Good news on the GLBT side of things. I have a co-host. I'm super excited. She'll be introducing herself soon.
And, for the month of April, please link up!
Cheers.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
April Reviews
Hey guys! I hope that everyone had a trickster-free April Fool's Day. I have to admit, I was hardly creative enough to come up with a good joke. Am I growing lamer in my old age?
Good news on the GLBT side of things. I have a co-host. I'm super excited. She'll be introducing herself soon.
And, for the month of April, please link up!
Cheers.
Good news on the GLBT side of things. I have a co-host. I'm super excited. She'll be introducing herself soon.
And, for the month of April, please link up!
Cheers.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Introduction
Hey there!
I thought I would take a quick moment to introduce myself 'cuz the idea of me being like the Wizard of Oz on this blog seems foolish. *grin*
My name is christina and I've been blogging at Reading Thru The Night for a little over two years. I love the blogging community and everyone that I've gotten to know because of it. I'm excited about taking over Amanda's baby project (shout out love to my girl!) and hope that you guys are patient while I learn a few things about hosting a challenge.
First one on my list is Mr. Linky. It's my hopes to have the new Mr. Linky up and running in the next couple of days. I have a spot for reviews quarterly. If you don't have a blog, you can still join in the fun by posting reviews on Goodreads or LibraryThing and linking them from there.
I'm playing around with some other ideas (possibly mini challenges, participant spotlights, etc.). We shall see.
Finally, I thought I'd open up the forum and see if there are any out there interested in co-hosting with me. Because this challenge is such special to both Amanda and me, I'd really like to hear why you'd want to host....
There's been a couple of people who have sorta nudged me, but I thought I'd open it up here.
Please email me at ReadingThruTheNight (at) gmail (dot) com to tell me that you're interested and maybe a little bit about yourself.
Cheers!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Call for Challenge Co-host
Hello everyone,
I've been running this GLBT Reading Challenge since mid-2009 and it's time for me to hand the reigns to someone else. Christina from Reading Thru the Night has agreed to take over the challenge, but we're also looking for a co-host to help her along. If anyone is interested, please leave a comment here!
The current Linky for reviews and sign-up will be closed because they're under my account, but new ones will be added for future sign-ups and reviews! If you come by in the meantime and there is no Linky, feel free to add your link in the comment section.
Thanks to all of you who have made the last two years of this challenge wonderful!
Amanda
I've been running this GLBT Reading Challenge since mid-2009 and it's time for me to hand the reigns to someone else. Christina from Reading Thru the Night has agreed to take over the challenge, but we're also looking for a co-host to help her along. If anyone is interested, please leave a comment here!
The current Linky for reviews and sign-up will be closed because they're under my account, but new ones will be added for future sign-ups and reviews! If you come by in the meantime and there is no Linky, feel free to add your link in the comment section.
Thanks to all of you who have made the last two years of this challenge wonderful!
Amanda
Sunday, February 13, 2011
January Wrap Up
Hey folks!
So, right before (or right after?) the clock struck midnight and another GLBT challenge was upon us, I asked Amanda if it'd be cool if I aggregated reviews in a similar fashion that Weekly Geeks has done. I always thought it was rather spiffy being able to glance at a post which highlighted what participants had to say.
Suffice it to say, I've been overwhelmed this month (and it doesn't help that February is so short), which is why we'renearly OFFICIALLY halfway through February and the post STILL hasn't been written!
I'm kinda learning as a go with the set up of these posts, so feedback is totally welcomed and appreciated.
OK. First. It looks like we have had 32 reviews posted this month. How many of you are like me and forgot to link your reviews?
Megan began our list with What They Always Tell Us. She found reviews of this book on Goodreads and says: "I read this in an evening after putting the kids to bed. I LOVED this book. It was easy to read- even with the viewpoint changing back and forth" I think it's always impressive when a book can captivate like that.
Trisha read a fave of mine, will grayson, will grayson. She felt "The set up of the story is clever without feeling contrived" and "Another point in favor of the story is the hilarity. I laughed. On a lounge chair, by the pool, with family and a whole bunch of strangers around. What can I say? It was a funny book." Pink Sheep Cafe also read will grayson, will grayson in January. It was chosen for making the short list for GLBT books. Although not too fond of the ending, " In the end, I found I wasn’t a really big fan of the conclusion, which seemed a little too corny for my tastes, but the emotions this work elicited helped me to see beyond some of the flaws in the storyline.", the story had an overall impact.
Amanda read Mrs. Craddock by one of her favorite authors, William Somerset Maugham. The book is filled with important themes: "This is a book about an unequal marraige, about the contrast between expectations and reality, and about disillusionment. It’s an adult coming-of-age story of sorts." Amanda's last review for January is If You Follow Me. Set in Japan, author "Watrous did a fantastic job of making me feel like [she] too, was an outsider visiting Japan and bumbling about while trying to figure out the rules and regulations that made up this new-to-me world." and ultimately, "The fact that these two women are in a relationship is not the central focus of the book, which is what really interested me."
Denise went on a search for lesbian fiction and picked up Wildthorn. Overall not adoring the book, she did say there were "some nice twists".
Ryan G read and reviewed The Metropolis Case and was "giddy" with the opportunity. And although he "couldn't buy the story" he did find the story to be "beautifully written" and the author "truly does have a lyrical quality".
Orange Sorbet picked up Unbearable Lightness by Portia De Rossi. She felt the writing was honest, but "still felt there were a fair number of loose ends that needed to be tied up." Next on her list was The Price of Salt. Even though it was controversial in the 1950's Orange Sorbet "liked the book, but wasn't enamored by it".
Bibrary BookSlut read a comic collection of Batwoman: Elgy. The final verdict? "Gay or straight, male of female, if you don’t come away from this story without respecting and admiring the Batwoman, then clearly you’re on the wrong side . . . and will likely be getting a blood-red boot to the chest in a future issue" Bibrary Bookslut also read Almost Perfect.
"I could write an essay about this book, what it meant to me, and how I feel about it. I loved it and I hated it. I was afraid to read another chapter, and I never wanted it to end. and had a very powerful reaction to it."
Pink Sheep Cafe reviewed Troll: A Love Story. In a nutshell, "I have never been much for fairy tales, and surely what this story amounts to is a Finnish fairy tale, but I have to admit, as odd as this story was, I enjoyed it immensely..." Amanda also read Troll and felt "it was one of the most bizarre stories" she's read in a long time.
Trisha's up next with Annabel and found it to be more of a miss than a hit: "I was just bored. I know I should have enjoyed this one: the subject is fascinating and important, covering intersexuality and gender construction. And yet, I was just bored." Jumpstart the World was entirely different, "I loved the delicate nature of this book." Finally, she also enjoyed the Immortal Instruments series.
Cass read The Bad and the Beautiful: Hollywood in the 50's. Overall she "loved the topic and the writing" but found "the lack of detail frustrating."
Memory reviewed the popular The Girl Who Played with Fire and found the story to be "compulsively readable." Memory also posted about a series tie-in, called Glimpses. Overall, she "enjoyed all the stories, though I’d caution you to expect a fill-in-the-gaps approach rather than your standard short story structure."
The Literature Shrew showcases a new author, Jordan Castillo Price and finds the novels "highly entertaining and addictive".
Natazz picked up The Mermaids Singing and feels that it is a "good crime novel, not a great or outstanding one."
Lifetime Reader is kickin' it old school reviewing Gilgamesh which emotionally affected her "when [she] hit the final lines."
Jackie grabbed Am I Blue? Coming Out From the Silence. This was an important piece in young adult literature. In 1994 "it was the first anthology of YA fiction devoted to lesbian and gay themes."
This Fleeting Dream reviewed the fantasy book, Swordspoint, and mentions that it "is quite a long book, and it took me a couple of weeks to finish it." but "the novel was really enjoyable, and beautifully written, with just the right amount of descriptive detail, in my opinion"
Flamingo House Happenings picked up a humorous book, Greetings From Jamaica, Wish You Were Queer and "was completely amused".
Paper Adventures read a romance book, Landing. It appears that it has integrity, "Emma Donoghue's characters always feel very real and believable and this story depicts lesbians and their lives in a normal, intelligent and very accessible way."
Bibliojunkie read the book Quicksand and found it "hard to write this review without revealing the plot". Ultimately she found the book to be "one of the most bold and graphic book[s] I have ever read to-date."
Book Gazing picked up for the Indie Lit Awards, Scars. *But* she didn't want to make it obvious which of the "books shortlisted she was keen or not keen on" Instead she shared what she liked and didn't like followed with a couple of questions.
Lastly, Book Obsessed shared thoughts on paranormal romance, Just a Taste of Me. Love at first sight? Turns into an "enjoyable read".
Allrighty that about rounds up January for us. I hope (a) I didn't have too many typos and (b) my February round up will occur earlier than March 15th.
Happy Valentine's to everyone. <3
Cheers.
So, right before (or right after?) the clock struck midnight and another GLBT challenge was upon us, I asked Amanda if it'd be cool if I aggregated reviews in a similar fashion that Weekly Geeks has done. I always thought it was rather spiffy being able to glance at a post which highlighted what participants had to say.
Suffice it to say, I've been overwhelmed this month (and it doesn't help that February is so short), which is why we're
I'm kinda learning as a go with the set up of these posts, so feedback is totally welcomed and appreciated.
OK. First. It looks like we have had 32 reviews posted this month. How many of you are like me and forgot to link your reviews?
Megan began our list with What They Always Tell Us. She found reviews of this book on Goodreads and says: "I read this in an evening after putting the kids to bed. I LOVED this book. It was easy to read- even with the viewpoint changing back and forth" I think it's always impressive when a book can captivate like that.
Trisha read a fave of mine, will grayson, will grayson. She felt "The set up of the story is clever without feeling contrived" and "Another point in favor of the story is the hilarity. I laughed. On a lounge chair, by the pool, with family and a whole bunch of strangers around. What can I say? It was a funny book." Pink Sheep Cafe also read will grayson, will grayson in January. It was chosen for making the short list for GLBT books. Although not too fond of the ending, " In the end, I found I wasn’t a really big fan of the conclusion, which seemed a little too corny for my tastes, but the emotions this work elicited helped me to see beyond some of the flaws in the storyline.", the story had an overall impact.
Amanda read Mrs. Craddock by one of her favorite authors, William Somerset Maugham. The book is filled with important themes: "This is a book about an unequal marraige, about the contrast between expectations and reality, and about disillusionment. It’s an adult coming-of-age story of sorts." Amanda's last review for January is If You Follow Me. Set in Japan, author "Watrous did a fantastic job of making me feel like [she] too, was an outsider visiting Japan and bumbling about while trying to figure out the rules and regulations that made up this new-to-me world." and ultimately, "The fact that these two women are in a relationship is not the central focus of the book, which is what really interested me."
Denise went on a search for lesbian fiction and picked up Wildthorn. Overall not adoring the book, she did say there were "some nice twists".
Ryan G read and reviewed The Metropolis Case and was "giddy" with the opportunity. And although he "couldn't buy the story" he did find the story to be "beautifully written" and the author "truly does have a lyrical quality".
Orange Sorbet picked up Unbearable Lightness by Portia De Rossi. She felt the writing was honest, but "still felt there were a fair number of loose ends that needed to be tied up." Next on her list was The Price of Salt. Even though it was controversial in the 1950's Orange Sorbet "liked the book, but wasn't enamored by it".
Bibrary BookSlut read a comic collection of Batwoman: Elgy. The final verdict? "Gay or straight, male of female, if you don’t come away from this story without respecting and admiring the Batwoman, then clearly you’re on the wrong side . . . and will likely be getting a blood-red boot to the chest in a future issue" Bibrary Bookslut also read Almost Perfect.
"I could write an essay about this book, what it meant to me, and how I feel about it. I loved it and I hated it. I was afraid to read another chapter, and I never wanted it to end. and had a very powerful reaction to it."
Pink Sheep Cafe reviewed Troll: A Love Story. In a nutshell, "I have never been much for fairy tales, and surely what this story amounts to is a Finnish fairy tale, but I have to admit, as odd as this story was, I enjoyed it immensely..." Amanda also read Troll and felt "it was one of the most bizarre stories" she's read in a long time.
Trisha's up next with Annabel and found it to be more of a miss than a hit: "I was just bored. I know I should have enjoyed this one: the subject is fascinating and important, covering intersexuality and gender construction. And yet, I was just bored." Jumpstart the World was entirely different, "I loved the delicate nature of this book." Finally, she also enjoyed the Immortal Instruments series.
Cass read The Bad and the Beautiful: Hollywood in the 50's. Overall she "loved the topic and the writing" but found "the lack of detail frustrating."
Memory reviewed the popular The Girl Who Played with Fire and found the story to be "compulsively readable." Memory also posted about a series tie-in, called Glimpses. Overall, she "enjoyed all the stories, though I’d caution you to expect a fill-in-the-gaps approach rather than your standard short story structure."
The Literature Shrew showcases a new author, Jordan Castillo Price and finds the novels "highly entertaining and addictive".
Natazz picked up The Mermaids Singing and feels that it is a "good crime novel, not a great or outstanding one."
Lifetime Reader is kickin' it old school reviewing Gilgamesh which emotionally affected her "when [she] hit the final lines."
Jackie grabbed Am I Blue? Coming Out From the Silence. This was an important piece in young adult literature. In 1994 "it was the first anthology of YA fiction devoted to lesbian and gay themes."
This Fleeting Dream reviewed the fantasy book, Swordspoint, and mentions that it "is quite a long book, and it took me a couple of weeks to finish it." but "the novel was really enjoyable, and beautifully written, with just the right amount of descriptive detail, in my opinion"
Flamingo House Happenings picked up a humorous book, Greetings From Jamaica, Wish You Were Queer and "was completely amused".
Paper Adventures read a romance book, Landing. It appears that it has integrity, "Emma Donoghue's characters always feel very real and believable and this story depicts lesbians and their lives in a normal, intelligent and very accessible way."
Bibliojunkie read the book Quicksand and found it "hard to write this review without revealing the plot". Ultimately she found the book to be "one of the most bold and graphic book[s] I have ever read to-date."
Book Gazing picked up for the Indie Lit Awards, Scars. *But* she didn't want to make it obvious which of the "books shortlisted she was keen or not keen on" Instead she shared what she liked and didn't like followed with a couple of questions.
Lastly, Book Obsessed shared thoughts on paranormal romance, Just a Taste of Me. Love at first sight? Turns into an "enjoyable read".
Allrighty that about rounds up January for us. I hope (a) I didn't have too many typos and (b) my February round up will occur earlier than March 15th.
Happy Valentine's to everyone. <3
Cheers.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
GLBT 2011 Challenge Reviews
Hi everyone! Here is where you can link up to your GLBT reviews in 2011. Remember, the more you link up, the better chance you have to win the prize drawing at the end of the year. :)
Here's to a wonderful year!
Note: Please leave your review's direct URL in the Linky. Non-specific links or links to a blog's home page will be deleted. If you are looking to sign up for the challenge, you may do that on the Challenge Post.
*****SECOND NOTE: The original Linky is now closed and a new one will be added soon. If you would like to link to a review in the meantime, please leave your link in comments.******
Friday, December 31, 2010
GLBT Challenge 2011
Welcome to the GLBT Challenge 2011!
The Challenge that Dare Not Speak its Name...
Rules/Guidelines:
The basic idea of this challenge is to read books about GLBT topics and/or by GLBT authors.
The challenge runs year-round as usual, but instead of requiring a certain number of books, this year I'm handling this challenge in a more do-it-yourself sort of fashion. You set your own goal. It doesn't matter if that goal is 1 book, 10 books, a percentage of your books, or to read from various age groups/genres. Your goal is completely up to you. Design this the way you want. Make it work for you. The important thing here is simply to get us reading GLBT lit.
You don't need to choose your books right away, and they can change at any time. Overlaps with other challenges are fine.
In January, I will put up a review linky. Those links help serve as a reference for others. They are also how I will track participants for the end of year prize drawing. For each book you review and link up, the greater your chance will be at winning. At the end of 2011, I will use random.org to select one participant - from the review linky - to win a book of their choice (up to $20) from the Book Depository.
If you're interested in participating in this challenge, sign in to the Linky below. You may sign up at any time of the year!
*****PLEASE NOTE: This linky is to sign up for the challenge only, not to post reviews. Please post your reviews (with direct URL) on the Review Linky. Links to reviews on the sign up page will be deleted.*****
*****SECOND NOTE: The original Linky is now closed and a new one will be added soon. If you would like to sign up in the meantime, please leave your link in comments.******
Feel free to use either of the buttons above!
Background image on the second button thanks to Mind on Fire, courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons.
Monday, December 6, 2010
December Mini-Challenge
The December mini-challenge here at the Challenge That Dare Not Speak Its Name is all about poetry. We would like you to read some poetry that is either GLBT-themed or by a GLBT author. This can be anything from a single poem to a book of poetry to an epic poem. We would love to see your links about poetry in the Mr. Linky below.
If anyone would like to volunteer to do a guest post on GLBT-related poetry, please contact us - our emails are in the sidebar!
PS - Sorry to be posting this so late!
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