Thursday 12 January 2012

two challenges for 2012

Well, Carl's Sci fi Experience doesn't count as a challenge so much as an experience, though it's the same: to read some science fiction sometime between now and the end of February.  I join this challenge every year, and this year I am happy to say I plan on reading at least one of the books I'd like to read in science fiction this year!


The books  and tv shows I am considering are among, and this is by no means final list:
All Clear - Connie Willis
The New Space Opera - edited by Gardner Dozois
Revelation Space - Alistair Reynolds - if I can get my hands on a copy in time!
Boneshaker - Cherie Priest
Charles Stross - something
among Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Ray Bradbury,
watching some Babylon 5
watching some X-Files - currently going through Season 1 (post to come shortly)


The other challenge I am joining is the Tea and Book's Reading Challenge, hosted by Brigit at The Book Garden.
 
I am determined to read some chunksters this year!  I did read The Passage by Justin Cronin and Under the Dome by Stephen King last year, so I am not slouching in this department, I want to read more.  Luckily I have more just waiting to be read.  I am going for level Earl Grey Aficianado, six chunksters.
I will be choosing among the following, although this is subject to change:

London, The Biography - Peter Ackroyd
Ship of Magic - Robin Hobb
Bleak House - Charles Dickens
The Brontes - Juliet Barker
Ulysses - James Joyce
Drood - Dan Simmons
Wizards First Rule - Terry Goodkind
Wise Man's Fear - Patrick Rothfuss
War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy

6 comments:

Birgit said...

Welcome to the Tea & Books reading challenge! Good to see you're not scared of heavy tomes - happy reading!

Oh, by the way, I saw you read two books last year which I will tackle for this challenge: The Passage (only 200 pages to go) and Under the Dome (next in line). :-)

Care said...

I just downloaded some scifi to my iPad Kindle app; I should commit to this challenge. Why not!?
Happy Challenge Reading to you!

Cath said...

I'm doing these two as well, as you know. So thrilled you're doing them too! Love your list... I really need to read something by Connie Willis so have put Doomsday Book on mine. Boneshaker I have on my tbr pile but couldn't decide which genre it was so have not included it. I've just started my first book for the experience which is At Winter's End by Robert Silverberg. Love this kind of classic sci-fi.

Good choices for your Tea and Books challenge too. The London one intrigues me as I own his London Under and am interested in his Thames book too. Will be interested to hear about London if you read it. I also have Drood on my list, keen to read that. I just saw the BBC's Mystery of Edwin Drood, which should help with the reading of Drood! My daughter's reading Wise Man's Fear at the moment and loving it. I may read it too if I get to Name of the Wind for Carl's OUaT in a couple of months. Ship of Magic I'm hoping we might be able to read together. :-)

Am feeling very enthusiastic about my reading this year and I feel that you are too?

Susan said...

Birgit: Thank you so much! I love the picture you did for this challenge too. The Passage is very good, I really enjoyed it. I'm so anxious for the sequel this year! Under the Dome was very good also, almost vintage Stephen King in some ways, and yet new too. I hope you enjoy both, Birgit!

Care: Yaay! What are you going to read? I'll come see. Happy Challenge reading to you too!

Cath: I know, it's fun to do the same challenges, isn't it? I hope you enjoy Doomsday Book, it's one of my all-time favourite books, period. I'm curious about Boneshaker, and I wasn't sure what category to put in either - fantasy or sci fi steam punk?

I just saw Ackroyd's Thames book which looks interesting. So many people talk about this London book, and as it's one of my favourite cities, I thought it was time I read it :-)

BBC did a show of Mystery of Edwin Drood? i wonder how long it will take to show over here? I read the book last year, so feel semi-prepared for Drood.

I really liked Name of the Wind, so am hoping that Wise Man's Fear will be equally gripping. I hope you get to Name of the Wind this year.

You're right, it's good to be excited about reading, isn't it? I am enthusiastic, and I'm really delighted to have joined both the classics challenge and the chunky challenge. I love joining challenges, it's finishing them that's the challenge for me! lol Wendy's mystery challenge is really cool too.

Cath said...

If Doomsday Book is so good then I'll definitely read it for the sci-fi experience!

Well, I went ahead and ordered Ackroyd's book on the river Thames. I even decided to treat myself to the hardback. :-) I think it will go with Our Mutual Friend very well.

Yes, the BBC did a very recent two part drama of Edwin Drood. Another author finished the story and I thought it was excellent. Very atmospheric and the acting was terrific, especially the actor who played Jasper.

Yes, I do like the challenges but try not to overburden myself with them. On the other hand it doesn't matter if they're not completed, the fun is in the trying. :-)

Susan said...

Cath: Yaaay to the Domesday Book! I really hope you like it.

We have the hardcover of London too, I bought for Toby one year for Christmas. I'm really looking forward to reading this.

Who finished The Mystery of Edwin Drood? I hadn't heard that...was it just for the series? I know it was getting good reviews. I did enjoy the book very much in 2010 when I read it. I enjoy imagining the world Dickens was writing in, especially as I've been to parts of England now and seen how in some places, not much has changed. I hope the Mystery of Edwin Drood comes over here this year! It is a good mystery, isn't it?