A language learners’ forum

Yay, I'm not alone
I've looked at this challenge before, but I doubt I can read even 24 random books in a year, let alone with these criteria. But I admire you for doing this challenge!!!

The Seven continents reading challenge does what it says on the tin. One book from each continent (although Antarctica can be swapped out for a journey between two continents). I'm probably not signing up, but it looks interesting

My first review




Book: Che cosa ho detto veramente a Zidane
Challenges: TBR Pile, Mount TBR, possibly European books
Purchase details: autumn 2012, via ibs.it. I was eager to get this book and that was my first order from them. I shared the outrageous shipping fee with a friend.
Learner's notes: pretty easy, but full of cultural references. I read extensively at first and missed many jokes.
Representation notes: pretty much the whole package of discrimination Not to mention that over the years I've changed my mind and find the original provocation appalling. A lot of the humour is acceptable, though.
Other: This was actually the first book I wanted to read in Italian. Not sure whether I'm satisfied or disappointed, maybe both. If you don't know, it's about the famous headbutt during the final of World Cup 2006.



(obviously, the format is just my preference, you can write a continuous text or do whatever your challenge requires )

Couldn't resist joining a couple more challenges The Bookish one appears to be mostly for book bloggers who read a lot of new releases.



Challenge: Mount TBR (here's a fellow participant's description in Portuguese)
Rules: Read the books you owned as of January 1, 2016. If you've started the book before 2016, you should read 50% or more this year. "Audiobooks and E-books may count if they are yours and they are one of your primary sources of backlogged books."
Target: 12 books, that's the minimal goal
Giveaway: yes
Misc: I like the thought of reading in 12 different languages, though I'm not sure I'll manage.

Challenge: Clean Your Reader
Duration: January to March (meaning it overlaps with Tadoku in the beginning and at the end)
Misc: I'm hoping to read "Como agua para chocolate" for our book club, one book by Slavenka Drakulić and finish a bunch of random stuff

Challenge: The Challenge Challenge
Target: 5 reading challenges ("Cinco de Challenge-o"). As of now I'm signed up for six so this allows me to fail one.

For both challenges, the hosts have indicated that giveaways are possible.

Book: Antti Halme - Metalliveljet ristiretkellä (The Metal Brothers on a Crusade)
Challenge: TBR Pile
Purchase details: in August 2013 I ordered it via suomalainen.com and picked up from their Helsinki store. It cost 28 € and I'm really glad I got it back then. I did like it, it's my favourite Finnish YA author, but with the current exchange rate it wouldn't have been worth it.
Learner's notes: lots of slang. I could've finished it sooner but I found it more fulfilling to look up the slangy words.
Representation notes: I wanted to punch the main character much of the time, but given that it's a teenage boy in a 1st person narrative, I guess this was intended. He does show improvement and I loved the ending. Basically there's homophobia and teens teasing each other for being different.
Other: I love that until the end I had no idea if I'd give 2, 3 or 4 stars. Even considered 5, but it's not quite on par with the first Metalliveljet book. A solid 8.5/10, though. And I finally figured out what rippikoulu is like.

Serpent wrote:

I guess I'll be signing up for this one, too...

Book: JRR Tolkien - Julemandens breve/Letters from Father Christmas (in Danish)
Challenges: TBR Pile, Mount TBR, New Year Resolutions, Books in Translation
Purchase details: summer 2012, via adlibris.com. I forgot about Juhannus and only managed to pick up my order during the next trip in August
Learner's notes: I had the accompanying audiobook in German, but it turned out to be an earlier edition, with much of the text missing. There are also reproductions of the original letters Tolkien wrote to his kids, and when possible I LR'ed them in English-German before tackling the Danish. There are numerous pictures, which also helped. I don't normally read children's books in L2 but this was enjoyable and really useful for my Danish. As with any book, reading was much easier by the end. I did need a dictionary, and I tried wiktionary and google (search) for looking up words before finally just using g-translate. Sometimes I typed up entire phrases or sentences, and this seems to have launched the activation of my Danish. I'm not sure how much I'll pursue the active skills, but my brain is almost ready. Also, this book was my main reason to sign up for the Danish 6 week challenge last November I only began reading it on December 2nd, though.
Representation notes: Tolkien's usual problems. I was reading most characters as gender-neutral until an obviously female elf Ilbereth appeared. I was like, have they all been male? And even this was just when Tolkien's only daughter started writing to Father Christmas.
Other: I'm sure everyone knows that I share Tolkien's fascination with Finnish. I love the quote that finding a Finnish grammar "was like discovering a wine-cellar filled with bottles of amazing wine of a kind and flavour never tasted before. It quite intoxicated me." Well, as far as I know this is the only book where he used actual Finnish
Also, his style is unmistakable even in these small snippets. Oh and he used bits of several conlangs and writing systems here.



I can't help thinking that if Tolkien were alive, he'd be on instagram and use emoji

Challenge: Feminism Reading Challenge (#FemRC2016)
Rules: The challenge is on for all of 2016. Books started before January, or read in 2016 but before signing up can all count. No official goals or criteria.

One of my goals this year is to read *like* a feminist. Sexism should not be accepted or taken for granted, ever. I'm challenging it and pointing it out, not necessarily to discourage anyone from reading anything, but to raise awareness. (my reviews are in this thread)

I'll be counting any books by female authors, and also some by men, if they handle the topic well or if it's often challenged by feminists and I wanna join the fun (e.g. Lolita).

Like the OP, I'm part of Our Shared Shelf, a Goodreads group started by Emma Watson. The books are chosen monthly, and I'm definitely going to read some of them (mostly those available in a language other than English)

My list:
(Books in progress are in italics, the language is the one I'm reading the book in. I also included some notes)
1. Miranda Gray - Luna Rossa (Red Moon; Italian)
2. Mary Roach - Glup (Gulp; Spanish)
3. Laura Esquivel - Como agua para chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate; Spanish, Russian, Spanish audiobook; for the forum's Spanish book club)
4. Clotilde Chaparro Rocha - Duzinda (Portuguese; about domestic violence)
5. Alice Walker - The Color Purple (English audiobook; for Our Shared Shelf)
6. Yvonne Hergane - Die verschwundene Trommel (The Missing Drum; German with some dialogue in English, for German kids learning English)
7. Paulo Coelho - El Demonio y la Señorita Prym (The Devil and Miss Prym, Spanish)
8. Agatha Christie - Treze à mesa (Thirteen at Dinner/Lord Egware Dies, Portuguese)

More names: Slavenka Drakulić, Tove Jansson, Zinaida Lindén, Harper Lee, Anne Frank, Christiane F.

Challenge: Bookshelf Love
Guidelines: choose a pile of books and a timeframe, post a pic of your books, optionally get rid of those you don't finish by the end of your challenge.
(I won't be getting rid of mine)

To read before or during June, with the Tadoku challenge in mind.

1. Clotilde Chaparro Rocha - Duzinda
2. Paulo Coelho - El Demonio y la Señorita Prym
3. Jeff Kinney - Usla Utsikter (Dog Days)
4. Magnus Ljunggren - Stolpe In
5. Miranda Gray - Luna Rossa (Red Moon)
6. Mary Roach - Glup (Gulp)

To read before or during December 2016:

1. Dovlatov - Compromesso
2. Berlitz Barcelona guide (no plans to visit it, just something easy in Swedish)
3. Marco Lollobrigida - Fiorentina da impazzire
4. Yvonne Hergane - The Missing Drum/Die verschwundene Trommel
5. Erlend Loe - Naiv. Super
6. Agatha Christie - Treze à Mesa (Lord Edgware Dies)
7. Harper Lee - Il buio oltre la siepe (To Kill a Mockingbird)
8. Antti Tervasmaa - Forty Years of Flying: The Life and Times of an Ordinary Captain
9. David & Leigh Eddings - La Grande Dea (The Treasured One)
10. Racconti italiani (four stories by Italian authors)
11. Gabriele Pallotti - Che storia! La storia italiana raccontata in modo semplice e chiaro (history of Italy)

Forgot to include:
-Aleksis Kivi - Nummisuutarit
-Las 19 copas mundiales de fútbol: datos estadísticos y análisis desde el punto de vista de la cienciometría (Football World Cup stats)

Bonus. The books I have no chance of finishing but want to start this year: