READING CHALLENGES FOR 2012
*Reading Challenge Addicts Challenge for 2012
*150+ Reading Challenge for 2012
1) A Feast Unknown: by Philip José Farmer (Sci-Fi/Adventure)
2) The Burden of Guilt: by Daniel Allen Butler (History/WWI)
3) The Divide: by William Overgard(Alternate History)
4) Tunnel Through Time: by Lester Del Rey (Sci-Fi)
5) Planet Hulk: written by Greg Pak (Graphic Novel)
6) Gods of Manhattan: by Al Ewing. Part of the Pax Britannia series (science fiction/pulpy)
7) Six Days of War: by Michael B. Oren, narrated by Robert Whitfield (History/Middle-East) - Audio Book
8) Myth of the Great War: by John Mosier. One of the two best books on World War I to come out in recent years. (History/World War I)
9) Tarzan at the Earth's Core: by Edgar Rice Burroughs (Sci-fi/Fantasy)
10) The Untold History of the Potato: by John Reader. (audio book narrated by Martin Hyder) (History)
11) The Kingdom: by Mark Waid (graphic novel)
12) Into Africa: by Martin Dugard (History/Africa) - Audio Book
13) Sir Jolly Jingle's Beastly Journey: by Wallace Tripp (Picture Book)
14) Warlord of Mars: Fall of Barsoom: By Robert Place Napton & Roberto Castro. (Graphic Novel)
15) The Red Baron: by Manfred von Richtofen (Memoir/World War I)
16) The Crying of Lot 49: by Thomas Pynchon
17) Forgotten Bookmarks: by Michael Popek
18) Oh My Gods: by Philip Freeman (Mythology)
19) Watson's Afghan Adventure: by Kieran McMullen
20) The Quantum Story: by Jim Baggott (Science)
21) The Other Teddy Roosevelts: by Mike Resnick
22) Kull: Exile of Atlantis: by Robert E. Howard
23) Snuff: by Terry Pratchett (Fantasy)
24) Firestorm: by Taylor Anderson
25) Ready Player One: by Ernest Cline (Science Fiction)
26) The Bloody White Baron: by James Palmer (History)
27) Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: by Lewis Carroll (fantasy)
28) The Elephant's Child: by Rudyard Kipling (picture book)
29) Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm: by the Brothers Grimm
30) Children of the Sky: by Vernor Vinge (science fiction)
31) Iron Gray Sea: by Taylor Anderson (book 7 of Destoryermen series)
32) War is a Racket: by Smedley D. Butler
33) Coup d'Etat: by Harry Turtledove (part 4 of the War That Came Early series)
34) Brave New World: by Aldous Huxley
35) The Long Earth: by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
36) Space Wars: by William Scott
37) Life of Black Hawk: by Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak
38) Animal Farm: by George Orwell
39) Shakedown Socialism: by Oleg Atbashian
40) Red Orc's Rage: by Philip Jose Farmer
41) A Woman A Day: by Philip Jose Farmer
42) Jesus on Mars: by Philip Jose Farmer
43) Kingmaker Part 1 - Stolen Land: by James Jacobs (Pathfinder Adventure path)
44) Presidential Pulp: by Ivan Eland (Presidential history/Politics)
45) Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World: by Jack Weatherford
46) Through the Looking-Glass: Lewis Carroll
47) The Peerless Peer: by Philip Jose Farmer
48) Savage Continent: Europe in the Aftermath of World War II: by Keith Lowe (History/WWII)
49) Star Wars: Scoundrels: by Timothy Zahn
50) Rethinking the American Union for the Twenty-First Century: by Donald W. Livingston
51) Skull & Shackles part 1: The Wormwood Mutiny: by Richard Pett (RPG/Pathfiinder adventure path)
52) CCH Master Tax Guide: Didn't read this entire thing - but a lot of it for a 80 self-study course.
53) Across The Universe: The DC Universe Stories: by Alan Moore (graphic novel)
54) The Black Count: by Tom Reiss (history)
55) The Dardenelles Disaster: by Dan van der Vat (history/WWI)
56) The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle: Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes)
57) Red Shirts: A Novel with Three Codas: by John Scalzi
58) My Ideal Bookshelf: by Thessaly la Force
59) Underground Warfare, 1914-1918: by Simon Jones (history/WWI)
60) Gulliver of Mars: by Edwin Lester Arnold
*2012 Read 52 books in 52 weeks
While I did read over 1 book a week I didn't write enough reviews or post to the challenge host blog. We'll count that as a fail.
*Chunkster Challenge 2012: Striving for Chubby Chunkster level
Reading 4 really large books.... didn't read even one over 1,000 pages - unless you count the Master Tax Guide, which I don't.
*Get Steampunked! 2012: Striving for Geared level
Got one out of five on this one. Maybe two if Tarzan at Earth's Core is included (it did have an airship in it)
1) Gods of Manhattan: by Al Ewing. Part of the Pax Britannia series
*Graphic Novels Challenge 2012
Missed a few months on this one.
1) January - Planet Hulk: written by Greg Pak
2) February - The Kingdom: written by Mark Waid
3) March - Warlord of Mars: Fall of Barsoom: By Robert Place Napton & Roberto Castro.
4) April -
5) May -
6) June -
7) July -
8) August -
9) September -
10) October -
11) November -
12) December - Across The Universe: The DC Universe Stories: by Alan Moore (graphic novel)
*Non-Fiction Non-Memoir Reading 2012 Challenge: Master's Degree level
Was shooting for 25 books -
1) The Burden of Guilt: by Daniel Allen Butler
2) Myth of the Great War: by John Mosier
3) The Bloody White Baron: by James Palmer
4) Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World: by Jack Weatherford
5) Savage Continent: Europe in the Aftermath of World War II: by Keith Lowe (History/WWII)
6) Rethinking the American Union for the Twenty-First Century: by Donald W. Livingston
7) The Black Count: by Tom Reiss (history)
8) The Dardenelles Disaster: by Dan van der Vat (history/WWI)
9) Underground Warfare, 1914-1918: by Simon Jones (history/WWI)
*Read Your Name Challenge 2012
S: Sir Jolly Jingle's Beastly Journey: by Wallace Tripp
E: The Elephant's Child: by Rudyard Kipling
A: A Feast Unknown: by Philip José Farmer
N:
Man! That is the height of laziness. Didn't even look for a quick book for the letter N.
*Time Travel Reading Challenge 2012: Mind-boggling Voyage: 10 to 12 time travel books level
1) Tunnel Through Time: by Lester Del Rey
A couple other books I read this year had time travel elements in them. If I could go back in time I'd change the level I tried for in this challenge.
*2012 Short Story Reading Challenge: Tell Me A Story level (1-3)
1) Presidential Pulp: by Ivan Eland (Presidential history/Politics)
I did read at least one short story anthology for the 1-3 required for the Tell Me A Story level of the 2012 Short Story reading challenge. Got One! Just not a very impressive level of one.
*A-Z Book Challenge
A) A Feast Unknown: by Philip José Farmer
B) The Burden of Guilt: by Daniel Allen Butler
C) The Crying of Lot 49: by Thomas Pynchon
D) The Divide: by William Overgard(Alternate History)
E) The Elephant's Child: by Rudyard Kipling
F) Forgotten Bookmarks: by Michael Popek
G) Gods of Manhattan: by Al Ewing. Part of the Pax Britannia series
H) Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm: by the Brothers Grimm
I) Iron Gray Sea: by Taylor Anderson
J) Jesus on Mars: by Philip Jose Farmer
K) Kingmaker Part 1 - Stolen Lands: by James Jacobs
L) The Long Earth: by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
M) Myth of the Great War: by John Mosier
N)
O)Oh My Gods: by Philip Freeman (Mythology)
P) The Peerless Peer: by Philip Jose Farmer
Q)
R) The Red Baron: by Manfred von Richtofen
S) Sir Jolly Jingle's Beastly Journey: by Wallace Tripp
T) Tunnel Through Time: by Lester Del Rey
U) Underground Warfare, 1914-1918: by Simon Jones (history/WWI)
V)
W)Watson's Afghan Adventure: by Kieran McMullen
X)
Y)
Z)
Didn't do to bad hear. Just that letter 'N' taunting me again.
*2012 Picture Book Reading Challenge: Level One
1) Sir Jolly Jingle's Beastly Journey: by Wallace Tripp
2) The Elephant's Child: by Rudyard Kipling
Two out of twelve. I suppose I could have gone to the library and quickly read ten more picture books but that would have seemed cheap.
*Truth in Fiction Challenge: Master's Level (5 pairs of books)
Big fail on this one. Didn't coordinate my reading very well.
*2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge
1) A Feast Unknown: by Philip José Farmer
2) The Burden of Guilt: by Daniel Allen Butler
3) The Divide: by William Overgard(Alternate History)
4) Tunnel Through Time: by Lester Del Rey
5) Gods of Manhattan: by Al Ewing. Part of the Pax Britannia series
6) Myth of the Great War: by John Mosier
7) Tarzan at the Earth's Core: by Edgar Rice Burroughs
8) The Red Baron: by Manfred von Richtofen
9) Red Orc's Rage: by Philip Jose Farmer
10) A Woman A Day: by Philip Jose Farmer
11) Jesus on Mars: by Philip Jose Farmer
12) Brave New World: by Aldous Huxley
I might have done a bit better on this one. Didn't get near the 41 I needed. Spent too much time reading new books.
*2012 War Through the Generations Reading Challenge: WWI - Swim level 11+ books
1) The Burden of Guilt: by Daniel Allen Butler
2) Myth of the Great War: by John Mosier
3) The Red Baron: by Manfred von Richtofen
4) The Bloody White Baron: by James Palmer (involves the War and Russian Revoultion
5) The Dardenelles Disaster: by Dan van der Vat (history/WWI)
6) Underground Warfare, 1914-1918: by Simon Jones (history/WWI)
Just needed five more to finish this one up. I know I hit one of the lower levels, but I aimed for the 11+ level (the highest). This is the most embarrassing one since I have so many books on world war I on my shelf and on my Kindle. It is also an area of history I specialize in. Drat.
*The 2012 TBR Pile Challenge
1 - A Feast Unknown by Philip Jose Farmer (COMPLETED - Review coming shortly)
2 - Tarzan at the Earth's Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs (COMPLETED)
3 - Frankenstein Unbound by Brian Aldiss (to be completed)
4 - Hadon of Ancient Opar by Philip Jose Farmer (to be completed)
5 - The Divide by William Overgard (COMPLETED)
6 - Gods of Manhattan by Al Ewing (COMPLETED)
7 - The Red Baron by Manfred Von Richtofen (COMPLETED)
8 - Voices From the Great War by Peter Vansittart (to be completed)
9 - Myth of the Great War by John Mosier (COMPLETED)
10 - Tunnelling to Freedom by Hugh Durnford & others (to be completed)
11 - The Burden of Guilt by Daniel Allen Butler (COMPLETED)
12 - World War I The African Front by Edward Paice (to be completed)
Got distracted during the year. Note the unread books involving World War One that would have helped with the other challenge too.
*2012 Ebook Challenge: CD Level
1)Oh My Gods: by Philip Freeman (Mythology)
2)Watson's Afghan Adventure: by Kieran McMullen
2)The Other Teddy Roosevelts: by Mike Resnick
3)The Elephant's Child: by Rudyard Kipling
4)Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: by Lewis Carroll
5)Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm: by the Brothers Grimm
6)Presidential Pulp: various authors
7)Through the Looking-Glass: by Lewis Carroll
8)Gulliver of Mars: by Edwin Lester Arnold
9)
10)
Very close on this one too. I guess I shouldn't have spent so much time reading short stories on my Kindle.
*2012 Audio Book Challenge
1) Six Days of War: by Michael B. Oren, narrated by Robert Whitfield (History/Middle-East)
2) The Untold History of the Potato: by John Reader; narrated by Martin Hyder (History/general)
3) Into Africa: by Martin Dugard (History/Africa)
4) The Quantum Story: by Jim Baggott (Science)
5) Kull: Exile of Atlantis: by Robert E. Howard
6) Snuff: by Terry Pratchett (Fantasy)
7) Firestorm: by Taylor Anderson
8) Ready Player One: by Ernest Cline (Science Fiction
9) Children of the Sky: by Vernor Vinge (science fiction)
10) Iron Gray Sea: by Taylor Anderson
11) Coup d'Etat: by Harry Hurtledove (Alternate History)
12) Brave New World: by Aldous Huxley
13) The Long Earth: by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
14) Live of Black Hawk: by Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak
15) Animal Farm: George Orwell
16) Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World: by Jack Weahterford
17) Savage Continent: Europe in the Aftermath of World War II: by Keith Lowe (History/WWII)
18) The Black Count: by Tom Reiss (history)
19) The Dardenelles Disaster: by Dan van der Vat (history/WWI)
20) The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle: Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes)
21) Red Shirts: A Novel with Three Codas: by John Scalzi
22)
23)
24)
25)
Came close on this one. If only I had re-joined my gym a couple months early.
*2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge: read 60 books in 2011 so must surpass this number for 2012.
I read 60 books again this year. I would grab a children's book that I could quickly finish to get up to 61 for this year - but that would be stupid.
IN CONCLUSION
Looks like I only succeeded in one of the challenges I entered last year. I would have bet on getting through half of them but something happened. What happened is that I didn't want my reading time dictated by random choices I made on New Year's Eve. New books came out that interested me and had be read. My interests shifted during the year. Most importantly I joined too many reading challenges.
I'll have to enter only two or three for 2013. I should also get better at posting reviews of books I've read to potentially help others in deciding if it is something they should spend time on.
I'll post something tomorrow on the new (and fewer) challenges I plan to participate in for 2013.
Happy New Year to all. Sorry about the lapse in posts in the last few months. It has been a crazy end of 2012.
