as I saw the fox this year I knew that had to be one of the banners. I’ll be over to check out your post this weekend.

  29. Okay, so I don’t participate in this challenge generally, so I didn’t read all the way through this, so I didn’t see the Mistborn readalong! I just finished listening to Mistborn, one of the very first high fantasy books I’ve ever finished. It was fantastic. Way out of my comfort zone, but I loved it so much that I just started listening to the second book. I don’t get back from my honeymoon cruise until April 6th, but I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone’s posts on the book. I hope lots of people join. No one was in the least bit interested in reading my review on Mistborn, haha! 😀

    1. Hope you enjoy the heck out of your cruise, you’ve certainly earned it and I look forward to your report on it. I hope you’ll pop in on our discussions of Mistborn and put your two cents in. Happy to hear you loved it. You should consider adding his book The Way of Kings to your tbr list as it is amazing.

      1. I imagine I’m going to eat up everything he wrote. Or at least I hope I will. I’m almost a quarter into the 2nd book of this series and loving it! I will definitely be on the lookout for the Mistborn posts. Especially since no one was interested on my blog – it’ll be good to have people I can really discuss it with!!

        1. I was interested… Did I not comment? I promise to go back and read it when I actually read the book. 🙂

  30. I’m in for Quests the Second and Third! I love folklore and fairy tales in general, and “Midsummer” is one of my favorite Shakespeare works 🙂

  31. Just back off holiday but wasted no time in getting my post up! I would say that I can’t wait to start but er… I already did. LOL.

    1. Welcome back! Hope you had a wonderful holiday. And I had already started too. 🙂

  32. Thanks for hosting the challenge. I had a great time last time and I’m looking forward to this one. I’ve read both Mistborn (the whole series) and Neverwhere, and enjoyed both.

    Gorgeous art!

    What’s the length limit for the short stories? Would a novella qualify?

    1. I hope you’ll join in on both group read conversations Mervi. I’ve read Neverwhere I don’t know how many times, but its been a few years and I’m really looking forward to getting back to it.

      No length limit for short stories, so yes novelettes and novellas do indeed qualify.

      1. Thanks for the answer. I have a couple of novellas and short story collection to read, and it’s great to add them to this challenge.

        I adore Gaiman’s Sandman. For some reason I haven’t liked his prose work as much but maybe it’s time to revisit Neverwhere. I remember liking a lot the characters in the underground London. Unfortunately, unless my work load decreases significantly, I think that Mistborn will be too long to reread.

  33. I’m in for the journey at least! hopefully quest the first, but, RL has been not-so-good for reading time lately as seen by my dismal showing on the Sci-fi challenge.

    ah, but, it’s Spring! and hope ‘does’ spring eternal. 😀

    1. Great sgist! Reading time has been hard to come by for me this year as well. Hope that picks up for all of us here in the spring.

    1. Me too Elizabeth, thank you for joining in. I’ll check out your post soon. Hope to get to the Hunger Games film sometime soon.

  34. I’ve been seeing this challenge around for so long and have finally spotted it in time to sign up myself. Have my sign up post scheduled for Monday 🙂

    1. Great Jessica, glad you found it and happy that you are joining us. 🙂

  35. Hi Carl. I’m in! This will be my 3rd year participating. Last year it slipped my mind and I signed up kind of late.. then couldn’t manage to meet my challenge. I’m ready to make amends to myself this year and get it done. 🙂

    I’ve had Neverwhere on my to-read list for ages. I might just join the read along in May. I’ll keep my eye out for details.

    1. Welcome back again! I hope you do join us for Neverwhere. It is a great story and will be fun to read and discuss together.

    1. Happy to hear it Jo, and thanks for your excitement and participation.

  36. March already!! The year is flying by. I’m totally in, I actually put a few books aside around xmas because I thought they would fit the Once Upon A Time challenge.

    Course, now I can’t remember what they were…

    1. I know, it is wild. And its almost April now! Crazy!

      I’ve done that many times with books, always makes me wonder what my brain cells are up to. 🙂

  37. This is great! I love children’s stories so I’ve decided to take your Short story quest, perhaps with a touch of Quest one. The goal is to read (and reread) old favorites and make illustrations after I’ve finished each of them. That could be a very fun challenge to put on my blog. Thank you for posting this!

  38. I just signed up! I have 30 books in total that I want to read……never too many fantasy books! lol I’m so excited….Thanks Carl, as ever 🙂 for doing this challenge. It is so pleasurable.

  39. I am doing quest the second. I need to write a post. Lol so far I have Grimm’s for fairy tales, the fellowship of the ring for fantasy and I did read some today, then Hood by Stephen R Lawhead for myth. Just struggling with folkore. May read charles de lint.
    Would Brian Jaques fit into folklore?

  40. Isn’t it funny? I always get that itch to visit your site around challenge time!! I’ve been hoping to join this year! I have been over-the-top busy lately, but I just wanted to stop in and say HI! I knew it was about that time again. Gotta check out my shelves for books so I can join in!

  41. I’ve been looking for this for weeks now and still managed to miss the announcement. But I’m signing up and hoping to do much better than I did last year. Thanks so much for hosting!

  42. I thought this sounded intriguing last year, but was too busy. I’m signing up for the quest on screen, since I mainly write movie reviews, and possibly the short story quest.

    I’m interested in reviewing “The Company of Wolves”. The film by Neil Jordan and the original short story by Angela Carter.

    Question: Where do I let people know on which day they’ll be posted?

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  44. I’m so scared! I’m not great at joining in on things, but I do so want to be a part of this challenge that I don’t want to call a challenge. I love fairytales and as a lonely child grew up emersed in them…every single one I could find. Cut my teeth on reading with them. So I’m going to embark with you…
    Thanks for having this, Hugs, Deborah/TheBookishDame

  45. Hey Carl! Just wanted to let you know that of course I am in again this year 🙂 I haven’t had a chance to put up a big post yet like I normally due just because of the hecticness of life lately. But thank you thank you thank you as always for putting this together once again 🙂 You’re a gem!

  46. Hi Carl
    I’ve just tried to put a comment on your review site but it didn’t quite work – it’s either going to post it about 5 times or not at all – rather hoping the latter cos pretty sure you don’t want 5 identical sets of comments (doh!).
    Anyway, read The Snow Child – but couldn’t decide if it’s Fairytale or Folklore. Personally I think it’s folklore but the author say’s it’s based on an old Russian fairytale so dunno!
    Lynn 😀

  47. I am excited to participate in Once Upon a Time VI. I will at least take part in The Journey, and perhaps one of the other challenges. Love the art work!

  48. I think I’ve signed up – not a huge blogger but a huge reader and really want to take part. Read this article about a new book that will be published too late for the challenge but it has tips on some titles to read for this one.
    http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/the-blaggers-guide-to–grimms-fairy-tales-7584306.html
    this may be a really good excuse to get the Taschen edition!
    First on the list though is going to be a silly book that I can read this weekend and get myself started:
    Katie MacAlister’s “Ain’t myth-behaving”.

  49. Hello! I’ve just signed up. I have no idea what I’ll read yet as I have a massive list of things I’d love to read for this challenge and not enough time to read them (you know the feel).

    Look forward to seeing you around. 🙂

    1. I had thought about seeing that movie in the theater but it just isn’t working out. It looked fun. Hope you can find some great mythology to read while you’re in the mood.

  50. Haha, I’m reading Neverwhere right now. 🙂
    Ah, well. I’m glad I stumbled across this. Sign me up!

    1. I hope you’ll jump in when we have our Neverwhere group read and share some of your thoughts. Welcome!

  51. Back from my self-imposed blogging break for Lent, I’m thrilled to participate in your OUAT VI Challenge. I’m up for Quest The First with at least two exciting novels in this genre: Saramago’s Nobel Prize winning book Baltasar and Blimunda and The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. Can’t wait!

    1. I do so hope you enjoyed your Lent break, Bellezza. Also hope you had a wonderful Easter. Ours was beautiful, starting with an incredible church service followed by a day outside with family in the beautiful spring weather.

      Glad you are in on this year’s event. I’ve heard wonderful things about The Snow Child. I’m very interested in that one.

  52. I’ve been waiting for this challenge ever since Caroline@Beauty is a Sleeping Cat mentioned it to me a while ago. I’ve actually read this book at the beginning of the month but haven’t reviewed it until today. It’s nice to see people still enjoy reading fairy tales.

    1. It is, I loving getting a little fairy tale time every year, especially in the Spring. It seems like a natural time to enjoy them. Thanks for taking part with us Delia! 🙂

  53. I am looking forward to this challenge. I have packed my kindle with that list of books I have been meaning to read but needed a good reason to get to it! Thanks Carl for hosting this challenge.

    1. You are welcome, I’m so psyched that you are joining us. Can’t wait to see what your Kindle is filled with! 🙂

  54. Hello, Carl! The techno- world is a funny place. One can point and click and find the neatest places! I have just happened on SSD and found this intriguing ‘challenge’ … being a bookworm, it’s right up my alley. I’m in for The Journey and a bit more. I adore ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and will be joining that portion of the challenge, too.

    What fun! Will post a Once Upon a Time badge in my blog’s sidebar too … perhaps others will be inspired to join!

  55. I’m still catching up on my blog reading, so I just heard about this the other day! Excited to participate (but a little bummed I’ve missed out on a month of fun). Thanks for hosting this!

  56. Hello Carl!

    Being new to a literature-centered blog (I’ve just started Buch Handling.), I thought your ‘event’ would be the perfect way to get my feet sunk into this community of readers and media fiends … sounds like great fun!

  57. Better late than never!! I’m joining for the journey, and hopefully going to end up reading more than one 🙂

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  60. I was umming and ahing about this, but I decided it was a good way to get me reading more fiction! I’m also half way through “A Clash of Kings”, so that’s me started on this anyway 😀

    1. Just so you know the new Once Upon a Time doesn’t start until March 21st, 2013. The official announcement will go up early in March. I’m excited that you will be joining us!

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