kkunker's 2013 Challenge

Hello everyone in the 2013 group. I’m looking forward to another year of buying books, receiving too many book bullet suggestions to ever read, and trying to read as many books as possible. Happy reading to everyone.

As 2012 is winding down I thought it was time to start thinking about my 2013 challenge. A number of my categories will be the same as last year, what can I say, I have certain genres I like to read. I am trying to branch out and so I have a couple of new ones too.

I don’t know if I’ll be able to do a full 13 in 13 so I think I will start with an 8 book minimum for each category. For 2012 I’ve currently read 143 books, so if I stick to my categories I should be in good shape for getting close to full. I’m also going to add a page count to each category just for fun.

This past December I finished grad school! I am excited to be done with full time academia but I’m nervous about trying to enter the job market. I have 2 master’s degrees and I hope they will help me land a job soon, I have loan payments to make.

Even though I’m officially done being a student I am currently enrolled at the Mythgard Institute of Signum University. Basically they offer online courses on Tolkien, Science Fiction, Medieval Literature, and Languages. Last semester I took the Story of The Hobbit as a fun way to review for the movie. We looked at sources Tolkien may have used, contemporary children’s books, and the manuscript history of The Hobbit. I plan on taking several courses in 2013; they have three terms a year. If I stick around for enough classes I may end up with another degree.

Now, time to think about my potential categories.

I know I'll have fantasy, history, and sci-fi, so I'll work on coming up with the rest.

Edit Here's the completed category list

1. Swords and Sorcery: Fantasy
2. Among the Stars: Science fiction, aliens, time travel
3. Gears, Magic, and the Paranormal: steam punk and urban fantasy
4. The Star Spangled Banner and Union Jack: History, primarily US and UK
5. What if…alternate/speculative history/fiction
6. Freebies: ARCs and gifts
7. Eagle and Child Company: Inklings
8. Doug Anderson's recommended fantasy
9. Mythgard Institute class book lists
10. Partial Truths and Recreations: Historical Fiction and Biography
11. Short and Sweet
12. Door Stoppers and Classics
13. Anything and Everything Else

I'm also doing a ROOT challenge this year, so I will try to remember to mark ROOT books with an R. I've got a pretty big TBR list in my personal library. A lot of the books are history, fantasy, and Tolkien related, so they will fit my categories quite nicely. My beginning goal is to read 24 ROOT books in 2013.

I'm going to try and include some year long stats as my challenge progresses.

Statistics

Books added to my library
Purchased: 29
Gift: 18
Giveaway: 3
e-book: 2

Total Books Read: 121
Total pages Read: 39,500

Swords and Sorcery
Fantasy

possibilities:
The Kingmaking

1. Rise of Empire by Michael J. Sullivan 1/22/13
2.The Invaders: Brotherband Chronicles, Book 2 by John Flanagan 4/20/13 ROOT
3. The Hunters: Brotherband Chronicles, Book 3 by John Flanagan 4/23/13
4. A Darkness Forged in Fire by Chris Evans 6/22/13 ROOT
5. The Light of Burning Shadows by Chris Evans 7/2/13 ROOT
6. Ashes of a Black Frost by Chris Evans 8/3/13
7.
8.

Total page count: 3103

Among the Stars
Science Fiction, Aliens, and Time Travel

Possibilities
Star Wars
Stargate SG-1
Element Zero
Ruins by Orson Scott Card

1. The Map of the Sky by Felix J Palma 1/16/13
2. Stargate SG-1 A Matter of Honor by Sally Malcolm 2/11/13
3. Stargate SG-1 The Cost of Honor by Sally Malcolm 2/15/13
4. Star Wars Choices of One by Timothy Zahn 3/19/13
5. Stargate Universe: Air by James Swallow 3/26/13
6. Stargate SG-1: Trial by Fire by Sabine C. Bauer 3/29/13
7. Stargate SG-1: Alliances by Karen Miller 4/4/13
8. Stargate SG-1: Hearts Desire by Amy Griswold 4/7/13

9. Stargate Atlantis: Rising by Sally Malcolm 5/18/13
10. Stargate Atlantis: Reliquary by Martha Wells 5/25/13
11. Death Star by Michael Reaves 5/27/13 ROOT
12. Stargate Atlantis: Halcyon by James Swallow 5/29
13. Star Wars Clone Wars Gambit Siege by Karen Miller 5/30/13

Total page count: 3952

Gears, Magic, and the Paranormal
Steam Punk and Urban Fantasy

1. Fated by Benedict Jacka 1/21/13
2. Cursed by Benedict Jacka 1/30/13
3. Taken by Benedict Jacka 2/10/13
4. Spectyr by Philippa Ballantine 2/23/13
5. Wrayth by Philippa Ballantine 3/6/13
6. Stray Souls by Kate Griffin 3/11/13
7. Doubletake by Rob Thurman 3/17/13
8. Tin Swift by Devon Monk 6/8/13 ROOT
9. Harbinger by Philippa Ballantine 8/20/13
10. Chosen by Benedict Jacka 11/10/13

Total page count: 3083

The Star Spangled Banner and Union Jack
History, primarily US and UK

Possibilities
Nelson's Trafalgar: The Battle that Changed the World
Medieval Outlaws

1. A Bard of Wolfe's Army: James Thompson Gentleman Volunteer, 1733-1830 edited by Earl John Chapman and Ian Macpherson McCulloch 1/15/12
2. Vikings: A Very Short Introduction by Julian Richards 2/6/13
3. 1066: The Year of the Three Battles by Frank McLynn 2/09/13 ROOT
4. Bloody Mohawk: The French and Indian War and American Revolution on New York's Frontier by Richard Berleth 6/17/13 ROOT
5. Major Washington's Pittsburg and the Mission to Fort Le Boeuf 7/6/13
6. Yorktown's Civil War Siege by John Quarstein 11/11/13 ROOT
7.
8.

Total page count: 1227

What if…
alternate/speculative history/fiction

Possibilities
Dies the Fire (series)
The Looking Glass Wars (series)

1. The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor 4/16/13
2. Scar-Crow Men by Mark Chadbourn 5/18/13
3. Seeing Redd by Frank Beddor 11/24/13
4. Hunger Games: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins 11/20/13
5. Hatter M Volume 1: Far From Wonder by Frank Beddor 12/3/13
6. Hatter M Volume 2: Mad with Wonder by Frank Beddor 12/5/13
7. ArchEnemy by Frank Beddor 12/27/13
8.

Total page count: 2265

Freebies
ARCs and gifts

Already received/expecting:
Carcium LT member giveaway
The Searcher LT member giveaway
The Accidental Law Librarian June ER win
Lincoln in the World ER win

1. Song of the Vikings: Snorri and the Making of Norse Myths by Nancy Marie Brown 1/24/13 October ER win
2. A Cast of Stones by Phillip Carr November ER win 2/20/13
3. Atlantic History by Bernard Bailyn SantaThing 2012 3/15/13
4. Fortress of Mist by Sigmund Brouwer January ER win 3/22/13
5. The Accidental Systems Librarian February ER win 5/28/13
6. Beowulf on Film October ER win 12/5/13
7. Real by Jamie Snyder November ER win 12/31/13
8.

Total page count: 1413

Eagle & Child Company
The Inklings lives, works, sources, and inspirations

Possibilities:
Beloved Works of C. S. Lewis

1. The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey: Official Movie Guide by Brian Sibley 1/8/13
2. Mirkwood: A Novel About J. R. R. Tolkien by Steve Hillard 2/08/13
3. Master of Middle Earth by Paul Kocher 2/28/13 ROOT
4. The Hobbits: The Many Lives of Bilbo, Frodo, Merry, Pippin, and Sam by Lynnette Porter 3/14/13
5.Shadows of Imagination: The Fantasies of C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams by Mark Hillegas 4/2/13 ROOT
6. Moments of Grace and Spiritual Warfare in the Lord of the Rings by Anne Marie Gazzolo 4/22/13
7. There and Back Again by Mark Atherton 5/8/13
8. Green Suns and Faerie by Verlyn Flieger 7/17/13
9. Splintered Light by Verlyn Flieger 8/27/13
10. Unfinished Tales by J. R. R. Tolkien 9/2/13
11. Interrupted Music by Verlyn Flieger 9/28/13
12. Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun by J. R. R. Tolkien ROOT
13. The Tolkien Fan's Medieval Reader 11/11/13 ROOT

Total page count: 3552

Doug Anderson's Recommended Fantasy
Doug was a guest lecturer in my Hobbit class last semester and he gave us a whirlwind tour of the history of the fantasy genre. He mentioned a lot of books which I had never heard of so I am going to attempt to read some of the titles and authors he mentioned.

Possibilities
Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsay
Islandia by Austin Tappan Wright
Time and the Gods Lord Dunsany
The Wood Beyond the World by William Morris
Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirrlees

1. Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock 2/6/13
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Total page count: 252

Mythgard Institute class reading
Tolkien, literary criticism, medieval literature

Spring Course: Tolkien's World of Middle Earth
book list: Beowulf, The Hobbit, The Monsters and the Critics, part of The Silmarillion, and The Lord of the Rings
Summer Course: Beyond Middle Earth
book list: Roverandom, Father Christmas Letters, The Tolkien Reader, Beowulf, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, Sir Orfeo

Mythgard Academy:
Summer: The Two Towers
Fall: The Return of the King

1. Beowulf edited by Howell Chickering 1/25/13
2. The Monsters and the Critics by J. R. R. Tolkien 1/29/13
3. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien 2/23/13
4. The Lord of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien 4/3/13
5. Smith of Wooten Major and Farmer Giles of Ham by J. R. R. Tolkien 6/26/13
6. The Tolkien Reader by J. R. R. Tolkien 6/24/13
7. Letters from Father Christmas by J. R. R. Tolkien 7/10/13
8. Roverandom by J. R. R. Tolkien 7/31/13
9. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, Sir Orfeo by J. R. R. Tolkien 7/20/13
10. The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien 8/20/13

Partial Truths and Recreations
Historical Fiction and Biography

Possibilities
Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life
Londoners: The Days and Nights of London Now

1. Adopted Son: Washington, Lafayette, and the Friendship that Saved the Revolution by David Clary 5/9/13 ROOT
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Total page count: 455

Short and Sweet
less than 200 pages

Possibilities
Shakespeare
graphic novels
poetry

1. The Gospel According to Star Wars by John McDowell 1/9/13 ROOT
2. The Saga of the Volsungs 2/18/13
3. A Very Short Introduction The Roman Empire 6/13/13
4. The Hobbit an Unexpected Journey: Chronicles 11/4/13
5. Tolkien and the Silmarils 11/5/13
6. First Meetings in the Enderverse by Orson Scott Card 11/9/13
7. Discovery of Genesis 12/30/13
8.

Total page count: 1073

Door Stoppers and Classics
750+ pages or those books I really should have read by now but haven't

Possibilities:
GRRM
George Washington's Sacred Fire
Champlain's Dream
The Complete Works of Thomas Malory

1. The Making of the British Landscape
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Total page count: 816

Anything and Everything Else
because everyone needs a catch-all category

1. Processing the Past: Contesting Authorities in History and the Archives
2. Archival Arrangement and Description
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Total pages read: 401

Welcome back and congrats on finishing grad school! *Whoot, Whoot!!*

I am always on the lookout for more steampunk books and as I am starting to find myself drifting towards alternative/speculative history, I am looking forward to seeing what you think of the books you read for those catetgories. I will be back to visit after you have figured out the rest of your categories.

Congratulations on your degree! TWO masters? I'm impressed, I'm happy enough with my single bachelor's.

You have some really interesting categories. Like lkernagh, I'm looking forward to the steampunk - I'm a bit of a newbie and would love to delve deeper into the genre.

I'm very much interested in your Inklings category, as I've got Lewis, Tolkien, and Williams lined up for 2013.

Oh yes, and congrats on finishing grad school! I'm also in the two-master's-but-no-job club and I made my first student loan payment earlier this month. What fields are your degrees in? (I've got an MLS and an MA in History, which don't help much in the job market.)

casvelyn: My first loan payment is due tomorrow. Merry Christmas to me. I have the same degrees that you do, MA history and MSIS with a concentration in Archives and Records Management. I did a dual degree program, I finished the history in May and I was part time this past semester to finish up. Ideally I'd like to work in an archive, historic site, or museum setting.

lkernagh and PawsForThought: I'm also relatively new to steampunk, I had it in my 2012 challenge but really knew nothing about it prior to then. I enjoyed Phoenix Rising and The Janus Affair since they were UK based and had an Archivist as one of the main characters. Pip Ballantine also has a fantasy series called Book of the Order I just discovered. Geist is the first book.

All my categories are now listed, as well as some potential titles with which to fill them.

Looks like good reading for next year. May I recommend Code Name Verity for your historical fiction category. It has been rightfully placed on several Best YA of 2012 lists. It blew my socks off!

Congratulations on completing your degree! May I recommend Code Name Verity for your Historical Fiction category. I think you will really enjoy it. Looks like another good year of reading ahead!

Congrats on your completing your degrees! Your classes at Mythgard sound very interesting. I'll be keeping a special eye out for your Doug Anderson's Recommended Fantasy Reads, as I haven't heard of any of these titles.

Adding my congratulations on completing your degrees. Hope the job market is open and ready for you. Lots of great categories and I look forward to following your reading again this year.

Congratulations on finishing up your degrees.

Good categories.

Hi, interesting categories. Looking forward to your reading. I've read La Fayette by Gonzague Saint Bris a few years back and it was so great that I cried at La Fayette's death so I will definitely check your history category ...
Good Luck on your job hunting !

Best of luck with the job hunt and congratulations on your degrees! And have fun with your challenge :)

Welcome back - looking forward to following along! And, of course, big congrats on your new degree!!

Have to second mamzel's recommendation of Code Name Verity -- I loved it! Also, the fact that a book called Medieval Outlaws exists has made me giddy with glee. Looking forward to seeing your thoughts on it!

Echoing the congrats and good luck with the job hunting and the challenge!

I've finished off my first two books of the new year.

1. The Hobbit an Unexpected Journey: Official Movie Guide
This book provided a detailed look at the production process for the first PJ Hobbit film. It includes many cast and crew interviews and a ton of images. Costume, make up, and WETA crew members discuss the challenges and technological changes made since Rings.

2. The Gospel According to Star Wars
ROOT read
A short look at the Star Wars film saga and some ways in which Lucas' film can have a positive moral/ethical impact on viewers. It addresses primarily character development and comparisons between Luke and Anakin.

I'm currently reading several books including:
Map of the Sky
A Bard of Wolfe's Army: James Thompson Gentleman Volunteer, 1733-1830 and
Rise of Empire.
I'm trying to get ahead for my online class which starts next week so I've already started The Monsters and the Critics by J. R. R. Tolkien.

I also have Mythago Wood and Fated from the library hopefully I'll be able to start them soon.

I do love those books where the background crew gets space, especially when it's people like those from WETA - what a great job they must have!

Just finished up A Bard of Wolfe's Army
first book for my history category

This book is a published version of anecdotes and stories told by Sergeant Thompson during his later years. The stories were recorded by his son, sometimes while James was entertaining an audience. James served in the 78th Regiment of Foot, Fraser's Highlanders during the French and Indian War and was present at the siege of Louisburg, the battle of the Plains of Abraham, and the battle of Sillery. After the war he settled down in Quebec.

The editors have divided the book into three parts, the first presents an overview of James Thompson's life and the historic events he saw. The second section contains his firsthand anecdotes and recollections of those events. The third section is a biographical section providing information on the many people James met and interacted with during his military service and retirement.

A very interesting read which provides a unique perspective on The Seven Year's War. Thompson's recollections are full of humour and good will towards the people he met. He was especially fond of General Wolfe, and was involved with the funeral for his fallen hero, and helped commemorate both Wolfe and Montcalm with a statue in Quebec.

Finished my first sci-fi book for the year The Map of the Sky.

This book is the sequel to The Map of Time and involves several of the same characters from the first book. In order to prove his love for Emma, Gilliam Winslow (aka The Master of Time) must recreate the Martian invasion as described in H. G. Wells' book, War of the Worlds. Everyone in London is completely taken by surprise when a real invasion occurs and aliens descend on London. Wells' and a group of survivors attempt to form a resistance group to fight the aliens.

The first section of the book seemed to drag a bit, in my opinion, and the reader doesn't discover the purpose of the inclusion of the Antarctic exploration until the last 50 or so pages of the book. Other than that the book was a pretty good read.

I've finished Fated and Rise of Empire this week.

Fated is an urban fantasy set in London. The protagonist Alex Verus is a diviner, he can see possible futures. When a powerful relic turns up at the British Museum several factions try to enlist Alex's help with unlocking it's secrets. Alex tries to stay neutral but they won't take no for an answer. When politeness doesn't work Alex is attacked by Dark Mages multiple times, and eventually kidnapped and coerced into cooperating. He and his 'apprentice' Luna are in for an exciting ride once they enter the relic and find themselves in a life and death struggle without knowing who to trust.

The series reminded me a bit of the Matthew Swift series, but less intense, with a simpler magic system. Still it was interesting and kept me engaged. There are two more books so far in the series, with a fourth book due out sometime this year. I've already requested the second book from the library.

Rise of Empire contains the third and fourth books in the Riyria Revelations. This book adds layers and complexities to the characters as they are involved in new adventures. Arista leaves her safe castle to try and reach out to the Nationalists and find allies for her kingdom, while on the road she begins to hone her magic. Royce and Hadrian go on a dangerous nautical trip to try and find the true heir, and foil the Empire's plans. The young empress gets a new secretary from an unlikely source who becomes her only friend at court. The Imperial Regents, Seret Knights, and lesser agents seem to be in control as the new empire consolidates its power.

HIT... by book bullet!

I've added Fated to my wish list based on your review. :)

re TinaV95: Glad you found the review interesting, book bullets can be dangerous things. I know I end up adding tons of book to my TBR pile that way. I'm currently partway through the second book Cursed and it's pretty good.

Finished off two Mythgard Institute books this week.
Beowulf edited by Howell Chickering and The Monsters and the Critics by J. R. R. Tolkien.

We read the Beowulf essay to start off the class, so we would have a clearer idea of Tolkien's Beowulf before reading the poem itself. Last week was spent on Beowulf. This week we are looking at the Professor's famous essay "On Fairy Stories." Next week we do some Silmarillion material then on to The Hobbit.

Finished off a second urban fantasy
Cursed by Benedict Jacka (book 2 in the Alex Verus series)

In the second adventure Alex and his new apprentice Luna must get to the bottom of a new plot. Someone is attempting to relearn an old ritual which, if successful, would allow the mage to steal the power from magical animals and add it to their own. An enchantress tries to lure Alex off the trail, and a newcomer, Martin, tries to charm Luna into helping him. Martin finds himself in the possession of a monkey's paw which grants the bearer wishes, but they always come with a twist. When Luna is captured and one of Alex's best friend's is threatened by the ritual he must call in a few favours and make a temporary alliance with an old enemy to try and save the day.

This book features a fire v. ice mage battle, seeing a time mage in action (he can both manipulate time and 'see' past events in the short term), battles fought with guns and rocket launchers, and introduces an immensely powerful dragon/earth elemental.

Here are my January Statistics. I think I'm off to a pretty good start, I had a nice spread across my categories.

number of books read: 11
personal collection: 5
public library: 6

books acquired: 15
purchased: 4
gift: 11
giveaway: 0

pages read: 3390
average pages per day: 109

Category Progress
1. Sword and Sorcery: 1
2. Among the Stars: 1
3. Gears, Magic, and the Paranormal: 2
4. The Star Spangled Banner and Union Jack: 1
5. What if…alternate/speculative history/fiction
6. Freebies: 1
7. Eagle & Child Company: 1
8. Doug Anderson’s recommended fantasy authors
9. Mythgard Institute reading list: 2
10. Partial Truths and Recreations
11. Short and Sweet: 1
12. Door Stoppers and Classics
13. Anything and Everything Else

I finished my first two books for February today.

Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock
category: Doug Anderson's recommended fantasy

5 stars
The Huxley brothers, Christopher and Stephen, thought their father was crazy when he would wander off into the wood for weeks at a time when they were kids. Now that he has died they begin to dig deeper into his study and discover the true nature of his life's work. Ryhope Wood, located in a remote part of Britain, is not completely of this world. It is a place where legendary figures actually exist. The wood operates on a different time/space continuum from our own world, and it is far larger inside than outside. The brothers find themselves able to create and interact with mythagos, the mythic actualizations of the human subconscious, when in proximity of the wood. Gradually the wood draws them in and when a beautiful woman emerges from the wood each brother claims her as his own. Their rivalry will take them deep within the wood to the very source of it's power, as each desires to have sole mastery of the wood.

I really enjoyed this book, the combination of myths with the human imagination was really unique. It's part of a series, I may look in to the next book soon.

Vikings: A Very Short Introduction by Julian Richards
An informative quick read, this one focused on archaeological evidence for Norse/Scandinavian settlements throughout Northern Europe and North America.

I really liked mythago wood but never thought the follow up book (and I only read the second one so they may improve if there are more?) quite captured the same feel and wasn't as good, but thats only my opinion!

1066: The Year of the three Battles

Mirkwood: A Novel about JRR Tolkien
Fan fiction about Tolkien. The premise seemed interesting but then the story line wasn't quite as good. Still the concept of connections between fantasy and the real world were interesting, if not completely developed. Ara's story didn't really pull me in, but I did like the imaginary Inklings meetings.

Taken
The third Alex Verus book adds a few new allies and a new enemy. Apprentices are disappearing in London and Alex is asked to investigate. He and his apprentice Luna team up with two other apprentices to try and get to the bottom of the mystery before someone else goes missing. The limited evidence points to a mage's residence called Fountain Reach. So the three apprentices enter a competition held on site and they begin to investigate. What they eventually discover nearly gets them all killed.

Stargate SG-1 A Matter of Honor
When SG-1 discovers alien technology which could help them rescue SG-10 from a black hole they will do anything to get it. But the Kinahhi people are very secretive and paranoid and will not part with anything that could be turned into a weapon against them. In order to rescue SG-10 the team will have to risk everything on a covert mission.

Three more books to add from February. Stats and categories have been updated.

Stargate SG-1 The Cost of Honor
In the sequel to Matter of Honor SG-1 must face the consequences of their illegal actions. They managed to rescue SG-10 but now Sam and Jack must face Kinahi justice. Daniel, Teal'c, and General Hammond plan a daring rescue mission to try and try and discover what's really going on with the Kinahi.

The Saga of the Volsungs

A Cast of Stones by Patrick Carr
ARC from the end of last year, touchstone doesn't seem to want to work. I really enjoyed this book, it provides a good start for the series, the characters and world are well crafted. Errol proves to be very interesting and his turnaround from town drunk to national hero is well done.
Review posted on the book's page.

Here's a few more from February.

The Hobbit
read for my Tolkien class

Spectyr
The second book in a series, it builds upon the world created in the first book. Sorcha and Merrick develop an even stronger bond with the Rossin even when they are sent to a distant country to aid an ambassador's travels. Once in Orinthal they discover massive amounts of geist activity (spirits from the Otherside) and they must do what they can to get to the bottom of this new danger. When Merrick finds his mother, his loyalty is tested, should he stay and help Sorcha fight or take his mother to safety?

Master of Middle Earth
An interesting collection which looks at Tolkien's works. It had a good chapter on Aragorn, as well as one on evil and one on the different races of Middle Earth.

February Stats

number of books read: 12
personal collection: 9
public library: 3

books acquired: 9
purchased: 6
gift: 1
giveaway: 1
e-book: 1

pages read: 3229
average pages per day: 115

Category Progress
Month (Year to date)
1. Sword and Sorcery: (1)
2. Among the Stars: 2 (3)
3. Gears, Magic, and the Paranormal: 2 (4)
4. The Star Spangled Banner and Union Jack: 2 (3)
5. What if…alternate/speculative history/fiction (0)
6. Freebies: 1 (2)
7. Eagle & Child Company: 2 (3)
8. Doug Anderson’s recommended fantasy authors: 1 (1)
9. Mythgard Institute reading list: 1 (3)
10. Partial Truths and Recreations (0)
11. Short and Sweet: 1 (2)
12. Door Stoppers and Classics (0)
13. Anything and Everything Else (0)

Here's the first few books from March.

The Fellowship of the Ring
read for my Tolkien class

Wrayth by Philippa Ballantine
5 stars
The third book in the Books of the Order series provides new challenges for Sorcha, Merrick, and Raed to confront. Everything they believed in is turned upside down. Sorcha spends part of the book trapped within her own body. Once freed she learns the truth of her parentage and why she is such a strong deacon. The corruption in the order, along with outsider helps, results in the capture of the emperor's sister, and the framing and imprisonment of Merrick. By the book's end the Order of Deacons is dissolved and their power is neutralized. Things look very dark for the three heroes.

Stray Souls by Kate Griffin
4.5 stars
The new Magicals Anonymous series is off to a good start. The action is set in the same world as the Matthew Swift urban magic series and involves a few of the same characters. Prior knowledge of the other series is not essential, but it helps. In this book one of the elemental spirits of London is missing, and the souls of buildings all across the city have been disappearing. Sharon Li is an untrained shaman who is apparently the only person who can figure out what is going on. She receives some cryptic messages from the Midnight Mayor and gets a few shaman lessons from a goblin. Sharon forms Magicals Anonymous, a self help group for the confused or lost magically inclined. The group is comprised of an odd assortment of folks: an OCD germophobic vampire, a necromancer, a troll, a banshee, a druid with allergies to everything, and a shape shifter. They must all work together if Sharon is going to find a way to save the city.

March update

The Hobbits: The Many Lives of Bilbo, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin
An interesting look at the portrayal of hobbits in adaptations of Tolkien's books, including radio, theater, orchestra, and film.

Atlantic History: Concept and Contours
A brief overview of the development of the theory of Atlantic history. A historiographical approach.

The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien
read for my online Tolkien course

Star Wars: Choices of One by Timothy Zahn
An inter-movie book, set between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back. The Rebel Alliance is looking for a new base of operations on the same planet where Mara Jade, Emperor's Hand, has been sent to deal with a treasonous governor. Nothing on the ground is as it seems and in the end Mara's rogue stormtroopers help Luke and then she and Luke end up working together to free some hostages.

Fortress of Mist
LT Early Reviewer

A few books from April.

Shadows of Imagination
A book about C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams. Several chapters are written by people who knew these three men and worked with them.

Return of the King bu J. R. R. Tolkien
the final book for my online Tolkien class

Stargate SG-1 Alliances
Stargate SG-1 Hearts Desire

Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
An interesting re-interpretation of the Alice in Wonderland story, in which Princess Alyss Heart flees Wonderland through a looking glass in order to escape her aunt Redd. Her sworn protector Hatter Madigan follows her through the glass to protect her in a strange world: however she is sent to Victorian London, he to Paris. In order to find Alyss and have any hope of taking her home, Hatter must master looking glass travel and find Alyss. Meanwhile back home in Wonderland a resistance group has formed of the Heart family allies who all await Alyss' return. When Alyss meets Reverend Dodgson he writes her tale, taking plenty of artistic license. She eventually convinces herself Wonderland is a fantasy and she needs to grow up. Once Alyss is finally rescued and returns to Wonderland she has to rediscover her imagination and confidence on order to fight for her throne.

Doubletake by Rob Thurman
Book 7 in the Cal Leandros urban fantasy series

The Invaders by John Flanagan
Book 2 in the Brotherband Chronicles series finds Hal and his crew on the high seas trying to catch up with the pirate ship Raven and her captain who stole their nation's most valuable treasure, the Andomel. The young sailors must gain experience quickly if they hope to be victorious over the pirate crew. They finally trace the pirates to a mining town. While cooperating with the towns folk who escaped to the woods, Hal plans to attack the town. When he receives some unexpected reinforcements from home Hal and his crew just might manage to defeat the Raven and her allies. Hal devises a daring three pronged attack to neutralize the outer defenses, crash through the palisade gate, and secure the harbor.

I finished two more books for April

Moments of Grace and Spiritual Warfare in the Lord of the Rings by Anne Marie Gazzolo

The Hunters by John Flanagan
This book concludes the first story arc in the Brotherband Chronicles. In it Hal and his crew finally chase down Zavoc and his ship The Raven. They make some new friends along the journey and they grow as a crew. In the end they challenge Zavoc to a duel by ship, so the two crews get to fight each other. In the end Hal's crew is succesful in outmaneuvering The Raven and they sink her, winning the duel. They are finally able to return home in triumph with the Andomel jewel.

I am currently gearing up for a busy summer, and have not been reading all that much.

I will once again have the opportunity to work at Fort Ticonderoga. This season I will hold the dual positions of Archives Assistant and Gallery Attendant. My supervisor hopes that I will be able to spend the majority of my time in the archive organizing more of the institutional records. Orientation was yesterday, it was great to see many familiar faces and hear about this year's focus and new programs. I am planning on staying for the whole season, mid-May to mid-October. I am currently busy packing since I will be moving North next Wednesday or Thursday. The season opens next Friday.

In addition to working at the fort I will be attempting to take another Mythgard course, assuming I can get decent internet access for the online discussion groups. If I can't work out reliable internet then I may very well downgrade and only audit the course. I will be taking "Beyond Middle Earth" taught by Professor Corey Olsen and Tom Shippey. As the title suggests the course will look at Tolkien's non-Middle Earth writings, his poetry, short stories, Beowulf/Anglo-Saxon pieces, and his children's works. The reading list will be a bit lighter than previous semesters, given the nature of the items to be examined (I've already added most of the titles to my Mythgard category), but I'm really looking forward to another Tolkien class. The semester starts this Monday.

Sounds like you have a busy summer all mapped out. Enjoy. :)

I have finished two books so far for May. I know I will be working through several Tolkien items this summer but I'm not sure how much other reading I will manage to fit in to my busy schedule.

There and Back Again : J. R. R. Tolkien and the origins of the Hobbit by Mark Atherton

This book provides a good overview of Tolkien's mindset and development as an author as he was writing The Hobbit. Atherton explores Tolkien's early works, both as an author and artist. He also looks at Tolkien's childhood and war experiences and how he was impacted by what he lived through.

Adopted Son: Washington, Lafayette, and the Friendship that Saved the Revolution by David Clary
ROOT

This book provides an intimate look at the lives of George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette. Clary quotes extensively from their letters to show the depth of the bond which developed between these two great men. Both were orphans and looking for a familial relationship. Once they met two continents were changed. Lafayette became Washington's strongest supporter, and when he returned to France partway through the war he helped secure loans for America and military support. Lafayette was the only one Washington trusted with the difficult Virginia campaign which led to Cornwallis' surrender and the end of the war. Lafayette always considered himself subordinate to Washington, even when he returned to France. Lafayette constantly sought Washington's approval and advice and he took the lessons he learned in America and tried to apply them in France.

Sounds like a great summer - have fun!!!

May ended up being a pretty productive month for reading. I read three Stargate books during lunches and breaks at work, and since my course reading has been pretty light so far I fit in some other books as well.

Stargate Atlantis: Rising
Stargate Atlantis: Reliquary
Stargate Atlantis: Halcyon

Scar-crow Men by Mark Chadbourn
The second book in the Swords of Albion series provides a good continuation of the story line from the first book. Will Swyfte and his associates are hard pressed to discover the new plot being hatched in England by the Unseelie Court (the Fay). With traitors closing in and the plague killing all across London the spies need to find the truth before England is overrun.

Death Star by Michael Reaves
This book provides the immediate background and events of Star Wars from the perspective of the men and women who were posted on the Death Star. The readers gets to see the mindset of big characters like Darth Vader, Tarkin, and Motti but also of a TIE fighter pilot, a stormtrooper, a cantina owner, an architect, a doctor, a librarian/archivist, and an escaped convict. The way their paths cross and intersect will change their lives forever.

Accidental Systems Librarian
Early Reviewer

June has been a good month for science fiction. I've read 3 Star Wars e-books and 3 Stargate paperbacks.

Star Wars Republic Commando: Hard Contact
Star Wars Republic Commando: Triple Zero
Star Wars Republic Commando: True Colors

Stargate SG-1: Siren Song
Stargate Atlantis: Entanglement
Stargate Atlantis: Casualties of War

I've also read two history books
The Roman Empire: A Very Short Introduction

Bloody Mohawk: The French and Indian War and American Revolution on New York's Frontier
This book provides an in depth look at the raids and battles which took place throughout New York between European settlers and Native Americans. The political dynamics and tensions of living in a multi-cultural area are well presented. Being a native of the Albany NY area I enjoyed reading some local history.

Farmer Giles of Ham and Smith of Wooten Major by J. R. R. Tolkien

Major Washington's Pittsburgh and the Mission to Fort Le Bouf
This book covers the events of 21 year old George Washington's first diplomatic mission on behalf of the British. He delivered a message to the French requesting that they leave the Ohio Valley. This was Washington's first real experience with Indian politics, and his first semi-independent command.

The Light of Burning Shadows

Where has the time gone?
Sorry I have fallen so far behind in providing updates. Limited internet access has it's drawbacks, and I've had a pretty busy summer.

I finished up my summer Mythgard course, Beyond Middle Earth, a couple weeks ago and we just started off the fall term yesterday. Mythgard is offering 3 courses for the fall.

I'm taking Philology Through Tolkien with Professor Tom Shippey, it should be an amazing course. For those of you who don't know Professor Shippey is a philologist who worked with Tolkien and held a couple of the same positions as Tolkien, at both Leeds and Oxford. He's an expert on Tolkien both as a man and academic. This class will be challenging but really fun. We won;t have a set textbook for the course, mostly pdf files of lots of articles and excerpts.

I will possibly audit the other Tolkien related course, Tolkien and Tradition. This course looks at sources and inspirations for Tolkien and how he reworked myths into his creative writing. The highlight of the course will be The Fall of Arthur, the newest Tolkien work edited and published by Christopher Tolkien.

Your professor worked with Tolkien? How cool!

Hope you can share some stories you learn from your professor!

I will try to post some stories about class, depending on what Professor Shippey shares with us. So far the class has started off well. Basically we are getting a glimpse into some of the languages which Tolkien studied and enjoyed, in order to see how they impacted his creative writing. The first week was an introduction to the field of Philology, the second week we was Tolkien and Gothic, and this past week was Tolkien and Old Norse. We've had some simple translation assignments to go along with each week, basically to get a feel for grammar and how languages change over time. Next week is Old Frisian.

In July I read quite a few sci-fi books, mostly during slow periods at work.

Stargate Atlantis: Mirror Mirror
In which a quantum mirror is found in the Pegasus Galaxy, and the team falls into an alternate reality and must work with their traditional enemies to find a way home.

Stargate Atlantis: Nightfall
In which a research lab in Atlantis leads to an Ancient device. Upon activation the device malfunctions and begins to tear apart the Galaxy, resulting in the tangling of multiple realities. The only way to fix all the realities is to get the 'original' team back in the same reality. In some instances they must fight their alternate selves and the sentient galaxy itself in order to get home.
One of my personal favourite books from the series so far.

Stargate Atlantis: Angelus
In which an Asgard teams up with the team to defeat a Wraith Hive ship.

Stargate SG-1: Roswell
In which the reader discovers the 'truth' behind the Roswell alien sightings, they were really some Asgards who crash landed on earth.

Star Wars Republic Commando 4: Order 66
Star Wars 501st
Star Wars Medstar 1

August was another big sci-fi month.

E-books read at work
Star Wars Medstar 2
Star Wars Crosscurrent
Star Wars Clone Wars Wild Space
Star Wars Clone Wars No Prisoners
Star Wars Crucible hardcover new release
Star Wars Cloak of Deception

Paperback books read while working at the museum
Stargate SG-1 Relativity
Stargate Atlantis Dead End
Stargate SG-1: Barque of Heaven
Stargate Atlantis The Chosen

And a few other books read during my days off, the only books counting towards this challenge.

Archival Arrangement and Description

Harbinger
The conclusion of the Book of the Order series.

Splintered Light by Verlyn Flieger
Dr. Flieger was the instructor for my spring course at Mythgard, I've been reading her works ever since. This book looked at the language and words Tolkien used to describe his world.

Ashes of a Black Frost
The conclusion of the Iron Elves trilogy.

Here's a great quote from last week's Philology class. He was discussing hobbit and Elvish poetry and made reference to some critic who completely missed the point of the poetry in LotR.

"There have been many extremely stupid things said about Tolkien, and I sort of collect them, really. There's a sort of competition about who says the stupidest things." Professor Tom Shippey

Haha - I'd like to see that collection of quotes. :)

The whole class would have loved the whole list. He mentioned a few specific examples, in a mini-rant in the middle of class.

1. A critic wrote a review and misspelled Gandalf the whole way through. When Prof Shippey tried to politely correct him the critics 'people' said he could not have made such a mistake.

2. Another critic said in regards to the Lord of the Rings that "no adult will ever read it more than once." Prof. Shippey then let us sit on that one for a minute and said, "how many times have all of you read it?" Granted we are in a Tolkien studies class, but there are loads of adults who have read the book multiple times.

3. A third "expert" said that all of Tolkien's runes and languages are just a waste of space because he translated everything in Lord of the Rings. Prof Shippey almost didn't give a response to that one, other than "no he didn't translate everything." He then gave a few quick examples of untranslated materials and said that that critic must not have read the book.

I just love it when he goes off on Tolkien tangents, they are always so much fun.

I think any current word processing program will correct Gandalf for you... :)

September was another productive month.

Sci-fi:
Star Wars X-Wing Rogue Squadron
Star Wars The Approaching Storm
Star Wars X-Wing Wedge’s Gamble
Star Wars X-Wing Krytos Trap
Star Wars X-Wing The Bacta War ROOT

Stargate SG-1 Do No Harm
Stargate Atlantis: Hunt and Run
Stargate SG-1: Hydra
Stargate Atlantis: Death Game
Stargate SG-1 Valhalla

Ender’s Game
Of course I had to re-read Ender before going to see the new movie.

Everything Else:
Unfinished Tale by J. R. R. Tolkien ROOT
I had never gotten around to reading this volume before. I really enjoyed the details about Galadriel and Gandalf.

The Ribbajack by Brian Jacques ROOT
This was an interesting volume of short stories, very different from the Redwall or Castaways series. Children horror stories with comedic bits.

Interrupted Music by Verlyn Flieger
Dr. Flieger covered Tolkien's creation story and the importance of music for his mythology.

Two fun quotes from tonight's lecture:

1. "I made five copies and put them in different places. I don’t trust librarians." Tom Shppey

2. "Cockney is supposed to be witty and funny. Not in my experience." Tom Shippey

Well, cockney rhyming slang is witty with a huge dose of silly, so if you're not prone to that, it won't be funny. :)

October was a slower month, but I made some good progress on ROOTs. I managed to get through three ROOTs:
The Making of the British Landscape
The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun by J. R. R. Tolkien
Raven’s Ladder

I also read through a few more sci-fi items:
Star Wars X-Wing Wraith Squadron
Stargate Atlantis Brimstone
Stargate SG-1: Four Dragons
Stargate SG-1: Sunrise

And as a part of the new Mythgard Academy free open-access courses I read The Two Towers, the class aired in August and September.

The spring semester Mythgard Institute courses were just announced this past week:
The Gothic Tradition with Dr. Amy Sturgis
Celtic Mythology in Children's Fantasy with visiting lecturer Dr. Dimitra Fimi
Chaucer: Visions of Love with Dr. Corey Olsen (aka The Tolkien Professor, author of Exploring J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit)

I can't recommend Mythgard highly enough for fans of medieval literature and languages, fantasy, and sci-fi. Courses options are for MA credit ($500) or audit ($150). I'm debating whether to take Chaucer or Celtic. Spring classes don't start til mid-January so I have time to make up my mind.

The website is www.mythgard.org

I'm in the process of finishing up my Philology class by writing a paper on the socio-linguistic interactions of hobbits with other races, focusing on Merry and Pippin. Where else do you have the chance to study and write about Tolkien for graduate credit?

The Mythgard Academy is a new division of Mythgard, offering free mini-courses. Back in August and September there was a fundraising campaign and people who donated were granted the chance to select upcoming courses. Those who donated $100 or more (myself included) are on a Council which proposes books and creates the ballot which gets voted on by all the donors.

The first official free class is on The Return of the King. It's currently underway, we had our fourth session last night. More info on the mini-courses, including the class schedule, is under the Academy tab. Sessions are recorded and past lectures are free on Itunes; all the Fellowship and Two Towers lectures are available.

That Celtic Myth one looks interesting. That one's definitely something to think about.

November was a pretty good month. I worked through quite a few books, lots of sci-fi and Tolkien related books again.

Tolkien:
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Chronicles
Tolkien and the Silmarils
The Tolkien Fan's Medieval Reader ROOT

Sci-fi:
First Meetings in the Enderverse
Star Wars X-Wing: Solo Command
Star Wars Razor’s Edge
Star Wars X-Wing Isard’s Revenge

Others:
Chosen by Benedict Jacka
Yorktown’s Civil War Siege ROOT
Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Seeing Redd ROOT

First few books for December:

Hatter M and Mad with Wonder
Two alternate fantasy items, both graphic novel spin-offs from the "Looking Glass Wars" series about the "true" story behind Alice in Wonderland

Beowulf on Film
A LT Early Reviewer which I really enjoyed. Having studied the original Beowulf poem as part of my Mythgard course work reading this book was interesting.

My review: Haydock and Risden provide a very thorough critique of recent film adaptations of the Old English poem Beowulf. They compare the themes and characters of film against the originals, and most often find the films lacking in one area or another. The book includes 9 sections which cover a range of topics, including the monsters, the classic v. modern hero, gender and social roles, the Other, and the film genre of horror. I am personally a very big fan of the poem, and haven't seen any of the movies referenced in the book. Therefore I can not comment on the authors accuracy in regard to the films, but I did find the themes they discussed very interesting and relevant to today's film industry.

The first Mythgard Academy class of 2014 has been announced: Unfinished Tales by J. R. R. Tolkien.

For anyone who is interested in getting a deeper look at Tolkien's world but may have been intimidated by The Silmarillion this class could be a great intro. Unfinished Tales includes the draft of one long heroic tale, some details about Galadriel, the Rohirrim, and the wizards, and Gandalf's perspective on the beginning of The Hobbit, called "The Quest of Erebor."

The course is completely free, and will start in early January. It will run for roughly 10 weeks, with one 1.5-2 hour session each week. Details should be available soon at www.mythgard.org

Just received a great looking book as a Christmas gift from a friend, The Ring of Words: Tolkien and the Oxford English Dictionary by Peter Gilliver. It's been on my amazon wishlist for a couple years, but I never got around to it. I think that now is the perfect time to read it after my philology course. Will definitely get to it early in 2014.

Looking forward to seeing what else I find tomorrow, including my SantaThing items.

I hope everyone receives a few good books during the holiday season. Happy reading.

I received a pretty good haul this Christmas. In addition to Ring of Words I also received:

Image and Imagination by C. S. Lewis (Santathing)
The Making of Middle-earth: A New Look inside the World of J. R. R. Tolkien
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (Santathing)
The Intellectual World of C. S. Lewis by Alister McGrath
The Atrocity Archives (SantaThing)
and I purchased Ender's World edited by Orson Scott Card with a Barnes and Noble giftcard. I have $25 to spend at Amazon, so there will be several more books to round out the holidays.

My sister got me a translation of The Hobbit when she was in Taiwan this summer. So now I have The Hobbit in Spanish, Latin, and Chinese. She also got me a paperback copy of Through the Looking Glass.

I'm looking forward to starting my 2014 challenge, as several of these books will fit categories.

Ooh, I have The Ocean at the End of the Lane on my TBR pile as well! Nice haul! :)

I managed to finish off 6 more books for December, and make some final additions to categories.

Starfighters of Adumar Book 9 of the X-Wing series

Star Wars Omnibus: The Other Sons of Tatooine and Star Wars Omnibus: Early Victories
Two graphic novels which each contain several stories with various contributing authors and artists.

ArchEnemy by Frank Beddor
The conclusion of the Looking Glass War Trilogy, in which the ultimate battle for Imagination is fought in both Wonderland and on Earth.

The Discovery of Genesis
An interesting linguistic book which I borrowed from a friend, it goes through the ancient Chinese characters and shows how they preserve the Genesis stories. The book covered from Creation to the tower of Babel.

Real by Jamie Snyder
LT Early Reviewer