April Challenge: The Alchemy of Stone by Ekaterina Sedia
And now, the results of the April Challenge!
After 32 excellent votes and close race, the winner for the April book challenge is:
The Alchemy of Stone (2008)
Written by: Ekaterina Sedia
Theme: Stand-Alone, Non-Traditional Fantasy by Women Writers
ISBN: 1607012154
I've already read Ekaterina Sedia once, and I liked her well enough that I bought her next novel right away. Of course, that was back in 2008, and that seems forever ago! When I read Sedia's The Secret History of Moscow, I thought she showed promise, that she might one day be mentioned in the same complimentary ranks as Charles de Lint, Neil Gaiman, and Catherynne Valente. I'm looking forward to see what her latest has to offer!
Who can participate?
Anyone who's interested in the book. You don't have to have an LJ to participate in the challenge. Just read the book sometime between NOW and the month of APRIL and then feel free to engage in discussion at the end of the month. Or, if you have a book blog of your own, post your review there and provide me with a link in mine. :) For your sake, I'll hold off posting my review until the end of the APRIL so no one feels rushed to finish the book. I want people to read at their own speed and to enjoy themselves.
Also, you DO NOT have to participate in the discussion to participate in the CHALLENGE. While I love the discussion, I look very closely at the number of people who read the book for the challenge, so feel free to read even if you're not comfortable commenting! :)
As always, feel free to talk about the book challenge and encourage others to read what you are. After all, the more the merrier!
When do I participate?
Any time between NOW and April 30th. As long as you read the selection within this particular time frame, you've participated. This way, if you're a slower reader, you've got much more time. :) And if you're a fast reader, and want to participate in the discussion with the book fresh on your mind, then go ahead and wait until April!
How do I participate?
Get your hands on the book. You can buy, borrow, or swap, but please try and get your hands on the book. I'm not going to do any links this month because I want to see what kind of response I get, so if you're having trouble finding this book, let me know and I'll point you in the right direction. It comes from Prime Books, which is a small press for the genre, and it's had two covers (the blue being the most recent). You may not be able to find this easily in stores, but I bet you won't have any trouble searching online!
Okay, okay, okay! But what about NEXT'S month's challenge? Taking suggestions for that?
You won't get May's challenge until next month, but I'm toying with various themes, so feel free to make suggestions for the following themes that may pop up this year:
SF Written by Women (not SFR)
No Sparkling/Emo Vampires!
Stand-Alone EPIC Fantasy
Fantasy Focus on Cats
Yes, I'm serious about the last one. Lay your suggestions on me, and we'll see which theme makes it next month!
After 32 excellent votes and close race, the winner for the April book challenge is:
The Alchemy of Stone (2008)
Written by: Ekaterina Sedia
Theme: Stand-Alone, Non-Traditional Fantasy by Women Writers
ISBN: 1607012154
I've already read Ekaterina Sedia once, and I liked her well enough that I bought her next novel right away. Of course, that was back in 2008, and that seems forever ago! When I read Sedia's The Secret History of Moscow, I thought she showed promise, that she might one day be mentioned in the same complimentary ranks as Charles de Lint, Neil Gaiman, and Catherynne Valente. I'm looking forward to see what her latest has to offer!
Who can participate?
Anyone who's interested in the book. You don't have to have an LJ to participate in the challenge. Just read the book sometime between NOW and the month of APRIL and then feel free to engage in discussion at the end of the month. Or, if you have a book blog of your own, post your review there and provide me with a link in mine. :) For your sake, I'll hold off posting my review until the end of the APRIL so no one feels rushed to finish the book. I want people to read at their own speed and to enjoy themselves.
Also, you DO NOT have to participate in the discussion to participate in the CHALLENGE. While I love the discussion, I look very closely at the number of people who read the book for the challenge, so feel free to read even if you're not comfortable commenting! :)
As always, feel free to talk about the book challenge and encourage others to read what you are. After all, the more the merrier!
When do I participate?
Any time between NOW and April 30th. As long as you read the selection within this particular time frame, you've participated. This way, if you're a slower reader, you've got much more time. :) And if you're a fast reader, and want to participate in the discussion with the book fresh on your mind, then go ahead and wait until April!
How do I participate?
Get your hands on the book. You can buy, borrow, or swap, but please try and get your hands on the book. I'm not going to do any links this month because I want to see what kind of response I get, so if you're having trouble finding this book, let me know and I'll point you in the right direction. It comes from Prime Books, which is a small press for the genre, and it's had two covers (the blue being the most recent). You may not be able to find this easily in stores, but I bet you won't have any trouble searching online!
Okay, okay, okay! But what about NEXT'S month's challenge? Taking suggestions for that?
You won't get May's challenge until next month, but I'm toying with various themes, so feel free to make suggestions for the following themes that may pop up this year:
SF Written by Women (not SFR)
No Sparkling/Emo Vampires!
Stand-Alone EPIC Fantasy
Fantasy Focus on Cats
Yes, I'm serious about the last one. Lay your suggestions on me, and we'll see which theme makes it next month!