Stitching WIPs

These are links to my photo albums for each of my stitching works in progress (WIPs). It seemed the easiest way to make them quickly accessible.

1. Defender of the Kingdom from Heaven and Earth Designs
2. Dawn Star from Character Creations (custom chart)
3. Illuminated Medieval Sampler from Chatelaine
4. Garnet QS from Heaven and Earth Designs
5. Cinderella from Mirabilia
6. Second Chances – Ink Circles
7. The Bookshelf – Little House Needleworks
8. Dragonfly Quaker – Stickideen von de Wiehenburg

Once Upon a Time IV

Each year, Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings hosts the Once Upon a Time challenge. It’s a chance to read fantasy, mythology, folklore and fairy tales. It is, of course, right up my alley. Last year was the first time I signed up. I didn’t quite manage to complete it, easily reading the books component, but not managing to watch A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I was going to take the easy way and just sign up for the books this year, but I’ve decided to take the risk. It won’t be the end of the world if I don’t manage it and it gives me something to aim for.

So I’ve decided to aim for “Quest the Third”. The challenge is to read at least 5 books that fit somewhere within the Once Upon a Time IV 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 AND top it off with a June reading of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream OR a viewing of one of the many theatrical versions of the play. I’m planning to watch the play rather than read it.

The timetable for the challenge is between Sunday, 21st March and Sunday, 20th June 2010.

My Once Upon a Time IV reading list (reviews over on Saving My Sanity...):

1. Enchanted Glass – Diana Wynne Jones
2. Archangel’s Kiss – Nalini Singh
3. The Ivory and the Horn - Charles de Lint
4. Howl's Moving Castle - Diana Wynne Jones
5. At Grave's End - Jeaniene Frost
6. Silver Borne - Patricia Briggs
7. Heart Mate - Robin D. Owen
8. The Girl Who Chased the Moon - Sarah Addison Allen
9. The Iron King - Julie Kagawa
10. Many Waters - Madeleine L'Engle
11. Sunshine - Robin McKinley

Once again I failed to watch the play (usual excuse of bad health and little energy), but I'm happy with the books I managed to get read. And if nothing else, it is lovely opportunity to see what books I'm reading in a certain genre over a certain amount of time.

Cumulative Totals - February

2010 Reading:
Books read in 2010 = 18
Short Stories read in 2010 = 1
Total reads in 2010 = 19

10/10 reads in 2010 = 1
DNFs in 2010 = 1
New reads in 2010 = 14
Rereads in 2010 = 5
paper books : eBooks = 11 : 8 = 58 % : 42 %

Pages read in 2010 (according to Goodreads) = 6502

2010 Challenges Progress:
Flashback Reading Challenge = 5
Big Book Challenge = 4
Sci Fi Experience = 9

2010 List Progress:
eBooks read = 8
SFF books read = 14
Library Books read = 8
Audiobooks listened to = 0

February 2010 Reading

1. The Ask and the Answer – Patrick Ness (519pp)
   Chaos Walking, Book 2; YA SF; 8/10
2. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie – Alan Bradley (304pp)
   Flavia de Luce, Book 1; Mystery; Library Book; 7/10
3. Doctor Who: The Writer’s Tale – Russell T. Davies and Benjamin Cook (512 pp)
   Non-Fiction; Media; Library Book; 9/10
4. Doubleblind – Ann Aguirre (320pp)
   Sirantha Jax, Book 3; SF; eBook; 8/10
5. Magic Under Glass – Jaclyn Dolamore (240pp)
   Fantasy; YA'; Library Book; 7/10
6. A Wind in the Door – Madeleine L’Engle (203pp)
   Time Quintet, Book 2; Children; SF; Reread; 7/10
7. This Alien Shore – C. S. Friedman (576pp)
   SF; eBook; 9/10
8. Life As We Knew It – Susan Beth Pfeffer (352pp)
   Moon Crash, Book 1; SF; YA; Library Book; 9/10
9. Ace of Cakes – Duff Goldman (256pp)
   Non-Fiction; Library Book; 7/10

Best book of the month = This Alien Shore
Biggest disappointment of the month = The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

February Reading:
Books read this month = 9
Short Stories read this month = 0
Total reads this month = 9

10/10 reads this month = 0
DNFs this month = 0
New reads this month = 8
Rereads this month = 1
paper books : eBooks = 7 : 2 = 78 % : 22 %

Pages read this month = 519 + 304 + 512 + 320 + 240 +203 + 576 + 352 + 256 = 3282

February Challenges Progress:
Flashback Reading Challenge = 1
Big Book Challenge = 3
Sci Fi Experience = 6

February List Progress:
eBooks read = 2
SFF books read = 6
Library Books read = 5
Audiobooks listened to = 0