Two more done. . . slowly

Well more than two done. I've read six of the Sookie Stackhouse series (and looking forward to the other three) and have just finished Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked this way comes.

First Dead Until Dark, is the first in the series of Charlaine Harris' Vampire series. I've thoroughly enjoyed reading these books, - paranormal urban fantasy at its best. Although as the series progresses the storyline becomes repetitive - its still really fun to read - which sums up this series. These books are entertaining and escapist fantasy, not serious 'literary' reading. Personally from a writer's perspective an entertaining book which is light and fun to read is much harder than writing a 'masterpiece' - Bravo to Charlaine Harris!

The next book i read off my basics list was 'Something Wicked this way comes' by Ray Bradbury. It took me the same time to read six of Sookie books as reading Something Wicked. The time taken to read this book wasn't due to 'making myself' read it but mostly due to the complexity and layers of the book which is reflected in Ray Bradbury's unusual (but amazing) writing.

Definitely a book i'll need to reread to comprehend more fully, as i think it has more to reveal.

Shellie’s List for The Basics Challenge – Exploring Speculative Fiction

My Goal:

To attempt to read 100 books within a 5 year span, less 25% forgiveness rate, which is a total of 75 books. Divided down it’s 15 books per year. Which ultimately translates to a little over 1 book per month.

This challenge will be an overlap with The Fill in the Gaps Challenge listed here.

I have chosen to use a “reading pool” method. All the books are within the Speculative Fiction Genre – Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror.

Overlapping Challenge Books

Science Fiction:

1. Dune - Frank Herbert
2. Children of Dune - Frank Herbert
3. Dune Messiah - Frank Herbert
4. Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut
5. Foundation - Isaac Asimov
6. Foundation Empire - Isaac Asimov
7. Second Foundation - Isaac Asimov
8. Do Androids Dream of Sleep - Phillip K. Dick
9. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
10. 1984 - George Orwell
11. Animal Farm - George Orwell
12. Rendezvous with Rama - Arthur C. Clark
13. Ringworld - Harry Niven
14. Time Machine - H. G. Wells
15. The War of the Worlds - H. G. Wells
16. The Island of Doctor Moreau - H. G Wells
17. The World Treasury of Science Fiction - David G. Hartwell
18. The Day After Tomorrow - Robert Heinlein
19. Day of the Triffids - John Wyndham
20. Midwich Cuckoos - John Wyndham
21. Trouble with Lichen - John Wyndham
22. Chrysalids - John Wyndham
23. The Godmakers - Don Pendleton
24. I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream - Harllan Ellison

Feminist Science Fiction:

1. Herland - Charlotte Perkins Gilman
2. New Eves - ed Janrae Frank
3. The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula K. Le Guin
4. The Robber Bride - Margaret Atwood

Horror:

1. Interview with a Vampire - Anne Rice
2. The Vampire Lestat - Anne Rice
3. The Queen of the Damned - Anne Rice
4. Cry to Heaven - Anne Rice
5. The Locus Awards - ed Charles N. Brown - should be included in all catagories
6. Great Tales of Horror - Edgar Allen Poe
7. The Hunter of the Dark - H. P. Lovecraft
8. Dracula - Bram Stoker (read but need review)
9. The Inferno - Dante
10. The Metamorphosis - Frank Kafka (read)
11. The Historian - Elizabeth Kostava

Fantasy:

1. The Middle Window - Elizabeth Goudge
2. The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
3. Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring - J. R. R. Tolkien
4. Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers - J. R. R. Tolkien
5. Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King - J. R. R. Tolkien
6. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
7. Dragon Flight - Anne McCaffrey
8. The Crystal Cave - Mary Stewart
9. The Last Enchantment - Mary Stewart
10. The Hollow Hills - Mary Stewart
11. Dandelion Wine - Ray Bradbury
12. Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone - J. K. Rowling
13. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J. K. Rowling
14. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Ascaban - J. K. Rowling
15. Green Mansions - William Henry Hudson

Reviews link to Layers of Thought:

1. The Things That Keep Us Here - Carla Buckley (adult apocalyptic)
2. The Magic Warble – Victoria Simcox (children’s fantasy)
3. RELEASE by Nicole Hadaway – (horror, vampire)
4. Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan – (dark fantasy, fairytale retelling )
5. Soulless by Gail Carrigan – (urban fantasy, steam punk, vampire, werewolf)
6. The Metamorphosis by Frank Kafka (horror, classic, literature)
7. The Stupidest Angel - by Christopher Moore (horror, humor, zombie)
   - needs to be posted.
8. Life As We Knew It
9. The Dead and The Gone
10. This World We Live In (all linked here in one post) – (apocalyptic, young adult)
11. Inside Out by Maria Snyder (young adult – girls science fiction)
12. Cursed by Jeremy Shipp (horror- bizarro)

12 completed, 63 more to go.

First book done: The Earthsea Quartet, Ursula leGuin

Do you ever get that feeling that you're the dunce of the class?

Well, thats how i felt when i finally finished the Earthsea Quartet by Ursula Le Guin. This series and its author have had a huge impact on the world of fiction, especially fantasy! One of my all time favourite fantasy series, the book of Pellinor is a nod to this series, so you can imagine what i was expecting!

*sigh*

God, i really wanted to love these books as they've inspired so many of my favourite writers and i had really high hopes for enjoying them (maybe that was part of the problem). Although i can appreciate the plot and story arc of the Earthsea Cycle (i had four books in one), i just didn't connect with the characters or story at all.

I was completely indifferent to SparrowHawk and his journey! I just seemed to disconnect while reading, if that makes sense.

Strangely, i feel slightly disappointed in myself for not appreciating/connecting with these books more , especially when i love reading/writing fantasy - I feel like i've now lost my membership card lol.

I guess i'll just have to put this series to one side and reread at a later date and see how i go.

I'd love to know what other people thought of this series? and if you liked/loved it, what was it about it that appealed?

or if there are other works by Ursula Le Guin which i might redeem myself with? lol.