2021 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

Click HERE for Guidelines and Sign-Ups

The 2021 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge is being hosted by Marg @ The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader. I'm signing up at the "20th Century Reader" level (2 books), and hoping to do a little better than that. During the year, I'll be tracking my progress and keeping my lists on my challenge blog (HERE). 

Wrapping Up 2018: Reading Challenges (Part 1)

I know December is just getting started, but it's such a busy month, I really don't know how much time I can expect to have for reading. So I'm going to go ahead and wrap up a few of the reading challenges I've had going in 2018. As usual, I didn't do as well as I'd hoped -- I did get some reading done but didn't get a lot of reviews written. I could go into all the reasons, but that would drain years from all our lives. So, without further ado....

1. 2018 European Reading Challenge.

This was hosted by Gilion @ Rose City Reader, and I signed up for a total of three books (the "Business Traveler" level). Here's what I read, with links to a couple of reviews:

1. United Kingdom: How to Be Human. Paula Cocozza
2. Ireland / Irish Author: The Dead House. Billy O'Callaghan
3. Italy: A Long Time Coming. Aaron Elkins (set in Milan)

If I had to choose a favorite from these three, I think it would be How to Be Human. A real surprise and not at all what I was expecting. Actually, all of the authors were new to me, and I enjoyed them all. That's one of the things I like about these reading challenges -- the little nudge they give me to try new things.


2. 2018 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge.

Hosted by Amy @ Passages to the Past. My goal was five books ("Victorian Reader"), and I managed to get six read, but didn't review them all. My list:

1. Holmes Entangled. Gordon McAlpine (2018; set in early 20th Century)
2. The Cottingley Secret. Hazel Gaynor (2017; set in early 20th Century)
3. Pale Horse, Pale Rider: Three Short Novels. Katherine Anne Porter (1939; pre-WWI setting)
4. When You Reach Me. Rebecca Stead (2009; set in 1970s) 
5. A Morbid Taste for Bones (Brother Cadfael #1). Ellis Peters (1977; set in Medieval Wales)
6. A Shadow on the Wall. Jonathan Aycliffe (2000; set in Victorian England)

Of the group, I'd probably pick A Shadow on the Wall as my favorite (nice and spooky), but I enjoyed all the others too. Hard to believe I've gone this long without reading one of the Brother Cadfael books, but now I've got another mystery series started.


3. 2018 Mount TBR Reading Challenge.

This annual challenge is hosted by Bev @ My Reader's Block. I signed up at the first level ("Pike's Peak") and wanted to read at least 12 books from my various must-read stacks and shelves. I did pretty well, and actually read 15 books, although I didn't get them all reviewed. What I read:

1. Five Children and It. E. Nesbit 
2. Just Kids. Patti Smith 
3. A Murder Is Announced (Miss Marple #5). Agatha Christie  
4. Vintage Murder (Roderick Alleyn #5). Ngaio Marsh 
5. Time Out of Joint. Philip K. Dick 
6. The Cottingley Secret. Hazel Gaynor 
7. The Quiet American. Graham Greene  
8. Pale Horse, Pale Rider: Three Short Novels. Katherine Anne Porter 
9. At the Mountains of Madness. H.P. Lovecraft 
10. When You Reach Me. Rebecca Stead 
11. The Mystery of the Blue Train (Hercule Poirot #6). Agatha Christie 
12. A Morbid Taste for Bones (Brother Cadfael #1). Ellis Peters 
13. The Night She Died (Inspector Thanet #1). Dorothy Simpson 
14. Last Bus to Woodstock (Inspector Morse #1). Colin Dexter 
15. Last Seen Wearing (Inspector Morse #2). Colin Dexter 

Some really good stuff there, and it would be hard to pick a favorite. I'm very happy the challenge gave me the push I needed to get back to the Inspector Thanet and Inspector Morse books, a couple of the mystery series I've read and enjoyed in the past.

..........

I have a few more challenges I need to wrap up, but I'll save that for a later post. Thanks so much to all the hosts for keeping these going, and to all the other participants for giving me lots of great ideas about what to read next.

2019 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

To sign up:
See the Challenge announcement/sign-up post HERE.

Host: Amy @ Passages to the Past
Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2019

Guidelines:

• Choose your level.
• Read any sub-genre of historical fiction (Historical Romance, Historical Mystery, Historical Fantasy, Young Adult, etc.)
• You don't need a blog to participate.
• There will be a monthly link for reviews.

Levels:

1. 20th Century Reader - 2 books
2. Victorian Reader - 5 books
3. Renaissance Reader - 10 books
4. Medieval - 15 books
5. Ancient History - 25 books
6. Prehistoric - 50+ books

My goal: "Victorian Reader" (5 books).

During the year I'll be tracking my progress and keeping all my lists over on my challenge blog (HERE).

2018 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

Host: Amy @ Passages to the Past 

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2018

Click HERE for guidelines and sign-ups.

My Goal: "Victorian Reader" (5 books)

I usually read quite a bit of historical fiction, and this is always one of my favorite challenges. Didn't really do all that well with it this year, but I'm hoping for better results in 2018. During the year, I'll be tracking my progress over on my challenge blog.

2017 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

Host: Passages to the Past

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2017

Click here for rules and sign-ups

I'm signing up at the Victorian Reader level (5 books). During the year, I'll be tracking my progress HERE on my Challenge blog.

The Port-Wine Stain

Norman Lock
Bellevue Literary Press, 2016; 224 pages

Publisher's Description:

This gothic psychological thriller recounts the story of a young Philadelphian, Edward Fenzil, who, in the winter of 1844, falls under the sway of two luminaries of the nineteenth-century grotesque imagination: Thomas Dent Mütter, a surgeon and collector of medical “curiosities,” and Edgar Allan Poe. 

As Fenzil struggles against the powerful wills that would usurp his identity, including that of his own malevolent doppelgänger, he loses his mind and his story to another.

My Thoughts:

This one disappointed me. I thought it started well, but after a strong beginning, nothing much actually happened until very late in the narrative. I wasn't really expecting a lot of action, but even so, the story seemed to stagnate very early. And it certainly didn't come near the delicious eeriness you get when you're immersed in one of Poe's tales.

However, I did enjoy the writing style ⏤ not a downright copy of E.A. Poe's (and I wasn't really expecting that either), but pleasantly similar. For me, though, the problem was too much style and not enough substance, I'm afraid.

📚 📚 📚 📖 📖 📚 📚 📚

(Full Disclosure: I received my copy of this book from the publisher, through Library Thing's Early Reviewer program, in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received, and no one attempted to influence my opinion.)

📚 📚 📚 📖 📖 📚 📚 📚

● Qualifies for the following reading challenge: 2016 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge.

A Christmas Escape

Anne Perry
Ballantine Books, October 2015
176 pages

Publisher's Description:

Lonely Charles Latterly arrives at his small hotel hoping that the island’s blue skies and gentle breezes will brighten his spirits. Unfortunately, there’s no holiday cheer to be found among his fellow guests, who include a pompous novelist, a stuffy colonel, a dangerously ill-matched married couple, and an ailing old man. The one charming exception is orphaned teenager Candace Finbar, who takes Charles under her wing and introduces him to the island’s beauty. But the tranquility of the holiday is swiftly disrupted by a violent quarrel, an unpleasant gentleman’s shocking claims of being stalked, and the ominous stirrings of the local volcano. Then events take an even darker turn: A body is found, and Charles quickly realizes that the killer must be among the group of guests.

My Thoughts:

Not a great deal to say about this one. A little bit of Christmas in July.

For years now, I've been hearing about Anne Perry's annual Christmas books and they've always sounded very intriguing. A Christmas Escape (set on the Mediterranean island of Stromboli) was my introduction to the series, and it was a happy first experience. I would have been even happier if the mystery had been just a little more — well, mysterious. But even though the whodunnit aspect was less than thrilling, the story in general was charming and held my interest all the way through.

The plot wrapped up a little more quickly than I expected it to, but it's a short book, so I suppose some abruptness is to be expected. Definitely a fast read — I finished in a couple of hours, which is almost unheard of for me. In general, a very pleasant read, and I'll be looking for more of Perry's holiday treats.

📚 📚 📚 📖 📖 📚 📚 📚

(Full Disclosure: I received my copy of A Christmas Escape free of charge, from the publisher, through Library Thing's Early Reviewer program. No other compensation was received, and no one attempted to influence my opinion.)

📚 📚 📚 📖 📖 📚 📚 📚

● Qualifies for the following reading challenges: European Challenge, Historical Fiction Challenge, 2016 Women Challenge.

2016 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

2016 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

Hosted by: Passages to the Past

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2016

This is always one of my favorite challenges, so even though I've already passed the challenge limit I set for myself for next year (yes -- what was I thinking?), I'm in for 2016.

Once again, I'm aiming at "Victorian Reader" (5 books). You can see the other levels and read all the guidelines by visiting the challenge announcement/sign-up post (HERE). During the year, I'll be tracking my progress and doing all my list-keeping over on my challenge blog (HERE).

Challenge Wrap-Up: Historical Fiction 2015

The 2015 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge was hosted by Amy @ Passages to the Past. (Thanks so much, Amy!) I had five books as my goal ("Victorian Reader" level), and actually read eight -- although I didn't manage to get them all reviewed. A pretty successful result, I think.

Here's what I read:

1. As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust (Flavia de Luce #7). Alan Bradley (published 2015 / set around 1950)
2. The Witch of Painted Sorrows. M.J. Rose (published 2015 / set in 19th Century France)
3. A Fine Summer's Day (Inspector Ian Rutledge #17). Charles Todd (published 2015 / set in 1914)
4. The Silence of Ghosts. Jonathan Aycliffe (first published 2013 / set during World War II)
5. The Angel Court Affair (Charlotte and Thomas Pitt #30). Anne Perry (published 2015 / set in Victorian England) 
6. Newport. Jill Morrow (published 2015 / set in 1921) 
7. The Quick. Lauren Owen (published 2014 / set in late 19th Century England) 
8. A Man of Some Repute. Elizabeth Edmondson (published 2015 / set in 1953) 

2015 Historical Fiction Reading Challenges

I've discovered a couple more irresistible reading challenges for 2015.  OK -- I admit it -- just about ALL reading challenges are pretty irresistible to me. So here are another couple I'm signing up for.

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2015

Hosted by: Amy Bruno @ Passages to the Past

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2015

My goal: "Victorian Reader" (5 books)

See the announcement/sign-up post for guidelines

2015 "Reading Through Time" Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 

Hosted by: Amy Yingling @ A Bookish Girl

Dates: January 6 - December 31, 2015

My Goal: "Anthony Doerr" (5 books)

See the announcement/sign-up post for guidelines

At the moment, I'm feeling very brave and the year is new and I'm not bogged down just yet, so I'm thinking I'll try to read different books for each of these. But, in reality, I'll probably be doing some crossing over. Just have to see what develops. As the year goes along, I'll be tracking my progress over on my challenge blog (HERE).

Challenge Wrap-Up: 2014 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

2014 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

Hosted by: Historical Tapestry
Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2014

I signed up at the second level, "Victorian Reader" (5 books).

Here's what I read (still working on reviews):

1. Coup de Grâce. Marguerite Yourcenar (first published 1931; set in the last years of the first World War)
2. Midnight in Europe. Alan Furst (first published 2013; set mostly in France during 1937) 
3. The Two Hotel Francforts. David Leavitt (first published 2013; set in Portugal in 1940) 
4. The Mist in the Mirror. Susan Hill (first published 1992; set in England, early 20th Century)
5. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches (Flavia de Luce #6). Alan Bradley (first published 2014; set in England in 1951) 

I'm a little surprised I didn't read more books that would qualify for this challenge, since historical fiction is one of my favorite genres. And, as usual, I'm lagging WAY behind in my review-writing. Still, I did hit my quota mark, and definitely enjoyed the challenge. Much thanks to everyone involved in this one.

2014 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

Hosted by: Historical Tapestry
Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2014
See the challenge announcement page for full guidelines and sign-ups

I do read quite a bit of historical fiction, but I really think one of the main reasons I keep signing up for this challenge is so I can display those amazing buttons!  And this one's another winner.   Isn't that gorgeous?  

So, I'm signing up again this year.  I'm going to stay conservative and sign up at the Victorian Reader level (5 books).  Haven't decided on any specific books yet, but during the year I'll be tracking my progress over on my challenge blog (HERE). 

2013 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: Wrap-Up

Isn't that a wonderful button?

The 2013 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge was hosted by Historical Tapestry.  I signed up at the "Victorian Reader" level (read five books), and actually read seven books that would qualify.  As usual, I haven't managed to review ALL of them (I might work on that in the next couple of days), but here's my list, with links to the reviews that I did get written:

1. The Heat of the Sun. David Rain
2. The Flamethrowers. Rachel Kushner 
3. Clea. Lawrence Durrell 
4. Is This Tomorrow. Caroline Leavitt (review to come)
5. A Fatal Likeness. Lyn Shepherd (review to come)
6. The Shooting Party. Isabel Colegate  
7. The 13 Clocks. James Thurber 

I was hoping to do a little better than that - this is one of my favorite challenges, and I want to say thank you to the challenge hosts.  If there's a 2014 edition of the challenge, maybe I can give it another try. 

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2012

One more. Don't know how I missed this one. I enjoyed the 2011 Historical Fiction Challenge so much, I really can't pass up the 2012 edition. The challenge is hosted by Historical Tapestry, and runs throughout 2012. You can see all the guidelines on the challenge announcement page here. I'm signing up at the "Daring and Curious" level, so I'll be reading at least five books. Don't know what I'll be reading yet, but during the year I'll be tracking my progress on my challenge blog here.

And a Few More Wrap-Ups

Hosted by Joanne at Booklover Book Reviews
Dates: 1 January - 31 December, 2011
Objective: Read and review books written by Australian Authors

I signed up at the "Tourist" level, and read three books:

1. Picnic at Hanging Rock. Joan Lindsay
   
2. The Seance. John Harwood
   
3. My Brilliant Career. Miles Franklin
   

Loved this challenge -- thanks so much to Joanne for hosting. The three books I read were some of my favorites from this year's reading, and a couple of them (Picnic at Hanging Rock and My Brilliant Career) had been on my TBR list for decades.

Hosted by Yvonne of Socrates' Book Reviews
Dates: 1 January - 31 December, 2011

I signed up at the "Snoop" level, and read six books:

1. Whisker of Evil. Rita Mae Brown
   
2. Malice in Miniature. Jeanne M. Dams
3. Mrs. Malory and the Fatal Legacy. Hazel Holt
   
4. Mrs. Malory and a Time to Die. Hazel Holt
5. Quiet As a Nun. Antonia Fraser
6. The Killings at Badger's Drift. Caroline Graham
   

Many thanks to Yvonne too, for hosting this one. I love mysteries, and while I didn't exactly cruise through the cozies for this, I still enjoyed all the books I read. Still trying to catch up on reviews (what else is new?), but I've included links to those that exist.

Hosted by Historical Tapestry
Dates: 1 January - 31 December, 2011

I signed up at level four ("Daring & Curious"), and committed to five books. Actually read seven:

1. The Anatomy of Ghosts. Andrew Taylor
2. The Girl Who Would Speak for the Dead. Paul Elwork
   
3. Mr. Chartwell. Rebecca Hunt
   
4. Picnic at Hanging Rock. Joan Lindsay
   
5. The Winter Ghosts. Kate Mosse
   
6. The Seance. John Harwood
7. Alice I Have Been. Melanie Benjamin
   

I had some misgivings about signing up for this one -- didn't think of myself as a fan of historical fiction; but as it turned out, I had a lot of fun with it. Thanks so much to Historical Tapestry for hosting.

Challenges for 2011, Part 3

Well, here we are - nearly at the end of December; and I'm still several books away from my fifty-book goal for the year. I should be reading, right? But instead, I've been cruising around, looking at all the new reading challenges in the works for 2011. And, lo and behold, I managed to find a few more that are just too interesting to pass up. I really should have a keeper looking after me.

ARC Reading Challenge 2011

1 January - 31 December 2011
Four reading levels: 12 or fewer books, 24, 25, 30 or more
Host: Teddy Rose of So Many Precious Books, So Little Time
See the announcement/sign-up page here.
✸ This is an extremely useful challenge, and I'm so glad it's being offered again in 2011. I'm still working through my list for the 2010 edition of the challenge, but I'm definitely signing up for this one.

Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge 2011

1 January - 31 December 2011
Three levels: 1-6, 7-12, 13 or more books
Host: Yvonne of Socrates' Book Review Blog
See the announcement/sign-up page here.
✸ I love cozy mysteries, so this one should be no problem at all. Even so, I think I'll probably be signing up at the first level (1-6 books).

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2011

1 January - 31 December 2011
Five levels: 2, 5, 10, 15, or 20 books
Host: Historical Tapestry
See the announcement/sign-up page here.
✸ I had to think about this one for a while. I always maintain that I don't read much historical fiction (even though I do enjoy it), but when I got to looking at my list of books for this year, I realized that several of them would qualify in that category. Any kind of historical fiction is acceptable, so I'm signing up, and I think I'll probably go for the "Daring & Curious" level (5 books).

TBR Lite Challenge 2011

1 January - 31 December 2011
Three different reading options; and you should have a list of possible books posted (see mine here).
Host: Miz B
See the announcement/sign-up page here.
✸ Another highly useful challenge. I like this "lite" version because I'm really bad about sticking to plans and schedules when it comes to reading. TBR Lite allows me to change my mind and move things around as needed. There's also a Yahoo group for the challenge (here), where participants can chat about their reading. I'm going to be signing up for Option B (read six books in twelve months). I don't have a specific list for this challenge yet, but I've got "to-be-read" lists posted at Good Reads (here) and Shelfari (here), and I'll be taking my books for the challenge from those.

OK, those are definitely the last challenges I'll be signing up for in 2011. That is, until I find another tempting possibility. (You knew that was coming, right?) During the year, I'll be updating my progress on my challenge blog, here.