Sunday, June 22, 2008

Once Upon a Time II Quest Complete

This year, I once again joined Carl's Once Upon a Time Challenge. And this year, I completed it!! Gosh, it feels good to complete a challenge!



The Journey

This is really as simple as the name implies and is to Once Upon a Time as the experience was to The Sci~Fi Experience. It means you are participating but not committing yourself to any specific number of books. All reading is a journey, perhaps none more so than reading fantastical fiction. By signing up for The Journey you are agreeing to at least read one book within the four categories during March 21st to June 20th period. Just one book. It has always been of utmost importance to me that the challenges that I host be all about experiencing enjoyable literature and sharing it with others. I want you to participate. Hence, The Journey.

Quest the First

Read at least 5 books that fit somewhere within the Once Upon a Time II criteria. They might all be fantasy, or folklore, or fairy tales, or mythology…or your five books might be a combination from the four genres.

Quest the Second

Read at least one book from each of the four categories. In this quest you will be reading 4 books total: one fantasy, one folklore, one fairy tale, and one mythology. This proved to be one of the more difficult quests last year merely because of the need to classify each read and determine which books fit into which category. I am not a stickler, fear not, but I was fascinated watching how folks worked to find books for each category.

Quest the Third

Fulfill the requirements for Quest the First or Quest the Second AND top it off with a June reading of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Love the story, love the films, love the idea of that magical night of the year and so this is my chance to promote the reading of this farcical love story.

Three is a magical number, a number of portent in fantastical tales, and so three quests seems about right.

I choose Quest the Third and here are the books I read:


Fairy Tale Fantasy:

Mythic Fantasy

Folklore Fantasy

Fantasy (of any sub-genre)

A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare



My least favorite read was definitely White as Snow. Just didn't do it for me. I'd be hard pressed to pick my favorite, because I truly enjoyed all the rest. But if I had to choose I'd say either Neverwhere or Memory and Dream.

Once again, I just wanted to thank Carl for hosting the best challenge!! And I really can't wait for the fall and the RIP challenge!!

10 comments:

Literary Feline said...

Congratulations on finishing the challenge, Stephanie! I am really looking forward to reading Neverwhere one of these days.

Stephanie said...

Thanks Wendy! Neverwhere was wonderful! (but then again, I usually say that when I'm discussing Neil Gaiman!)

Marg said...

It feels good to complete a challenge doesn't it!

I read my first Gaiman during this challenge. I am planning to read American Gods next, and then it will be Neverwhere I think.

Debi said...

Yeah! Always so nice to finish a challenge, isn't it?!! Even if it's one you'll miss. Congrats!

Ana S. said...

Congratulations on finishing, Stephanie!

Anonymous said...

I completely agree you with about Neverwhere. Here's my review of it.

Iliana said...

Wow, Stephanie, you did great! Congratulations on finishing the quest. I still want to read 20th Century Ghosts after reading your review on that. I'll get there :)

Carl V. Anderson said...

Thank you, I'm so glad your participated and am happy for you that you finished! I'm so glad you managed to read Neverwhere during the challenge, it is such a wonderful story.

Teddy Rose said...

Congrats on finishing the challenge!

Bellezza said...

I'm with you, Stephanie: already excited about the coming RIP III Challenge! You did a great job on this one.