Page 1 of 6

Reading short stories challenge 2020

Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2019 10:42 pm
by Serpent
The idea is very simple: just read one short story per week when possible. You don't have to do it every week. The minimal goal is to read just 5 stories :D This also means that you can sign up any time until November 15.

You can simply indicate that you want to take part, but the following kinds of information are welcome (all optional)

Languages and levels:
Goal: (how many stories)
Books you plan to read:
A link to your profile/shelf on Goodreads, LibraryThing etc:

You can always read in a different language if your plans change :)

2016 challenge

Re: Reading short stories challenge 2019

Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2019 11:02 pm
by Sahmilat
I'm in!

Language: German (Intermediate)
Goal: Read all of the short stories and novellas I have kicking around on my bookshelf, and whichever ones I happen to compulsively buy throughout the year :D
Books I plan to read: I have some short stories in parallel text, I have some Schnitzler, I have some Walser, I have some Kafka, I have a bunch. I'm going to start with "The Earthquake in Chile" by Heinrich von Kleist.

I'm going to try to do this in conjunction with the 2019 output challenge by talking about the books I read on my log.

Re: Reading short stories challenge 2019

Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2019 12:34 am
by Cèid Donn
I'm in. I want to do a 5 story challenge for each of these languages, if that's OK

Languages and levels: Scottish Gaelic (Adv), French (Adv), German (rusty Adv), Welsh (Int), Irish (Int), Indonesian (low Int), maybe Japanese (Beg)
Goal: um, to read stories? OK, so, my goal is to read 1 short story per week, 5 for each language, until I run out of either weeks or languages
Books you plan to read: Gaelic and German: Der Schädel von Damien Hirst/An Claigeann aig Damien Hirst; Welsh: Cyfres Amdani: Cawl a Straeon Eraill; French, Irish and Indonesian: TBA; Japanese: short stories in easy Japanese here
A link to your profile/shelf on Goodreads, LibraryThing etc: https://www.goodreads.com/Ceid

What are the rules regarding reading the same short story in two different language? Do I need to read 5 unique stories for each language or can I read the same story in two different languages?

Edit: to update goals and reading list

Re: Reading short stories challenge 2019

Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2019 1:22 am
by Elsa Maria
I'm in!

Languages and Levels:
Danish (B2 getting close to C1 for reading)

Goal:
DANISH: My #1 language goal for Danish is to read literature that was originally written in a Scandinavian language, and has not been translated into English. A secondary goal is to be able to discuss the books, both orally and in writing.
Books I plan to read: I have on hand collections by Karen Blixen, H. C. Andersen, and some readers that are used in Danish schools. And I will probably look through Nordic Council Literature Prize lists.

If I can get Dutch up to a level that allows me to read a decent story, I'll add Dutch in. At the moment, I am limited to A1 parallel texts.

My Goodreads link is here. I faithfully update my GR account.

Re: Reading short stories challenge 2019

Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2019 1:25 am
by Serpent
Welcome!
By goal I meant how many stories you want to read :D
Yes, it's fine to read the same story in different languages. Note that you can count only one story per week.

Re: Reading short stories challenge 2019

Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2019 10:56 am
by Maiwenn
I love this challenge! (I think I might actually be able to complete it :D )

Languages and levels:
Arabic A2
German A2+
Goal: at least 5 short stories
Books you plan to read:
Die Puppe und andere Geschichten, Le Livre de Poche
20 Kurzgeschichten des 20. Jahrhunderts, Le Livre de Poche
قصص قصيرة من المغرب, Langues pour tous/Pocket
Des Contes en langue arabe pour tous, Al Bouraq
Il Etait une Fois... Contes du Liban, Bibliothèque Improbable du Pinnacle
A link to your profile/shelf on Goodreads, LibraryThing etc:
I will edit this post to add in links to reviews as they come.

Re: Reading short stories challenge 2019

Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2019 6:03 pm
by IronMike
Languages and levels: Esperanto (C1); Italian (A-nothing)
Goal: at least five total short stories with minimum one in Italian.
Books you plan to read: TBA
My Goodreads: Iron Mike

Re: Reading short stories challenge 2019

Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2019 7:37 pm
by lavengro
I'm in, thanks for organizing!

Incidentally, this is the third challenge I have accepted on this site this week. On the off-chance that I am temporarily under a spell which obliges me to accept any challenge thrown my way, I am avoiding most of my friends as I do not trust what mischief might occur if they were to find out about my condition.

Languages and levels: Italian. My level is roughly between good enough for people to figure out I am trying hard to communicate in Italian, but not nearly good enough for them to understand me.

Goal: I will try for one short story per week over this calendar period. Full disclosure: the initial ones will be from sites like this one which zKing pointed out recently: https://storybookscanada.ca/stories/it//, but (fingers crossed) will eventually improve to at least an intermediate level.

Books you plan to read: In addition to short stories, likely from some of the collections with audio for beginners and intermediate level learners, I hope this year to work through one novella and one play (already chosen) and hopefully three novels (not yet chosen, but unless there are plenty of car chases, I cannot promise to read through to the end).

A link to your profile/shelf on Goodreads, LibraryThing etc: None. Up until your post, I shared the view of some world leaders that reading is way over-rated. I may create a profile in the near future.

Re: Reading short stories challenge 2019

Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2019 8:03 pm
by Mista
Elsa Maria wrote:DANISH: My #1 language goal for Danish is to read literature that was originally written in a Scandinavian language, and has not been translated into English. A secondary goal is to be able to discuss the books, both orally and in writing.
Books I plan to read: I have on hand collections by Karen Blixen, H. C. Andersen, and some readers that are used in Danish schools. And I will probably look through Nordic Council Literature Prize lists.


A recommendation: København by Katrine Marie Guldager. This is a collection of short stories published in 2015, where the stories are seemingly unrelated but yet are linked by small details here and there. And, of course, by the fact that they all take place in Copenhagen.

Re: Reading short stories challenge 2019

Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2019 4:29 am
by Cèid Donn
Are we expected to post reviews for this year's challenge?