2016 Graphic Novel & Manga Challenge

It's the start of the Reading Challenge posts! I enjoy Graphic Novels and have participated in The Graphic Novel Reading Challenge since 2010, when someone handed me my first one and told me to read it! It was called Blankets and it was not anything like I expected. At that time I thought Graphic novels were all super heroes and scooby doo, but did I have a lot to learn! This reading challenge is to help you step out of the box if you've never read any graphic novels and experience something beyond what you were expecting. And if you are a more experienced "graphic novel reader", this challenge is designed to help you share what you discover & enjoy and see what other people recommend. Nicola over at It's All Comic to Me is the host for this reading challenge. Thanks Nicola!

Here are "The Rules"…

The Challenge runs from Jan.1 - Dec. 31, 2016

• What counts:  graphic novels, collected trade editions, manga, comic strip collections, comic books or combinations of text and bubbles all in the same book. In print or digital.

• You must write a review and link to it for it to count towards the challenge. Reviews may be posted on your blog or goodreads or similar places. Several reviews may be gathered and posted in one link on your blog, but each book must be linked back to The 2016 Graphic Novel & Manga Challenge post in the monthly linkies to count. Go to that link  every month to record your progress in the comments. 

Here are the Levels...

     Modern Age: read and review 12 books during the year (that's only 1 book a month)

     Bronze Age: read and review 24 books during the year (Can you handle 2 books a month.)

     Silver Age: read and review 52 books during the year (Are you up to a book a week!)

• You must sign up for a level, but once you complete that level you may move up and try for the next one.
• Bloggers, Please write a sign-up post on your blog and then sign-up at the 2016 Graphic Novel & Manga Reading Challenge site with a link to your specific sign-up post (NOT to your home page). I'm sure Nicola would welcome non-bloggers too, just comment on the challenge site to let her know you don't have a blog.

My Level? I'm going for "Modern Age", challenging myself to read & review 12 books in 2016! 

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My Challenge Books...

1. Sunstone Volume 1 by Stjepan Sejic 
2. The Girl on the Shore by Inio Asano 
3, 4, & 5. Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (Issues #1, 2, 3) by Brandon Montclair and Amy Reeder
6. Farlaine the Goblin: A Fairy tale about Finding Your Forest (TPB)
7. Farlaine the Goblin #4
8. Love: The Lion by Frederic Brremaud
9. I Am A Hero Omnibus Volume 1 by Kengo Hanazawa
10. Rosalie Lightening by Tom Hart
11. Lucky Penny by Ananth Hirsh, Yuko Ota 

Women Unbound Reading Challenge

The Women Unbound Reading Challenge

Celebrating Women in Literature

I've joined another Reading Challenge! This is the Women Unbound Reading Challenge and revolves around the reading of books related to "women's studies". You may ask, "What is 'women's studies'? Merriam-Webster defines it as:

the multidisciplinary study of the social status and societal contributions of women and the relationship between power and gender

In plain language this would include history books focused on women, biographies of women, memoirs by women, essays by women and cultural books focused on women (body image, motherhood, etc.), and fiction that examines the place of women in society. I read a lot of books about women, their struggles and triumphs, so this is a perfect way to share, discover and read more books... Hey, I'm a Chick... I get it!

The beginning of this reading challenge asks the participants to answer a few questions...

1. What does feminism mean to you? Does it have to do with the work sphere? The social sphere? How you dress? How you act? Feminism to me has to do with equality. Being true to yourself and having the freedom to express yourself without prejudice or fear. Feminism isn't just about work, or how you dress etc, it's about all of it collectively. Be a plumber, a stripper, dress sexy or conservatively, speak your mind, have an opinion, whatever without having a stigma attached...

2. Do you consider yourself a feminist? Why or why not? I don't like labels, so I would

not call myself a feminist per say, but if being a feminist means "the belief of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes" guess I would be a feminist because I do believe we as women should enjoy the same opportunities as men without favoritism... on either side.

3. What do you consider the biggest obstacle women face in the world today? Has that obstacle changed over time, or does it basically remain the same? I would say the biggest obstacle women face today is faith in our abilities. We are tough on ourselves, and this may come across as doubting our abilities to others. We can share our emotions easily, but it doesn't mean we can't be president. We fought hard for opportunities to be well educated, to vote, to have our voices heard... we are resilient....

Now for the Challenge...

Women Unbound Reading Challenge dates are November 2009 - November 2010

There are three catagories to choose from:

*Philogynist: read at least two books, including at least one nonfiction.

*Bluestocking: read at least five books, including at least two nonfiction.

*Suffragette: read at least eight books, including at least three nonfiction.

I would love to be a Suffragette! But I'm going to start slow here and be a Philogynist! So, I'll be reading at least two books, including a least one nonfiction book.

My Challenge Books:

The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi... Persepolis is the story of Satrapi's unforgettable childhood and coming of age within a large and loving family in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution; of the contradictions between private life and public life in a country plagu

ed by political upheaval; of her high school years in Vienna facing the trails of adolescence far from her family; of her homecoming--both sweet and terrible; and, finally, of her self-imposed exile from her beloved homeland. It is the chronicle of a girlhood and adolescence at once outrageous and familiar, a young life entwined with the history of her country yet filled with the universal trials and joys of growing up. This is a 'Graphic' Memoir... a memoir in black & white line drawings. The story is amazing and so is the artwork! This is my nonfiction choice. (Probably one of a few since I have a whole year to read!) Here's My Review...

Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin... Few works of literature are as universally beloved as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Now, in this spellbinding historical novel, we meet the young girl whose bright spirit sent her on an unforgettable trip down the rabbit hole–and the grown woman whose story is no less enthralling.

But oh my dear, I am tired of being Alice in Wonderland. Does it sound ungrateful? Alice Liddell Hargreaves’s life has been a richly woven tapestry: As a young woman, wife, mother, and widow, she’s experienced intense passion, great privilege, and greater tragedy. But as she nears her eighty-first birthday, she knows that, to the world around her, she is and will always be only “Alice.” Her life was permanently dog-eared at one fateful moment in her tenth year–the golden summer day she urged a grown-up friend to write down one of his fanciful stories... That story, a wild tale of rabbits, queens, and a precocious young child, becomes a sensation the world over. Its author, a shy, stuttering Oxford professor, does more than immortalize Alice–he changes her life forever. But even he cannot stop time, as much as he might like to. And as Alice’s childhood slips away, a peacetime of glittering balls and royal romances gives way to the urgent tide of war. For Alice, the stakes could not be higher, for she is the mother of three grown sons, soldiers all. Yet even as she stands to lose everything she treasures, one part of her will always be the determined, undaunted Alice of the story, who discovered that life beyond the rabbit hole was an astonishing journey. The blending of fact with fiction in Alice I Have Been is wonderful and seamless. It's a love story, and a story of heartbreak. The love & hate between sisters, jealousy, and an undercurrent of something a bit improper. Melanie Benjamin does a great job of portraying the restrictions of the victorian woman in society- how every action is judged, and how rumor and speculation, however unfounded, can ruin a woman's reputation. But this isn't some dry victorian piece of fiction, Alice is a vibrant wonderful character that will entice you to turn those pages. This is my choice for fiction for "The Challenge". Here's My Review...

Would you like to participate? Having a blog isn't necessary! You can read and review your book on the Women Unbound Blog! Also at the

Women Unbound Blog you'll find lots of great book recommendations, so follow the link to check it all out! And a special thanks to the girls who are hosting this, Aarti of Booklust Blog, Care of Care's Online Book Club, and Eva of A Striped Armchair.

Beowulf on The Beach Reading Challenge

Are you all up for a Reading Challenge?!

Of course you are!! And this summer Books on the Nightstand is hosting one! Books on the Nightstand is a wonderful podcast & blog hosted by Michael Kindness & Ann Kingman. They work together at Random House, but their podcast and blog are not affiliated with work, but with their long standing friendship and love of books! They don't just review books, they talk about books! And they always have great recommendations! I've talked about Ann & Michael before because Books on the Nightstand is my all time favorite podcast! On a recent podcast Michael talked about a wonderful new book by Jack Murnighan called Beowulf on The Beach: What to Love and What to Skip in Literature's 50 Greatest Hits. He calls it a funny & witty book. And from reviews I've read about the book it seems that Jack Murnighan has an enthusiasm for the classics that will have you wondering why you never grab one and put it in your beach bag! But on to the challenge....

Beowulf on The Beach Reading Challenge

* The reading challenge runs from May 25 - September 7, 2009 (Memorial Day to Labor Day)

* Read at least one book featured in Beowulf on the Beach, though you can, of course, read more.

* Write about your challenge and reading experience (on a blog, Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, etc.)

* Feel free to use one of the beautiful reading challenge buttons on your blog (challenge buttons)

Visit Books on The Nightstand to learn more about the challenge & get some great reading recommendations while you're there! And BTW, while you're there check out how to win 1 of 5 signed copies of Beowulf on The Beach!