Once Upon A Time III

I was so excited to hear that Carl V. of Stainless Steel Droppings is hosting the third annual Once Upon a Time Challenge! According to Carl:

"Once Upon a Time is the celebration of the transformative power of literature, specifically those books which can be categorized under the headings of fantasy, fairy tale, folklore, and mythology."

One of the things I like about this challenge is that Carl makes it possible for readers to participate at whatever level works for them. The reader can commit to varying numbers and types of books within the stated genre(s), or can choose to go along for the "journey" which only commits the reader to one book. I like Carl's focus on the reader's enjoyment and sharing the experience:

"It has always been of utmost importance to me that the challenges that I host be all about experiencing enjoyable literature and sharing it with others."

I will be taking The Journey. It is better for me not to overcommit and The Journey will take the pressure off. I will probably end up reading more than the requisite "one book" since I love fantasy, fairy tales, folklore, and mythology. I would also like to join in and either read, or watch, Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream" in June. I'm not sure what June will look like for me yet, so I'll see what happens.

I spent an evening pulling books off of shelves and out of stacks and surrounding myself with reading possibilities. Here are some possible choices:

Widdershins by Charles de Lint
Moonheart by Charles de Lint
The Little Country by Charles de Lint
Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
Un Lun Dun by China Mieville
The Once and Future King by T.H. White
Tam Lin by Pamela Dean
The Secret Country by Pamela Dean

This challenge begins Saturday, March 21st and ends Friday, June 2oth. There is still time to join in the fun!