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

justifiedsinner

Posted 2016-01-02 2:00 PM (#12253)
Subject: 2016 12 in 12

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This is this years's thread.

Saw the suggestion about all 25 awards as a reading level. Might be a bit much. What do other people think?

bazhsw

Posted 2016-01-02 2:09 PM (#12257 - in reply to #12253)
Subject: Re: 2016 12 in 12

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Posts: 93

Hi justified - I'm in this one this year and yes 25 is a bit much and for me probably challenging to hit. That said, I may just have a crack at it anyway.

For the 12 in 12 I'm going to start off with Hugo winner 'The Three-Body Problem' by Cixin Liu. For me, it seems like the premise is almost like what I imagine 'classic' Sci-Fi to be and a nice revisiting of First Contact. I'll review every book read this year and I do feel pretty excited and positive that this one is a good one to start off with.

Weesam

Posted 2016-01-02 3:47 PM (#12259 - in reply to #12257)
Subject: Re: 2016 12 in 12

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Hi Justified

Glad to see this you are bringing this one back again. Doing one book for each award in the database sounds like fun. I'd do it.

justifiedsinner

Posted 2016-01-03 5:49 AM (#12268 - in reply to #12253)
Subject: Re: 2016 12 in 12

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Okay - since I'm only allowed 4 levels I'm going to drop the lowest one.

bazhsw

Posted 2016-01-03 6:24 AM (#12270 - in reply to #12268)
Subject: Re: 2016 12 in 12

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Great Justified - I'm going for the 25 then! Can't wait!

justifiedsinner

Posted 2016-01-16 8:52 AM (#12414 - in reply to #12253)
Subject: Re: 2016 12 in 12

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Increased the top number to 26 to include the new Tiptree Award listing.

bazhsw

Posted 2016-01-16 9:26 AM (#12415 - in reply to #12414)
Subject: Re: 2016 12 in 12

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Posts: 93

Excellent stuff, Justified, going to go for it!

kristibpatterson

Posted 2016-02-01 11:27 AM (#12550 - in reply to #12253)
Subject: Re: 2016 12 in 12

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Posts: 18

Location: Atlanta, GA

My first RYO challenge!!
I have been holding out on joining a challenge since I feel my reading speed pretty much sucks. But what the heck. I'll give it a go! And quickly getting through Joyce Carol Oates' Zombie didn't hurt either! I'm always leaning toward reading award winning books, so this challenge seem to be a great fit for my first one.

Happy reading!
Kristi

bazhsw

Posted 2016-02-01 12:29 PM (#12552 - in reply to #12253)
Subject: Re: 2016 12 in 12

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Posts: 93

Good for you Kristi! The cool thing about the challenges are the Reading levels, which of course you can change if you find you are reading more or less. Every year I am conscious that I want to sign up for lots of challenges but can really only devote to one.. Please let us know how you get on!

kristibpatterson

Posted 2016-02-01 12:59 PM (#12553 - in reply to #12552)
Subject: Re: 2016 12 in 12

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Location: Atlanta, GA

Will do! Thanks for the support!

justifiedsinner

Posted 2016-02-02 9:23 AM (#12565 - in reply to #12253)
Subject: Re: 2016 12 in 12

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Welcome Kristi and good luck!

bazhsw

Posted 2016-02-02 4:02 PM (#12571 - in reply to #12565)
Subject: Re: 2016 12 in 12

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Posts: 93

(Just over) one month in and I'm already behind schedule - whoops! However there is plenty of time to get back on track and I've had some hefty non-challenge reads this month. I finished Cixin Liu's 'The Three-Body Problem' today. I'll put a review up on site probably tomorrow but I have mixed thoughts on the book - some elements were excellent, yet a lot of the hard SF was just 'science-babble' for me.

12 in 12 Challenge 2016

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu (Hugo winner) 2.5 / 5

bazhsw

Posted 2016-02-06 9:42 AM (#12608 - in reply to #12253)
Subject: Re: 2016 12 in 12

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Posts: 93

I finished Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer this afternoon and have to say it's a great book, I'll definitely put a review up soon (still, haven't done one for 'Three-Body' yet!) I'm still not sure what the book was about but I definitely want to read the rest of the trilogy. It's a psychological horror sci-fi book which is almost Lovecraftian in it's depth. A background of an ecological disaster and an expedition into the danger zone only goes some way to understanding this. VanderMeer has a wonderful imagination and conveys it with his writing. Really enjoyed this one.

Ann Leckie's Ancillary Sword next which should be fun as I quite enjoyed Ancillary Justice.

12 in 12 Challenge 2016

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu (Hugo winner) 2.5 / 5
Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer (Nebula / Shirley Jackson winner) 4.5 / 5

kristibpatterson

Posted 2016-02-15 2:26 PM (#12689 - in reply to #12253)
Subject: Re: 2016 12 in 12

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Posts: 18

Location: Atlanta, GA

I finished Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke last night. One of those books it seems everyone else on this planet has read but me! A good quick read - even for a slow reader like me. I can see why it is on all those lists. It was and engaging ride that left me with questions that didn't bother me. A true classic that all fans of SF should read.

bazhsw

Posted 2016-02-15 5:25 PM (#12690 - in reply to #12253)
Subject: Re: 2016 12 in 12

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Posts: 93

Cool Kristi - haven't read that one and it's great to see it's a thumbs up from you!

bazhsw

Posted 2016-02-17 1:54 PM (#12712 - in reply to #12253)
Subject: Re: 2016 12 in 12

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Posts: 93

I finished Ancillary Sword today. I was a little bit disappointed with it to be honest, particularly as I thought Ancillary Justice was fantastic. I enjoy the world building and development but one could almost sleep through this novel. Not a lot happens in the book really. I read a review on Goodreads that suggested this was Downton Abbey in space and whilst this may be a little unkind I can see where the reviewer was coming from. I'm still with the series and would like to read Ancillary Mercy but I wasn't particularly overawed.

12 in 12 Challenge 2016

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu (Hugo winner) 2.5 / 5
Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer (Nebula / Shirley Jackson winner) 4.5 / 5
Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie (BSFA / Locus SF winner) 3 / 5

bazhsw

Posted 2016-02-28 3:08 PM (#12860 - in reply to #12253)
Subject: Re: 2016 12 in 12

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Posts: 93

I finished 'Tales From Rugosa Coven' by Sarah Avery today. The book is a series of interlinked novellas based on a coven of modern day witches based in New Jersey. After a shaky start where I thought I wouldn't enjoy the book I really got into the end of the first novella before really enjoying the second and third novellas. I really liked the characterisation as the witches all seemed very real people, with very real problems (and a fair few magical ones). I really have to like characters to enjoy a novel and if I'm being honest quite a few of the characters weren't particularly likeable, but this is where I think Avery has done a good job, they are really well developed and authentic, so despite not 'liking' or identifying with a few characters I could really enjoy them. Avery has really done her research and has presented a world where paganism is a little more accepted and magic is real whilst firmly being rooted in today. I've been very sceptical in older years and this book has made me interested in all the estoric things I read about in my teens. Very pleasantly surprised by this.

12 in 12 Challenge 2016

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu (Hugo winner) 2.5 / 5
Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer (Nebula / Shirley Jackson winner) 4.5 / 5
Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie (BSFA / Locus SF winner) 3 / 5
Tales From Rugosa Coven by Sarah Avery (Mythopoeic winner) 4 / 5

bazhsw

Posted 2016-03-04 3:35 PM (#12888 - in reply to #12253)
Subject: Re: 2016 12 in 12

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Posts: 93

I've finished reading 'Redshirts' by John Scalzi today which is another double award winner (Hugo / Locus SF). Many reviews go into detail about what the book is about and I think I am going to find it hard to review without spoilers but I will say I found it very funny, very clever with a couple of significant plot twists which take the book in different directions. It is a light read and one needs to switch their brain off a little to follow the logic of the book but that doesn't denigrate from one's enjoyment. It's funny and quirky and very 'meta'. I'm keen to read more of Scalzi after this.

12 in 12 Challenge 2016

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu (Hugo winner) 2.5 / 5
Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer (Nebula / Shirley Jackson winner) 4.5 / 5
Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie (BSFA / Locus SF winner) 3 / 5
Tales From Rugosa Coven by Sarah Avery (Mythopoeic winner) 4 / 5
Redshirts by John Scalzi (Hugo / Locus SF winner) 4 / 5

justifiedsinner

Posted 2016-03-09 8:06 AM (#12934 - in reply to #12253)
Subject: Re: 2016 12 in 12

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Updated the top level to 27 in order to include the Aurora Award. The finish line keeps getting further and further away.

bazhsw

Posted 2016-03-09 8:38 AM (#12935 - in reply to #12934)
Subject: Re: 2016 12 in 12

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Posts: 93

One more to the list. We've just hit March and I'm 5 books in so just about on target. Currently reading 'No one gets out alive' by Adam Nevill and it's amazing - one problem is the 650 pages length! Going to be interesting to see if I can stay the pace, particularly with the non-genre stuff I like to read!

bazhsw

Posted 2016-03-12 3:46 PM (#12976 - in reply to #12253)
Subject: Re: 2016 12 in 12

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Posts: 93

'No One Gets Out Alive' is my favourite book this year. From the first page the reader is thrust into a 'haunted house' novel and it is relentless, over nearly 650 pages. It is so much more than a Ghost story, indeed ghosts are the least of the protagonists problems. It captures the desperation and desolation of working class young people in the UK with no options. It captures perfectly the psychology of the slum lord and the psychopath. Frightening, chilling and malevolent. Not a pleasant read but a gripping one - loved it.

12 in 12 Challenge 2016

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu (Hugo winner) 2.5 / 5
Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer (Nebula / Shirley Jackson winner) 4.5 / 5
Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie (BSFA / Locus SF winner) 3 / 5
Tales From Rugosa Coven by Sarah Avery (Mythopoeic winner) 4 / 5
Redshirts by John Scalzi (Hugo / Locus SF winner) 4 / 5
No One Gets Out Alive (August Derleth winner) 5 / 5

kristibpatterson

Posted 2016-03-14 7:41 AM (#12986 - in reply to #12976)
Subject: Re: 2016 12 in 12

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Posts: 18

Location: Atlanta, GA

I'll have to add that to my reading list. I love a good horror novel. Thanks for the tip!

bazhsw

Posted 2016-03-16 5:15 PM (#12997 - in reply to #12253)
Subject: Re: 2016 12 in 12

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Posts: 93

Well it gets a big thumbs up from me Kristi - I did notice there are only two ratings on here. One person gave it 0.5 stars and I've given 5 stars so it's clearly one that may divide opinion. I've stuck a review up on the main site.

kristibpatterson

Posted 2016-03-18 10:11 AM (#13009 - in reply to #12253)
Subject: Re: 2016 12 in 12

Member

Posts: 18

Location: Atlanta, GA

Cherie Priest's 'Boneshaker' is now completed! Fairly fun ride into a zombie filled steampunkish world. I'll definitely be reading more in the series in the future.
3 books down for the challenge!

bazhsw

Posted 2016-03-19 1:25 AM (#13018 - in reply to #12253)
Subject: Re: 2016 12 in 12

Regular

Posts: 93

Sounds good Kristi, had my eye on this for a while but never got round to picking it up.

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