Annie, our 10 year old reading phenom (when does she turn 11, Debi?) who has participated in both the Once Upon a Time Challenge and the R.I.P. II challenge (and cranks out more books during the challenges than anyone except probably Kailana!), is hosting a fantastic reading challenge of her own that you really should consider joining: the What’s In a Name Challenge. The details from her post are:
Dates: January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2008
The Challenge: Choose one book from each of the following categories.
1. A book with a color in its title. Examples might include: The Amber Spyglass, The Red Pony, Blue Blood
2. A book with an animal in its title. Examples might include: The Hound of the Baskervilles, To Kill a Mockingbird, Julie of the Wolves
3. A book with a first name in its title. Examples might include: Jane Eyre, the Harry Potter books, Anne of Green Gables
4. A book with a place in its title. Examples might include: From Russia with Love, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Out of Africa
5. A book with a weather event in its title. Examples might include: The Snows of Kilimanjaro, Red Storm Rising, Tornado Alley
6. A book with a plant in its title. Examples might include: Where the Red Fern Grows, The Name of the Rose, Flowers for Algernon
–You may overlap books with other challenges, but please don’t use the same book for more than one category. (For example, you can use The Red Pony for either a “color” book or an “animal” book, but not for both.)
Prizes: Yes. There will be some small prizes (unless someone can convince my parents to raise my allowance!) awarded throughout the challenge, and a larger grand prize at the end. More details about this later.
My list, subject to change per my whims, as always:
1. A book with a color in its title:
Goldfinger is the next book in the series after Dr. No, which I am in the process of reading now. I am really loving the Bond series. I planned to read them all this year, which obviously didn’t happen, but I plan to keep plugging along.
2. A book with an animal in its title:
I have not read this extremely fun Stainless Steel Rat adventure for a long time and am itching to get to it for this January’s Sci Fi Experience.
3. A book with a first name in its title:
Yes, this is the year I finally complete this book. I’ve read and adored the first 250 pages but have never went back to it. At this point I’m just going to start it fresh and actually finish it.
4. A book with a place in its title:
This is one I picked up at the end of last year’s Once Upon a Time Challenge as it comes highly recommended by Neil Gaiman. This will be coming off the shelf for this year’s Once Upon a Time II and will fit nicely with Annie’s Challenge as well.
5. A book with a weather event in its title:
The works of P.G. Wodehouse thrill me and this one has been sitting on my bookshelf unread for far too long. This challenge will allow me to correct this egregious error.
6. A book with a plant in its title:
It is hard to believe I have not yet read this Patricia A. McKillip work considering she is one of my favorite fantasy authors. I found this beautifully preserved hardback on a used bookstore excursion with Jeff. This will be a great book to read for this challenge as well as Once Upon a Time II.
With this challenge being a year long, I just might be able to finish it! 😉
To coincide with this I am joining the second annual From the Stacks Winter Reading Challenge. This challenge runs from November 1st 2007 to January 30th, 2008. I plan for this to overlap with Annie’s Challenge and with the Sci Fi Experience that I am hosting January 1st, 2008 to February 29th, 2008. So, my From the Stacks reads will be:
1. The Stainless Steel Rat Wants You! by Harry Harrison (as pictured int the above challenge)
2. Project U.L.F. by Stuart Clark, which I have been promising to read and review for months now:
3. The Conquering Sword of Conan by Robert E. Howard. Since this year is the 75th anniversary of the first published adventure of Conan, it only seems fitting to finally read this final volume of Conan stories. That and the fact that I had it on the list for last year’s From the Stacks Challenge:
4. Time and Again by Jack Finney. This is one of the books I am re-reading for the Sci Fi Experience and is a favorite of mine. It has been years since I have read this wonderful book, it is certainly on my stack (on the ‘to reread’ stack) and I cannot wait to read it and then review it to encourage others to pick it up:
5. A World Out of Time by Larry Niven. You may recall in this post that I told of the wonderful gift that Ravyn gave me, this autographed copy of a book that has such a huge significance in the formation of my love of science fiction. Ever since I’ve received this copy I have been wanting to read it, and The Sci Fi Experience will give me just the excuse to read and review it here, yay!:
Well, that is all the bookishness for now. These are two great challenges and I thank both Annie and Michelle for hosting them. I’m thrilled to participate and hope to encourage the rest of you to do so as well.
You may have noticed that I mentioned something called The Sci Fi Experience in this post. Details will be forthcoming, but I can tell you that this is NOT a challenge, but an EXPERIENCE. What does that mean? You’ll see….
Happy reading everyone!!!
Sounds like you have some great books lined up to read, Carl!! I just joined Annie’s challenge myself this past week. I love that she is so young and loves reading….and blogging!! Tres Cool!!
I added The Stainless Steel Rat to my reading challenges for next year. Figured I’d see what it was all about!!
I’m looking forward to the Sci-Fi experience!! Can’t wait to hear about it!
Maybe I’m being dumb… this is Carl’s list, not Annie’s list, isn’t it?
Lovely idea for a challenge! (I only wish I could read as many books as I did when I was ten. I used to manage one per day!)
Great list of books there! I’ve been wanting to read The Good Fairies of New York for what seems like ages now..it’s one of those books that I pick up every time I go to the bookstore and then put back down for some reason. But Nymeth read it and absolutely loved it and it sounds like an incredible book!
As for the Stainless Steel Rat, I plan to read all those for the Sci-Fi Experience in honor of you 😉 Looking forward to those. And the cover to the McKillip book is awesome! Is that Kinuko Craft again?
that “what’s in a name?” challenge is just brilliant! and i like the titles you’ve chosen – they really seem like fun 🙂
as for the second challenge – i may just be joining this one too! since i’m trying to focus exclusively on my stack anyway 😉
Isn’t Annie’s challenge the best?
Yay for The Good Faeries of New York! I absolutely love that book.
And Winter Rose… just the other day I was looking at it at the library. I’ve never read any Patricia A. McKillip but now that I know she’s one of your favourites I really want to do something about that! So I might pick this one up soon.
What’s happening with the Tiny Stories Contest?
I lost all hope to see them…
It is now one month since they should have been published!
I’m giggling to myself…when I saw the nekkid woman, I misread 007 IAN for OOZING, LOL!
“Scottish thistle fairies”? How have I NOT heard of this! Putting it on my list right now!
Yay, I am reading Howard and Finney for your challenge too. I already have my list in the works… I used to read a lot more for challenges but life has been busy lately!
Did you get my email?
Stephanie: I look forward to your thoughts on the adventures of Slippery Jim DiGriz. Just make sure to read the first story, The Stainless Steel Rat, first, followed by The Stainless Steel Rat’s Revenge.
Kicking: The challenge is Annies, this list is mine!
Chris: Yes, that is a Kinuko Craft cover. I look forward to your thoughts on SSR.
Jean Pierre: I’m certainly challenging myself to be much more responsible this year regarding my book buying and reading stuff from my stacks. We’ll see how I do.
Nymeth: I recommend the book Ombria in Shadow for a first McKillip read. It has some slight similarities to Neverwhere that made it really interesting to me.
Zet: Oh ye of little faith. Have you not been reading about my trials and travails. Ha, ha! Tis less than a month overdue and I didn’t even get around to getting them to the judge until the middle of this month because of my own work and time issues. She’ll get her results to me soon and they will be out for everyone to read, rest assured.
Janet: ooo, I hope she isn’t oozing, that would be most unpleasant.
Kailana: Yes, and I just sent you a reply, thanks!!!
Great challenge Annie! I will be giving my list a thought and sign up soon. I’m having trouble coming with a book with weather in the title. Which means I might have to look for one to go one my Christmas list.
Oh Carl, I’m sooooo glad you joined Annie’s challenge…she is going to be ecstatic when I tell her! I kid you not when I say that she’s asked me at least ten times, “Do you think Carl will join my challenge?” Oh, and Annie will be 10 for a few more months yet…her birthday is in April. (So, yep, she was actually 9 when The Once Upon a Time Challenge began.)
I’m so intrigued by the whole “experience” thing…can’t wait to hear more!
Nine! She’s even more of a phenom then I thought!!! 🙂
There was no doubt that I would be joining this challenge. It is a fantastic one. I’m actually hoping to read many more than the alloted books that will fit into the challenge as the year goes on. Everyone I’ve talked to about it is very excited, it is such a fun idea.
Funnn!!! I’m so tempted, but I’ll be running my own challenge, so I’m not sure if I’ll have time. OH the temptation!
I picked up on the Once Upon a Time II – have already put the heading in my spreadsheet – with TBA for date.
The scary (?) thing is I am already pondering what to read with a possible RIP III – LOL
There is something about Annie’s challenge that made it so fun to pick out books.
And like Sally906, I picked up on the Once Upon a Time II as well. Yay! I’m thinking fairy tales.
Did I read you turned 39? I just recently left the land of the thirties, and, am pleased to tell you, it ain’t bad.
Wow, I like the What’s in a name challenged. I have to give it some thought. Very interesting.
yes, it will be a fun one Shoshana, I look forward to seeing what all Annie has cooked up for us.