RIP Challenge- 2009

I’ve been out of school for a  long time.   But even after over a decade of being out of the school loop, I still miss that back-to-school rush. The freshly sharpened pencils, the pristine noteboooks, the new shoes!!  The new year always loomed ahead with such promise.   One of the things I miss most though, especially from my college years, is being forced to try new literature.  I read, and loved, many novels throughout my education that I know I never would have discovered if left to my own devices.  To Kill a Mockingbird.  The Grapes of Wrath.  Dracula.  Poetry by Christina Rosetti. 

So it is with great pleasure, and back-to-school like excitement, that I’m going to be participating in my first ever reading challenge here in the blog-o-sphere.  I’m thrilled to be “forced” to read some new stuff!!  I’m a relative newby to this world, having only been blogging for a little over a year.  But during that time, I’ve run across numerous mentions of the R.I.P. Challenge, which is hosted annually by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings.   My first thought has always been, “Really, Jess? You can barely deal with all that you have on your plate now, much less after you add a reading challenge!”.  Well, this time I said, “Internal voice, please shut up.  I’m doing this, and you’re gonna like it!!”  (Yes, I really do talk to myself like that. Doesn’t everyone??)

Without further ado, I bring you the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril Challenge- 2009:

 

This is how it works:  simply chose any book(s) in any of the genres below:

Mystery.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural.

Next, you read them.  You review them, if you wish.  In general, you broaden your reading horizons, share it with others, and likely make some new friends, and discover some fantastic new reads along the way.  Easy, huh?  (BTW, please go visit  Carl for all the details.  He explains it much more eloquently than I.  And his page is just all around cool.)

I’ve decided to particpate in Peril the First, meaning I choose four books.  Here are my selections for the challenge:

The Magicians by Lev Grossman
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

Feel free to join in on the fun if you wish!  I plan on whipping up some hot cider and settling in with some RIP reads.  And by the way, I’m writing this with a cup of coffee in my hand… in my Halloween mug, of course.  Aren’t you ready for fall, too??