This year I have decided that I won’t be doing any book judging – other than the free-for-all in the Ditmars and Hugo Awards (although even then I’m still debating whether to vote in the Hugos… I’ll nominate, but the cost for voting in the Hugos this year is $70AU when you take the price increase and how poorly the Aussie dollar is doing this year…)
Since 2011 I have participated in judging and it’s all becoming a bit much. 2011/2012 I judged collections/anthologies in the Aurealis Awards. 2014/2014 I judged fantasy novels, and in 2014 I also did half a stint as a replacement judge in the Australian Children’s Book Council awards, which was well over 300 books. In 2015 I was one of the judges in the first running of the Sara Award to find the best Australian Speculative Fiction series finished between 2011-2014 which resulted in another couple of hundred books.
I haven’t done any proper gaming in years, I haven’t read for enjoyment in an age (as I also tried to keep up reviewing throughout), and I want to do more knitting and learn to crochet and quilt. I need a break! But I also want to keep reading and reading widely, so I’ll be doing a few reading challenges. My friend Rebecka on goodreads started up the group A Challenge of Relative Ease and Merriment and I joined right away.
The challenge is to read:
- a book written by a woman
- a book written by a man
- a book released in 2016
- a book released before you were born
- a non-fiction book
- a book for children
- a YA book
- a book for adults
- a microhistory
- a romance
- a fantastical book (fantasy, sci fi, supernatural, etc)
- a mystery
- a book of contemporary fiction
- a book of historical fiction
- a graphic novel
- a book you bought before the start of 2016 but never got around to reading
- a book recommended by someone you know (friend, family, teacher, coworker, etc)
- a collection of short stories
- an award winning book
- a banned book
If you wish to join us, the goodreads group is located here.
Now I need to think of what books are the perfect fit, that I’ve been meaning to read for an age!
ventureadlaxre 