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Location: Seattle, WA | Young Adult novels is an interesting category that is growing by leaps and bounds. Writer Nick Hornby said "I see now that dismissing YA books because you’re not a young adult is a little bit like refusing to watch thrillers on the grounds that you’re not a policeman or a dangerous criminal, and as a consequence, I’ve discovered a previously ignored room at the back of the bookstore that’s filled with masterpieces I’ve never heard of."
Come with me and discover some masterpieces in 2014!
If they can manage it here, I want to have options for two levels - the Full Challenge (12 books, 12 authors, 12 reviews) or the Summer Challenge (4 books, 4 authors, 4 reviews).
Look for more information on the Reading Challenge page. |
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Location: Seattle, WA | Challenge page - https://www.worldswithoutend.com/rollyourown.asp?ryo_id=9
Blog (reading lists) - http://worldswithoutendya.blogspot.com/ |
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| This was the challenge I was thinking of when I read of 2014's roll your Own.!
Happy to join yours, but when I try >>>it keeps saying "Down for Maintena..." is this a for real message or glitch? |
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Location: Seattle, WA | Yeah, I am seeing that too now. Other than that, the site is up. Let's hope our friend Administrator notices and can give a better answer.
I promise not to close down the challenge in the mean time  |
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Location: Dallas, Texas | Sorry 'bout the glitch. Looks like you got in there after whargoul fixed it. I'm sure we'll a few more of those until we get it all ironed out but that one won't be coming back. And now, how about a spiffy banner for this challenge? 
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Location: Middle TN, USA | Thomcat, I see you have "The Giver" on your reading list. I read it last year for the WOGF challenge and I found it to be one of the most disturbing YA novels I have read ever. I can't wait to discuss it with you after you finish it! |
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Location: Cheshire, England | Thomcat, thanks for setting up this list. I have been planning on getting to 100% of the Locus YA award list for quite some time and now I can do some serious damage to it. |
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Location: Seattle, WA | 
And thank you all for joining in! I am posting a second teen list on the blog site today, for anyone who wants more items to choose from. |
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Location: UK | Hi Thomcat! Thanks for setting up this challenge,I already had a challenge off site where I had to read 12 YA books.I have found that quite often I get more enjoyment and often thought provoking reads from this genre than from adult stuff.In particular,Laini Taylor,Holly Black and Marissa Meyer have been impressive.Quite a few of the books on my offsite challenge are not available on WWEnd,may have to pro Dave to add a lot of books!.If not,I am sure I can find some good stuff from your list.I LOVE lists!. But I think I had better make this my last challenge.Four is enough,dont you think? ;0) |
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Location: UK | Lots of good stuff on the Mythopoeic Awards list for juniors.I think I will be asking Dave to add quite a few of them to the site! check out
www.mythsoc.org/awards/fantasy/https: |
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Location: Seattle, WA | dustydigger - 2014-01-13 1:05 PM
Lots of good stuff on the Mythopoeic Awards list for juniors.I think I will be asking Dave to add quite a few of them to the site! check out
https://www.mythsoc.org/awards/fantasy/
Thanks for the pointer - I'll feature this one next on the blog ( http://worldswithoutendya.blogspot.com/ ). Looks like "Children" covers a large range.
Yes, four challenges is quite enough. I have three, with about 25% crossover, but an overall challenge to read 100 books this year. |
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Location: UK | 100 books? Pfft! a mere bagatelle.I have a challenge on Shelfari to read 144 books,12 each in 12 categories,and then I foolishly came over here and added four more challenges.Fortunately already had a category for award winning SF,Fantasy,the NPR list, the Junior Mythopoeic,plus Horror and Urban Fantasy,and used a lot of those books here.Still,I have added on 14 books here.Add some other crime fiction challenges,and I am looking at 170 books at the minimum. I can never resist
a challenge or a list.Like Oscar Wilde,I can resist everything but temptation! lol |
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| That would have me beat. I read 157 books last year and 157 the year before. About 60+ were SF & F. |
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Location: UK | A rather interesting well chosen list of YA dystopian fiction is to be found on one of my favvourite websites for recommendations both YA and adult..Thomcat hope you find checking this out enjoyable,though I doubt many of them are on WWEnd
http://www.lovereading.co.uk/genre/dst/Alternative-Futures-Dystopia... |
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| I'm not sure all of these would be classed as YA. Cormac McCarthy's The Road with it's graphic cannibalism for example. A Clockwork Orange with it's rapes. And while Lord of the Flies is certainly classed as YA it's neither SF or a dystopia., |
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Location: UK | Well,in real life the teens probably lap up the gruesome books with great pleasure! lol.I am well aware that not all the books are appropriate for this particular challenge,but its an interesting list for the most part.I often turn to YA when I am bored with the tedious excesses of bad language and graphic sex and violence in adult books.Makes a refreshing change! |
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Location: Seattle, WA | Thomcat - 2014-01-15 11:04 AM
dustydigger - 2014-01-13 1:05 PM
Lots of good stuff on the Mythopoeic Awards list for juniors.I think I will be asking Dave to add quite a few of them to the site! check out
https://www.mythsoc.org/awards/fantasy/
Thanks for the pointer - I'll feature this one next on the blog ( http://worldswithoutendya.blogspot.com/ ). Looks like "Children" covers a large range.
... and the blog is updated - there are a lot of Mythopoeic books already on GoodReads!
Plenty more Young Adult lists to add. Blog updates should keep me busy until late spring at least.
--Thom
http://worldswithoutendya.blogspot.com/ |
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Location: Seattle, WA | justifiedsinner - 2014-01-20 5:56 PM
I'm not sure all of these would be classed as YA. Cormac McCarthy's The Road with it's graphic cannibalism for example. A Clockwork Orange with it's rapes. And while Lord of the Flies is certainly classed as YA it's neither SF or a dystopia.,
I tend to agree, and didn't see a tag which labeled it specifically YA. We certainly read a lot of Dystopia when I was in school (Brave New World, 1984, Lord of the Flies, and Fahrenheit 451) and I will keep my eye out for a YA list. |
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Location: Middle TN, USA | So I just got the most horrible news. My local library has finally raised the $500,000 they needed for improvements to the buildings and are getting ready to close the building for the foreseeable future while they remodel and rearrange the stacks to maximize space. Now my favorite librarian, who is my hook-up for all the best stuff (And yes I know I sound like a junkie jonesing for a hit, but really it sort of works doesn't it!) has assured me that if I give her a list of the books I will need for this years challenges she will be sure to send them over to the satellite office, but once I do that I will be locked into my choices or what I can get from my digital library. All I can say is wish me luck! |
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Location: Dallas, Texas | Badseedgirl - 2014-02-01 6:07 PM So I just got the most horrible news. My local library has finally raised the $500,000 they needed for improvements to the buildings and are getting ready to close the building for the foreseeable future while they remodel and rearrange the stacks to maximize space. Now my favorite librarian, who is my hook-up for all the best stuff (And yes I know I sound like a junkie jonesing for a hit, but really it sort of works doesn't it!) has assured me that if I give her a list of the books I will need for this years challenges she will be sure to send them over to the satellite office, but once I do that I will be locked into my choices or what I can get from my digital library. All I can say is wish me luck! First, congrats to your library for securing the funds to make improvements! Nice to hear that. It's cool you've found a work around to get your book fix while they're out of commission for the remodel but I can see your predicament. Even if I make a side stack of the books that I really really want to read at one moment I may not want to read any of them at the time I go looking for my next book. The stack is still full of great books but I'm just not in the mood for any of them or something new and shiny has distracted me. I would check out as many books as I can think of that I want to read and that the library will allow me to take. Maximize your options while you can.
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Location: Neither here...nor there | Badseedgirl - 2014-02-01 7:07 PM
So I just got the most horrible news. My local library has finally raised the $500,000 they needed for improvements to the buildings and are getting ready to close the building for the foreseeable future while they remodel and rearrange the stacks to maximize space. Now my favorite librarian, who is my hook-up for all the best stuff (And yes I know I sound like a junkie jonesing for a hit, but really it sort of works doesn't it!) has assured me that if I give her a list of the books I will need for this years challenges she will be sure to send them over to the satellite office, but once I do that I will be locked into my choices or what I can get from my digital library. All I can say is wish me luck!
You might check into paperbackswap.com
You post books that you want to get rid of, someone requests one of your books, you mail it to them, and then you get a credit that you can use to request a book from someone else. (And when you first sign up, you get (I think) two free credits so you can start requesting right away.)
It's not a completely perfect plan. You kinna have to want books that aren't so popular that everyone wants them or that aren't so obscure that no one ever puts them up for swapping. But if you can figure out those middle-of-the-road books, it's pretty grand. |
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Location: Middle TN, USA | I've started focusing on ebooks I can get from the digital library. The problem is that those are geared more towards newer novels, so I am going to gave some problems with my Grandmaster challenge I fear. Ten of the twelve novels are from the brick and mortar library, but I am giving my list to the librarian today and I know she will treat me right. I was only kidding about being upset about the renovations of course. I did all I could to help raise funds as it was obvious that our library was quickly outgrowing it's space. I'm sure it will be amazing when it is done. |
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Location: SC, USA | Badseedgirl, I know what you mean about ereaders. It is easy to get very old books from Project Gutenberg (and other places) and new books from many sources as well. The books in the middle are the tricky ones. |
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| HI- Here is a short list by a favorite of mine: YA & A author's Cory Doctorow-
not all listed would qualify - but most
http://boingboing.net/2013/09/12/my-favorite-young-adult-book-r.htm...
keep the reading on...
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Location: Middle TN, USA | Great list. I especially liked "Dark Lord The Early Years" by Jamie Thomson. It is not listed on this site but was a wonderful juvenile/ya novel I read last year. I completely forgot about it. I know there was another book in the series I may just have to go look it up. I also have had "Jumper" by Steven Gould on my to be read list, I may have to move it up. Man I both Love and Hate Lists! |
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| Here is another list that contains a few that would be appropriate for this challenge. (and yes I am also doing the In Translation challenge and that is how I found this.) |
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| OOOPssss>>>sorry- forgot to include the link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsh_Award_for_Children's_Literat... |
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Location: Middle TN, USA | Ok so I made a quick change to my reading list. I just finished the YA novel "Rotters" by Daniel Kraus, and since I have just spent the last 3 weeks feeling depressed and agitated because of this novel, I felt I should at least be able to count it on a reading challenge somewhere. I'm still going to read "Summerland" by Michael Chabon, but just not for the challenge. I absolutely have to read something light and funny next because my psyche is feeling very fragile right now. |
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Location: Cheshire, England | Quick question: I've not long finished Ian McDonald's Planesrunner and have finished the second book in the series too. Should I count just the first one, or can I use both (or all three as I'll be reading the last book later on)? |
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| On looking at the last post I went back and read the qualifying rules for this challenge. I failed to read that the YA authors had to be new ones (which presumably means that you can't read more than 1 book by each author). I doubt I will be able to complete this challenge and have deleted the books I put in since they are ineligible. There seems to be no way of withdrawing from a challenge so I will have to let my list stand empty. |
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Location: Cheshire, England | And that answered my question too. Just the one book it is. Hmm, still have to write those reviews. |
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| Hallo,
I read in the looking for book forum that we are to post into relevent category our reading list wish list. So I am posting this request list here.
These are books that I have read and have reviews at the ready to post once the books themselves are added to the database.
thank you,
gloria
Scored by Loren McLaughlin
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
The Unidentified by Rae Martiz
Cycler by Lauren McLaughlin |
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| Sorry I left off other that I have read and written a review for:
Gravity by
Melissa West (nothing to do with the recent movie)
thanks,
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Location: Seattle, WA | justifiedsinner - 2014-03-16 1:03 PM
On looking at the last post I went back and read the qualifying rules for this challenge. I failed to read that the YA authors had to be new ones (which presumably means that you can't read more than 1 book by each author). I doubt I will be able to complete this challenge and have deleted the books I put in since they are ineligible. There seems to be no way of withdrawing from a challenge so I will have to let my list stand empty.
My intention was discovering new authors or new aspects of existing authors -- if you've read an authors adult fiction but not any YA, they would totally count. But yes, one book per author.
Perhaps you would still be interested in the summer challenge for this? Hoping to snare a few middle grade kids with this one |
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| Thomcat - 2014-03-28 11:14 AM
justifiedsinner - 2014-03-16 1:03 PM
On looking at the last post I went back and read the qualifying rules for this challenge. I failed to read that the YA authors had to be new ones (which presumably means that you can't read more than 1 book by each author). I doubt I will be able to complete this challenge and have deleted the books I put in since they are ineligible. There seems to be no way of withdrawing from a challenge so I will have to let my list stand empty.
My intention was discovering new authors or new aspects of existing authors -- if you've read an authors adult fiction but not any YA, they would totally count. But yes, one book per author.
Perhaps you would still be interested in the summer challenge for this? Hoping to snare a few middle grade kids with this one
I was intending to read more YA this year but not necessarily by new authors (or at least not that many new authors). I might try the summer challenge, I'll have to see how I'm going on the other challenges. Because I'm doing 16 not including this one I'm trying for a high degree of overlap and new authors kill that, the WGoF is already straining the budget, 2 challenges like that would be difficult.
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Location: Middle TN, USA | Challenge update: well not much to update. I finished <u>Rotters</u> by Daniel Kraus in March. It was Brutal!!!!!!!! I plan to read <u>Ship Breaker</u> for April. Which looks to be another downer to be honest if it is anything like Daniel Kraus novel I will not be finishing it. I can't deal with another novel like that one. |
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Location: Cheshire, England | Just finished The Incredible Shrinking Man by Richard Matheson (handy too as it's a SF Masterwork - kerching to 2 challenges!). That's a rollicking good read with lots of action and suspense but it also makes you think and look at relationships and other concepts such as dignity in a new light. |
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| Hallo,
It is wonderful to see all the books getting added to the database. I am sure with this "roll your own multiple challenges" have really upped the ante in requests for additions.
However, knowing that this is even more work for you wonderful site building and maintaining folks-I am wondering When authors Not in database might be added. I don't really mean to sound whiny, but i am beginning to feel like I made mistakes by choosing the many authors that I did because they are not in the database. It is sure taking the wind out of my personal challenge to myself to write and post reviews for all I read. Not only can I not post my review, I can't even get the satisfaction of checking off another completed read for my challenges. Whatever is proposed next year- I hate to feel like I better limit myself to stuff only all ready listed.
Is there any sense of when new requested authors might get added?
as always-thanks for all you are doing to keep this site so great.
gloria |
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Location: Dallas, Texas | gloker - 2014-05-17 9:51 PM Hallo, It is wonderful to see all the books getting added to the database. I am sure with this "roll your own multiple challenges" have really upped the ante in requests for additions. However, knowing that this is even more work for you wonderful site building and maintaining folks-I am wondering When authors Not in database might be added. I don't really mean to sound whiny, but i am beginning to feel like I made mistakes by choosing the many authors that I did because they are not in the database. It is sure taking the wind out of my personal challenge to myself to write and post reviews for all I read. Not only can I not post my review, I can't even get the satisfaction of checking off another completed read for my challenges. Whatever is proposed next year- I hate to feel like I better limit myself to stuff only all ready listed. Is there any sense of when new requested authors might get added? as always-thanks for all you are doing to keep this site so great. gloria Author and Publisher add/edit functionality is LIVE now for our Uber Users. It's been up for about a week and they've gone to town with it adding dozens of new authors and hundreds of new books already. They're putting in the stuff they personally want first as they should and they're also going through the requests lists in the various threads. It won't take them long to catch up on those I'm sure. This new functionality will open things up for everyone on the site so you won't have to feel limited anymore. Post the list of books you've read and somebody will jump on it toot-sweet. These folks are working like Trojans to help us make this site as awesome as we can make it. I'm glad you like what we're doing and I can tell you, you ain't seen nothing yet!
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| Wow- things are really moving along!
thanks again.
If I have all ready posted requests in the appropriate challenge threads - should I just cool my jets until someone going through those thread requests gets to them? I wouldn't want to add more unnessecary messages or postings by listing them again.
This has been one of the "fun-est" and most provocative "book groups" I have ever joined! By provocative> I mean provoking more interest in reading more books!!
SO many books and so little time!
;]
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Location: SC, USA | Gloker, Right now we are working from a list of requests from Before Ability to Add (let's call that BAA). Yesterday we had about 40 books left on the list, but I see that many have gone in overnight. Since we are making such good progress, I was planning to start double checking and collecting all the requests that came in after the BAA point and make our next list. So if you "cool your jets," as you say, your books will probably appear soon. Rhonda |
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Location: SC, USA | Gloker, I assembled the new list today, but didn't notice a request from you. What are you requesting and I'll make sure it gets on the list.
Rhonda |
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| Oh Rhonda- you are working too hard!
thank you for double checking-
my requests for this challenge in this thread on this page about 8-9 posts up.
But just in case they aren't showing up for you for some reason- here they are again:
Scored by Loren McLaughlin
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
The Unidentified by Rae Martiz
Cycler by Lauren McLaughlin
&
Gravity by
Melissa West (nothing to do with the recent movie)
again many thanks!
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Location: SC, USA | Tthe West and Oliver are the only ones on the BAA list. I'll make sure the others are added as well. |
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Location: SC, USA | The Oliver trilogy is in and so is the Mariz. I have to investigate the publisher for the West book, and I hope to get to the McLaughlin books tomorrow.
Rhonda |
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Location: SC, USA | gloker, Scored is now in WWE; however, there's a problem with the publisher of the West books.
Entangled Teen looks very much like a semi-vanity press. They pump out many books a month and seem to talk more on their website about profit than about quality. I was skeptical so I had the Administrator take a look at the press. He agrees that this is the kind of "almost" sefl-published book that WWE wants to avoid adding. Sorry that I can't help you with this one.
Rhonda |
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| Thank you Rhonda.
Dave, are you the Aministrator that Rhonda is referring to about making the judgment calls about publishers?
I can certainly understand with the enormity of adding so much to the database all ready- and not wanting to get tangled with self-published books!
I just have a review of the first in West's young adult sci-fi trilogy- that I wanted to post.
I found the book through a public library's recommended teen dystopian fiction reading list.
I haven't had much occasion to pay attention to a book's publisher when looking around for titles for the WWE challenges I take on, but I guess I have to start doing that now also. ??
Honestly, and I KNOW this is not intended on your part, I am feeling more & more just like to be safe that my readings and review will "count" -I should just pick stuff all ready in the database...
but please don't think that I am unappreciative- I LOVE WWE and am super grateful for all the work you all put into it.
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Location: Cheshire, England | Can I ask someone chuck "Half Bad" by Sally Green on the database sometime? Cracking little YA read and I can't wait for the next instalment. Must say that YA is definitely the place to be for me at the moment. Some wonderful reads out there and not just in SF. |
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Location: SC, USA | I wil add the trilogy later today.
Rhonda |
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Location: Cheshire, England | Thanks Rhonda :-) |
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Location: Cheshire, England | I just picked up the first Percy Jackson book: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. That's a nice little read. You can see the plot coming a bit, but then you can in some YA (I have to remind myself that I'm quite a bit older than the intended audience sometimes). Might romp through the rest if I find them. Got to love a book that takes a day to read :-) |
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Location: Seattle, WA | Thanks all for a great 2014!
Four participants finished the full challenge (Five if francesashton finishes Noughts & Crosses); 121 books read and 64 reviews written. I agree with posters on this list; Young Adult fiction is a bit of fun and it's always nice to finish a challenge book in a few short days.
Looking forward to finding out what the site has to offer in 2015, and also to reading more of your great reviews!
--Thomcat |
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Location: Cheshire, England | Oops - I HAVE finished Noughts and Crosses, but not been on to update the challenge and now it's disappeared. Must do better on my other challenges, but I keep getting distracted by those pesky authors bringing out new books!
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Location: UK | Thomca,tI really enjoyed the YA challenge in 2014,locating 12 new authors was good funkept my reading fresh. Are we going to do it again? I see a large number of YA/junior authors have been added recently,and I will enjoy finding out new authors. Now where on earth are those admin hiding.?Dave,we need you to set up our avis for the new challenges. Come out, come out wherever you are!. We are all panting at the off,ready to go so please put us out of our misery!
Edited by dustydigger 2015-01-01 2:04 PM
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Location: Dallas, Texas | Frances, here's the link to the 2014 YA Challenge. We're gong to put the links up for the past challenges soon. Dusty, you can certainly do the YA challenge again. I was waiting to see if Thomcat, the organizer for the 2014 challenge, was going to start up the one for 2015. If he does not in the next couple days then I'll duplicate last year's challenge. I don't want to steal his thunder. |
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2014 Young Adult Reading Challenge