The RIP Challenge: I’m going to Die trying to finish all these challenges

I actually do not have any more room in my current reading pile for any more challenges but I am about to add a few (4) more.

The firs is the RIP Challenge, which is appropriate for the season and its favorite celebration – Halloween. It is connected with one of my favorite kinds of reading. Which leads to the fact that since horror in its many forms can include self torture – I can say that  am truly in the spirit of the challenge.

The challenge is flexible and includes a “reading pool” where you can choose or change what you read. I like this concept – perhaps I will drown in a pool of books. But would that constitute torture? Hmmm…

I have chosen the Second Peril and will try to read 2 books from the genres listed below. Links posted on the books are from Goodreads, and Amazon info is located within the book carousels at the bottom of this post.

Two from the following “book pool”:

• 
  
  Something Wicked this way Comes - Ray Bradbury (audio) finished review link
  
  
  
• 
  
  Interview with a Vampire - Anne Rice
  
  
  
• Dracula - Bram Stoker
• Frankenstein - Mary Shelley (audio)complete - review link
  
• The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (audio and book)
• The Scent of Shadows: The First Sign of the Zodiac by Vicki Petterson

More specifics on The RIP Challenge are at  Carl’s Stainless Steel Droppings. This gorgeous challenge will also have related festivities. How cool… and for the complete post and his artistic blog click the above link. Here is a section of the post from his site:

It was a desire to celebrate and share that love of the elements of gothic fiction that inspired me to create the first R.I.P. Challenge, four years ago.

Readers Imbibing Peril, that is what it is all about. I hope you’ll consider joining us on this more eerie road less traveled.

Walk this way.

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

There are two simple goals to the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril Challenge:

1. Have fun reading.
2. Share that fun with others.

As I do each and every year, there are multiple levels of participation that allow you to be a part of R.I.P. IV without adding the burden of another commitment to your already busy lives.

R.I.P. IV officially runs from September 1st through October 31st. But lets go ahead and break the rules. Lets start today!!!

Multiple perils await you. You can participate in just one, or participate in them all.

Peril the First:

Read Four books of any length, from any subgenre of scary stories that you choose.

Peril the Second:

Read Two books of any length, from any subgenre of scary stories that you choose.

Peril the Third:

Read One book of any length, from any of the subgenres listed earlier in the post.

This is an option that I always hope will hook those of you who are thinking, “I’m just not sure this kind of reading is my cup of tea”.

More than any other time of the year, R.I.P. season brings out my desire to explore the short story genre. We will again do Short Story Sundays, for those of you who read R.I.P. related short stories any time during the week and want to write about them. I know I have Lovecraft, Poe, and Angela Carter waiting in the wings for my short story reading.

The R.I.P. IV Challenge does not require you to commit to a pre-selected list of books, but in the past many of us have enjoyed posting Reading Pools that include books that we are considering reading during the challenge. The fun thing about this, besides just talking about books (which is always a thrill) is that it gives the rest of the participants ideas about what they might want to read. I have a very broad definition of what qualifies as a book for this challenge. If you think it fits the definition, then that is good enough for me.

Books in my current Reading Pool are;

1. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
2. The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters by Gordon Dahlquist
3. Uncle Montague’s Tales of Terror by Chris Priestley
4. Tales of Terror from the Black Ship by Christ Priestley
5. The Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill
6. The Mystery of the Sea by Bram Stoker
7. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
8. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
9. Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Now, there is no way I am going to get to all of these books. I probably could not read them all in two months time if I committed myself to this reading list only. But that is the fun of a pool of books to choose from. You can always add to and take away from the pool.

There is a R.I.P. IV Review Site here, for you to post links to your reviews of any of the books or short stories you read during the R.I.P. IV Challenge.

My goal as host of the R.I.P. IV Challenge is to provide you with the opportunity to read some great books, share your thoughts on them with others, and perhaps make some new acquaintances along the way. There will be a few giveaways during the challenge and I do plan to host the Tiny Stories and Something Sinister photo competition during the challenge. Announcements regarding these will be coming shortly.

It is important to me each year that this be your challenge. It is not my challenge, nor is it about me. To emphasize that point and to continue to build the community, I enjoy tying in with other related activities occurring during the challenge and I do my best to have some sponsors to be a part of the experience as well.

Speaking of signing up, I’d love to know if you are planning on joining in this year’s R.I.P. IV Challenge. You do not have to have a blog to join in. However, if you do have a blog and are going to post about your involvement in the R.I.P. IV Challenge, including possibly posting a reading pool, please leave your name and a link to that post below. Otherwise feel free to just leave your name and a link to your site (if you have one) if you are participating and not posting about it.

If you have not yet joined the challenge even if it is just for one book take a look. If not for the fun of reading a scary story, perhaps for the reviews of some 200 plus blogger’s, new friends, or more great books to be added to you list of TBR.

Amazon purchasing information for each country from are White/US; Green/UK; Blue/Canada