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General Discussion -> Roll-Your-Own Reading Challenge	Message format

bazhsw

Posted 2013-12-10 2:38 PM (#5814 - in reply to #5558)
Subject: Re: Finished!

Regular

Posts: 92

Finished today!

I stumbled across WWE looking for sci-fi recommendations as it's a genre I tend to enjoy but not read often. Consequently the WOGF challenge was a good challenge for me. In terms of selections I pretty much looked at a couple of recent awards and just picked female authors so to a degree I didn't spend a lot of time selecting authors.

My selections were;

Song of Scarabaeus - Sara Creasy - this was the random pick, not really my thing.
Among Others - Jo Walton - loved this
Deathless - Catherynne Valente - an amazing book and I'm delighted I have discovered Valente. I will definitely check out more of her work.
In War Times - Kathlenn Ann Goonan - okay
Feed - Mira Grant - really didn't care much for this, found it quite annoying.
Wide Open - Deborah Coates - didn't really think much of this.
The Drowning Girl - thought it was good but not amazing. I can see why others love this.
Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn - my book of the year (I think). Even though it was up for a horror award I don't think this can be considered speculative fiction though.
Shades of Milk and Honey - Mary Kowal Robinette - great little book which I really enjoyed
Ironskin - Tina Connelly - okay
The Killing Moon - N K Jemisin - good book
Cyber Circus - Kim Lakin-Smith - good book

So all in all for a pretty random selection I've found some real gems, some decent books and only a couple that weren't to my taste. I really enjoyed the challenge also and reading everyone's reviews.

An honourable mention has to go to Connie Willis - I had read a short story collection previously so she wasn't eligible for the WOGF challenge but I read all her time travel novels in 2013 and really enjoyed them. Blackout/All Clear is an amazing pair of books and it was great to see Willis represented so often in the reviews.

Edited by bazhsw 2013-12-10 2:41 PM

francesashton

Posted 2013-12-10 2:41 PM (#5815 - in reply to #5811)
Subject: Re: Finished!

Regular

Posts: 96

Location: Cheshire, England

Badseedgirl I totally agree with you on The Night Circus. That is a wonderful book.

Gallyangel I had exactly the same problem at my library. Firstly there was nothing there at all (well books by female authors but ones I'd already read so not allowed), then a few started coming back in from borrowers but hardly any. I had to order loads. At least they're there for other readers now.

Kata

Posted 2013-12-11 2:58 PM (#5828 - in reply to #5635)
Subject: Re: Finished!

Member

Posts: 13

I am glad you recommended the Matthew Swift series. I just finished it and enjoyed it a lot.

Badseedgirl

Posted 2013-12-11 7:23 PM (#5830 - in reply to #5558)
Subject: Re: Finished!

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Posts: 369
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Location: Middle TN, USA

Bazhsw, I agree with you about "Feed" I love Zombie books but found it imposdible to finish. There has been so much praise for it, I just assumed it was me. I have not given up on it though I plan to try again after the holidays.

bazhsw

Posted 2013-12-12 2:26 AM (#5831 - in reply to #5558)
Subject: Re: Finished!

Regular

Posts: 92

For me, the characters grated on me within the first few pages and if that happens I find it very hard to get into a novel. I found the plot pretty predictable also although the world the novel is set in has great promise and the book did raise some interesting ethical questions for me. It's a shame, I couldn't stand any of the characters!

DrNefario

Posted 2013-12-12 7:32 AM (#5832 - in reply to #5558)
Subject: Re: Finished!

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Location: UK

I didn't like Feed much, either. I hated its nerd-culture pandering and found the central relationship creepy. I read both Feed and its first sequel out of a sense of obligation when voting for the Hugos. I didn't read the novel shortlist this year, but when I catch up, I might just skip the third one. I skipped this year's novella, which sounded nauseatingly "inside" just from its title, managing to reference both Firefly and Comicon. (I'm geeky enough to know that, but it doesn't mean I want to be pandered to.)

I don't have anything in particular against the author - I liked one of her shorter works under her own name in the Hugo packet - but I don't see why people rate this series so much. I feel like it is perhaps a particularly well-mobilised but not actually all that large fanbase.

Badseedgirl

Posted 2013-12-12 10:22 AM (#5833 - in reply to #5832)
Subject: Re: Finished!

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Posts: 369
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Location: Middle TN, USA

I've started "Feed" 3 times and have never gotten past 60 pages in. It is my own digital copy of the the book, so I feel obligated to eventually read it. Oh well, live and learn.
It could be I am just down on all books right now because I am reading "Tithe" by Holly Black; One of the WOGF writers I could not fit on my list, you know writer number 15, and I am hating every minute of it. It is so rare for me to not like a book, I mean just look at my reading list some time over on goodreads and you will see my thresh hold for poorly written and just out and out bad novels are pretty high. I hope that reading all this award winning works over here on this site has not ruined me for the trashy sci-fi, horror and fantasy I have always loved!!

OH MY GOD! What if I'm finally developing taste in my reading habits!!!!

Scott Laz

Posted 2013-12-12 2:32 PM (#5834 - in reply to #5833)
Subject: Re: Finished!

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Location: Gunnison, Colorado

Badseedgirl - 2013-12-12 9:22 AM

OH MY GOD! What if I'm finally developing taste in my reading habits!!!!

Once the grief has passed, you'll realize it was for the best...

valashain

Posted 2013-12-14 11:19 AM (#5838 - in reply to #5834)
Subject: Re: Finished!

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Location: The Netherlands

Not sure I agree with Scott. I don't think I ever got over the fact that I can never again read a Herbert and Anderson Dune sequel without realizing how incredibly craptastic they are :P

I just finished reading Hild by Nicola Griffith. If there had been a 13th slot I would have added this book. Amazing piece of historical fiction.

daxxh

Posted 2013-12-21 5:54 PM (#5859 - in reply to #5558)
Subject: Re: Finished!

Extreme Veteran

Posts: 556
500

Location: Great Lakes, USA

Finished! Hope to have time to finish the reviews before the end of the year.

Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie - 4.5 - Random pick. Excellent Space Opera

God's War by Kameron Hurley - 4.0 - Good world building. Good military scifi. Will read the sequel.

The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes - 4.0 - Another random pick. Time travel and crime novel all in one. Loved the end.

The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin - 3.5 - Engaging story and interesting world. Will read the sequel.

Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor - 3.5 - Well written, well developed characters.

Mechanique by Genevieve Valentine - 3.0 - Different. Surprisingly good.

In the Garden of Iden by Kage Baker - 3.0 - Interesting start of a series. Will read the next one.

Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal - 3.0 - Entertaining, quick read. Will read the sequel.

vN by Madeline Ashby - 2.0 - Ok robot novel. Not a fan of Deus Ex Machina.

Ironskin by Tina Connelly - 2.0 - Ok, if you like gothic romance (with a magical twist).

Sister Mine by Nalo Hopkinson - 2.0 - Ok. Probably need some background on Caribbean mythology to like this one.

The Drowning Girl by Caitlin Kiernan - 0.5 - One of the worst books I've read. Can't believe I finished this one.

Edited by daxxh 2013-12-21 6:17 PM

bazhsw

Posted 2013-12-22 1:17 AM (#5860 - in reply to #5558)
Subject: Re: Finished!

Regular

Posts: 92

Congratulations on completion! I really like the look of the Ann Leckie book, I really want to pick that up some time. I read Shades of Milk and Honey and Ironskin - know where you're coming from. I'll be interested to read your review on The Drowning Girl. What did you dislike about it? Personally I found it hard work and challenging but didn't feel the payoff was worth it but at times the prose was amazing.

mjmahoney

Posted 2013-12-27 4:22 PM (#5870 - in reply to #5558)
Subject: Re: Finished!

Member

Posts: 22

Yay, I finished reading my last book on Christmas day. I still have a few more reviews to write over the next couple days. I used the challenge to read books from my 'to read' shelf as well as read some classics. I really enjoyed the challenge of picking new-to-me authors. The reviews posted by others over the year helped me find new books too. Not all made it into my final WOGF list, but my 'to read' shelf definitely has more women authors on it now, which pleases me.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Laini Taylor. I really enjoyed this book, highly original story.
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, NK Jemison. Excellent.
A Great and Terrible Beauty, Libba Bray. I didn't think this was very good.
Kindred, Octavia Butler. Very good and thought provoking.
Cat's Claw Amber Benson. Light fun.
Dragonflight, Anne McCaffrey. Enjoyed reading this classic.
The Sparrow Mary Doria Russell. This was a very compelling story, I enjoyed it a lot. I also read the sequel, Children of God, this year which I would also recommend.
Dreamsnake, Vonda McIntyre. This was a 'discovery' for me and I really enjoyed it, highly recommend.
Time Traders, Andre Norton. A fun 'classic' sci-fi tale.
The Girl who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making, Catherynne Valente. I really enjoyed this, the sequel is waiting on my 'to read' shelf.
Carnival, Elizabeth Bear. This was my random pick, very enjoyable.
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Susannah Clarke. I got very immersed in this alternate history.

carlajpatterson

Posted 2014-01-01 6:58 PM (#5877 - in reply to #5558)
Subject: Re: Finished!

Member

Posts: 38

Location: Richmond, California

Finished but can't get it to show up on my authors page because I didn't post the reviews till today (January 1st)! Please tell me that's some kind of problem? I finished in December but didn't have time to stop in here to update my page till now due to holiday obligations. Any suggestions on how to fix this or am I just out of luck? My list doesn't show up accurately on my GoodReads page, either. lol

carlajpatterson

Posted 2014-01-01 7:31 PM (#5878 - in reply to #5558)
Subject: Re: Finished!

Member

Posts: 38

Location: Richmond, California

lol Reading through the posts, I am realizing what a different planet I'm on from a lot of you. It's hard to share recommendations because of that but , that said, I did find three authors I love through this challenge. I had hoped for more but three isn't bad considering I'd have never read their books if it weren't for needing to find more female Science Fiction authors I HADN'T already read. Since I started so long ago (got into science fiction when I was 10 in 1961), I had read most of the great scifi authors (male and female) one time or another already and it was very difficult for me to find ones whom I had never read in any format (short stories, novellas, or novels). I ended up reading a lot of books I'd never have considered since so many of them were fantasy or horror more than scifi - genres I'm not very fond of. The authors I found that I really liked were Erin Morgenstern, Maggie Stiefvater, and Lauren Beukes. They all write really well and I feel lucky to have found them. I also found some enjoyable fantasy novels which, though they didn't speak to me at a deep level, were fun to read. They included Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series (the first three anyway) and Lois McMaster Bujold's Sharing Knife series. In each case, I read several of the books in their series instead of just one.

Unlike several of you, I really enjoyed the Feed series by Mira Grant (pen name). I am not into zombies at all, though, so maybe that's why my reactions differ. I just found the books enjoyable to read and ended up reading them all - except for Parasite, which I'm waiting for from the library as I write this. (I also loved the first 3 seasons of The Walking Dead, Resident Evil, Shaun of the Dead, and - of course! - the first and the best (B&W) Night of the Living Dead so, if something is well written and pertinent in general, I don't care if it's got zombies in it or not. I'm just not attracted to zombie fiction for its own sake.)

I also liked Katarina Sedie's writing in Alchemy of Stone and Karen Lord had fascinating ideas in her novel Best of All Possible Worlds. Will try reading other books by them now that I've experienced their writing.

My biggest disappointment of the year was trying to get through The Drowning Girl. (Gagged x 10) Absolutely hated it and couldn't finish it.

Administrator

Posted 2014-01-01 8:20 PM (#5879 - in reply to #5877)
Subject: Re: Finished!

Admin

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Location: Dallas, Texas

carlajpatterson - 2014-01-01 6:58 PM Finished but can't get it to show up on my authors page because I didn't post the reviews till today (January 1st)! Please tell me that's some kind of problem? I finished in December but didn't have time to stop in here to update my page till now due to holiday obligations. Any suggestions on how to fix this or am I just out of luck? My list doesn't show up accurately on my GoodReads page, either. lol

The challenge is over so all the tools shut off automatically. Tell me your last 2 titles and I'll add them to the DB directly.

Edit: I looked at your last 2 reviews and got the titles. You are complete now. Congrats on finishing the challenge!

carlajpatterson

Posted 2014-01-02 11:36 PM (#5881 - in reply to #5558)
Subject: Re: Finished!

Member

Posts: 38

Location: Richmond, California

Ah! So, that's why. Thanks so much for fixing my page I just got your message when I got home from the gym. :D

pizzakarin

Posted 2014-09-04 7:52 PM (#8441 - in reply to #5558)
Subject: Re: Finished!

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Posts: 111
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Location: Austin, Tx

Done! Standouts for me were "The Girl in the Road" by Monica Byrne and "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood. I only disliked one book, "The Children of Men" by P D James. I'm excited for next year, there are still a lot of great women whose books are sitting in my library right now and I've never gotten to.

Edited by pizzakarin 2014-09-04 7:54 PM

Administrator

Posted 2014-09-05 7:49 PM (#8443 - in reply to #8441)
Subject: Re: Finished!

Admin

Posts: 4004
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Location: Dallas, Texas

Ah, what it must feel like to finish a reading challenge.... I have yet to finish one myself though I have high hopes for the Read it again, Sam one I started. Congrats!

justifiedsinner

Posted 2014-09-06 12:08 PM (#8449 - in reply to #8443)
Subject: Re: Finished!

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Didn't you also start The Number of the Counting Shall Be Three?

Administrator

Posted 2014-09-06 4:19 PM (#8450 - in reply to #8449)
Subject: Re: Finished!

Admin

Posts: 4004
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Location: Dallas, Texas

justifiedsinner - 2014-09-06 12:08 PM Didn't you also start The Number of the Counting Shall Be Three?

I did. I'm 1/3 done with that one and have at least a chance. I've decided to read shorter books to increase my odds

Badseedgirl

Posted 2014-09-06 5:05 PM (#8452 - in reply to #5558)
Subject: Re: Finished!

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Posts: 369
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Location: Middle TN, USA

I am within spitting distance on finishing two of the challenges, Grandmasters and I just have to read more, I am 3 short on both of those, as for the rest, I chose not to talk about it. It looks as though I will be cutting it close, but will complete all of the challenges. I may rethink my idea of only counting each book to one challenge. It obligated me to read 56 individual books. Turns out I don't like being told what to read, even by me!

Dlw28

Posted 2014-11-08 3:31 PM (#8843 - in reply to #8452)
Subject: Re: Finished!

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Posts: 306
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Woohoo! I've finished the LGBT and POC challenges! I'm one book per challenge away from done with WoG, Masterworks and Elizabeth Noun challenges. And I've actually read 71 books out of 75 for my personal challenge!! With 6-7 weeks left in the year it looks like I'll make it.

Next year I'll have to just read all the other books I've bought in my mad crazed and not totally explicable desire to purchase anything that was on sale that looked decent. And I need to renew my library card :-/

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