book news, Challenges

Once Upon a Time VII

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(Art by Melissa Nucera)

“Come away, O human child: To the waters and the wild with a fairy, hand in hand, For the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand.”

~William Butler Yeats

The calendar in the Northern Hemisphere may officially designate March 20th as Spring, but the forecast of rain, sleet and snow beginning Thursday and carrying through the weekend makes that difficult to believe. Over the voice of wind and cold I can still here that voice telling us that it is indeed time to once more “come away”.

It is that voice that beckons us to Middle-earth and Newford, that calls out from the gap in the village of Wall and from the world of London Below. It is the voice that packs so much promise into four little words…

“Once upon a time…”

Perhaps you too have heard that voice whispering on the spring wind, or perhaps Old Man Winter continues to drown out the sound; either way that time has come: Once Upon a Time is here!

Thursday, March 21st begins the seventh annual Once Upon a Time Challenge. This is a reading and viewing event that encompasses four broad categories: Fairy Tale, Folklore, Fantasy and Mythology, including the seemingly countless sub-genres and blending of genres that fall within this spectrum. The challenge continues through Friday, June 21st and allows for very minor (1 book only) participation as well as more immersion depending on your reading/viewing whims.

Don’t like the word “challenge”? We have something special just for you.

Come away, and I’ll tell you more…

“I felt a curious thrill, as if something had stirred in me, half wakened from sleep. There was something very remote and strange and beautiful behind those words, if I could grasp it, far beyond ancient English.”

~J.R.R. Tolkien, on reading the Cynewulf lines about the star Earendel

Now, for the particulars:

The Once Upon a Time VI Challenge has a few rules:

Rule #1: Have fun.

Rule #2: HAVE FUN.

Rule #3: Don’t keep the fun to yourself, share it with us, please!

Rule #4: Do not be put off by the word “challenge”.

While this event retains the word “challenge” from its earliest days, the entire goal is to read good books, watch good television shows and movies, and most importantly, visit old friends and make new ones. There are several ways to participate, and I hope you can find at least one to your liking:

This is really as simple as the name implies. It means you are participating, but not committing yourself to any specific number of books. By signing up for The Journey you are agreeing to read at least one book within one of the four categories during March 21st to June 21st period. Just one book. If you choose to read more, fantastic! If not, then we have still had the pleasure of your company during this three month reading journey and hopefully you have read a great book, met some interesting people, and enjoyed the various activities that occur during the challenge. 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 want you to participate. Hence, The Journey.

Read at least 5 books that fit somewhere within the Once Upon a Time categories. They might all be fantasy, or folklore, or fairy tales, or mythology…or your five books might be a combination from the four genres.

Read at least one book from each of the four categories. In this quest you will be reading 4 books total: one fantasy, one folklore, one fairy tale, and one mythology. This proves to be one of the more difficult quests each year merely because of the need to classify each read and determine which books fit into which category. I am not a stickler, fear not, but I am endlessly fascinated watching how folks work to find books for each category.

Fulfill the requirements for The Journey or Quest the First or Quest the Second AND top it off with a June reading of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream OR a viewing of one of the many theatrical versions of the play. Love the story, love the films, love the idea of that magical night of the year and so this is my chance to promote the enjoyment of this farcical love story.

This quest involves the reading of one or more short stories that fit within at least one of the four genres during the course of any weekend, or weekends, during the challenge. Ideally you would post about your short story readings on Sundays or Mondays, but this is not strictly necessary.

Stories are not just limited to the printed page. Many entertaining, moving, profound or simply fun stories are told in the realm of television and film. To participate in this quest simply let us know about the films and/or television shows that you feel fit into the definitions of fantasy, fairy tales, folklore or mythology that you are enjoying during the challenge.

If you review any of the books you read or shows you watch for the challenge, please link to them in the Review Site by clicking the link (or by clicking on the banner on the right hand side of my blog), that way we can come and visit you.

Over the years various well meaning, and not so well meaning, people have tried to dismiss this kind of literature as childish, no longer relevant, escapist, etc.

Terri Windling, in her marvelous essay “On Tolkien and Fairy Stories” writes:

It was only in the nineteenth century that magical literature and art was pushed into the nursery — ironically, at a time when adult interest in them could not have been higher. Prior to this, ancient epics and myths held a central place in the literary arts, while their country cousins, folk and fairy tales, were told to young and old alike. When fairy tales moved from the oral to the literary tradition, they did so as adult stories.

The literature that falls into these categories speaks to me in a way that no other literature does. I think it is all the history. Ancient folklore and mythology inform so many types of stories and there is something very special about those fantasy stories that in some way build upon that foundation. They are not kids stories to me. They never were. But they do retain the magic that they had when I was a child. And I am thrilled that it is that time of year for us to share these stories with one another.
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Artist Melissa Nucera was generous enough to once again allow me to utilize her art for this challenge. I’ve put together a some different sized banners so that you can choose what you need. If you need anything sized differently, please let me know.

If you are joining us and are doing a post on your site about the challenge, please post a link to it below. If you don’t have a blog or are signing up to join but don’t plan on doing an opening post, feel free to sign up as well. We want to visit one another and enjoy the community.

100 thoughts on “Once Upon a Time VII”

  1. Hooray, I’ve been looking forward to this! 🙂 You always write a beautiful launch for each of these experiences. Thanks for the invitation to venture into fairyland again. I can’t wait to come along!

    1. Thanks Cheryl, Happy to have you venturing into the woods with us once again. 🙂

    1. I usually get the announcement out a bit earlier but there was just too much going on this year. Still, a few hours before launch day isn’t horrible. Thanks for the enthusiasm and for joining in again.

    2. I’m glad I’m not the only one who compulsively checks for launch posts… 🙂 Er, no pressure, Carl…

    1. You are welcome. I’m ready to leave the winter behind, hopefully it will soon be ready to leave us behind.

  5. I’m signing up for The Journey. I suspect I’ll manage much more than one book, but I’m refusing to add the extra stress of NEEDING to read them.

    Carl, I wasn’t paying attention and have signed up just as “Kerry”. If it’s not too difficult, could you edit my entry to Kerry @ Too Many Books to avoid any confusion should any other Kerrys join in? Thanks.

    1. I’m not sure I can edit Mr. Linky at all. I’ll check. At any rate, wonderful to have you. And it is okay if you do a second sign up, won’t harm anything. 🙂

  6. Oh, I love the idea!
    I’m signing up for Quest the First! I might out up an introductory post a bit later, but no time for this right now)

  7. I’m so in! Looking forward to another successful event Carl. I hope all is well!

    1. Thanks TBM, glad you will be joining again. All is great today, getting ready to leave on a mini-vacation to our favorite Inn for my wife’s birthday, which is today!

    1. Yes, please count it! There is a link up in the body of the post highlighted “Review Site” and you can link your review there. Welcome!!!

      1. Oh good. I’ve got a book I finished yesterday, and I didn’t quite like to ask if it would still count. But apparently so. I love the laid-back nature of these “challenges”…

    1. No chance. Just extra busy with work these past couple of weeks.

  10. I’ve signed up for Quest the First! I love this challenge. I hope I’ll be able to join in with the Short Story Quest as well, but we’ll have to see how that goes.

    Thank you for hosting the challenge again this year, Carl! (Also, hi! I lurk. A lot. I’m taking the chance of the challenge to try and delurk a little. Meep. It’ll be fun either way, though.)

    Happy reading, everyone, and yay spring time!

    1. Glad to see you in on this Lynn! If you have a chance check out my short story for last Sunday which has a link to this Sunday’s short story discussion. The featured story is very much in the spirit of Once Upon a Time.

      1. Ooooooh. Sounds good! *bookmarks* My sign-up post has a few short story suggestions for people as well, so hopefully someone’ll find it a useful little list. ^_^ Some is poetry, though. Poetry counts, I hope?

        1. Oh yes, there are many great poems that would fit right in with this event.

    1. It is in the body of the post highlighted “Review Site”. I’ll get the side bar put up soon.

      1. i skipped right over it.. it’s not highlited just in caps but either way i got it now and my post is up also!

  13. I’ve been looking so forward to this and you can count me in for Quest the first plus Quest on screen. First up is A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan and a viewing of The Hobbit over the weekend. I don’t have a blog, but I plan to create a shelf on my goodreads account for the books.

    1. Great Samantha, thanks for joining in. Goodreads is a great place to link to as well and feel free to post any thoughts on what you read or watch over here in the comments as well if you want.

  14. You sure know how to make a person smile, don’t you? 😀 I honestly can’t put into words how deliriously happy it makes me ever year when this post goes up. Thank you, once again, for bringing so much joy!!!

    And this year, I hope to be much better about having the rest of the gang share their reads as well. Because we’re definitely all in!

    1. I do what I can! 🙂 Glad to have the S family all in. Would not be the same if it wasn’t a family affair.

  15. Oh happy day! It’s Spring AND Once Upon a Time time! As always, thank you Carl, for putting this on every year. I’m off to make up my list!!

    1. Yes, although I wish it were Spring in actuality and not just on the calendar. As I sit here typing this snow is falling outside. Ugh.

  18. You can count me in for The Journey, and the short story quest. I haven’t completely decided what I am going to do, but, at a minimum, I am planning on including something from the Arthurian canon (either Mists of Avalon or Once and Future King) as well as something from one of the Terri Windling/Ellen Datlow fairy tale collections.

    1. All sound like great ideas. So happy you are joining in.

  19. Great introduction! And I’m so in. My copy of Stardust arrived yesterday as well, so I’m ready to go with it as well. I might actually manage *whispers* to join a readalong at the beginning, rather than check-in weeks after the fact. Looking forward to all the temptations that reside in other participants’ posts…

    1. I’m so looking forward to re-reading Stardust and discussing it with everyone. Love it that you’ll be able to start in with us at the beginning.

  20. Ha, so excited. It’s a woo hoo moment. I can’t stop – I have to go and rearrange my books and think of cunning ways to fit them into each category – mwahahaha!
    Plus, I’m going to read A Midsummer Night’s Dream – which also fits into my Classics Club book challenge – so that’s awesomeness!!
    Excited.
    Did I mention I’m excited!!
    Lynn 😀

    1. Having books count for more than one challenge is perfect!!!

      Love your excitement, I’m feeling it myself. Very glad it is this time of year, I’m ready to enjoy some journeys into fantasy.

  21. Such an exciting day every year, I’ve been looking forward to it for the last couple of weeks, lining my books up and then changing my mind. It really does feel like the start of spring suddenly, whatever the weather is doing 🙂

    1. I haven’t even begun to think about what I might be able to get in other than Stardust and a couple of books I have already been reading. I’m excited though!

  22. Certainly the shared read of Stardust is a wonderful impetus, but I’d like to read a few more before the three month challenge ends. Not sure what, yet, but will post when I formalize a list. Probably, it will have much to do with children’s literature this time round.

    1. I’m reading a children’s literature book now and have another lined up so I’ll be getting some in myself for this year’s challenge. Thanks for joining in Bellezza.

  23. I thought I posted last night, but can’t see it. I’m signing up for quest the 3rd: Russian Fairy Tales by E. M. Almedingen, Myths and legends of the Celts by James MacKillop, The Fabled Coast : legends and traditions from around the shores of Great Britain and Ireland by Sophia Kingshill and Jennifer Westwood. The fantasy novel will be an excuse to read one on my TBR pile, and to top it off, a viewings of Benjamin Britten’s opera, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (all but six words by Shakespeare.)

    1. What a great list, Morag! Thank you so much for taking part with us. Look forward to your thoughts on your reads.

  24. Thank you for the invitation Carl. With the coming of Spring but hardly any change in the cold weather I really need a bit of the fantastical in my life. Plus my TBR pile is full of appropriate reads for this. Will get my intro post up for next week.

    1. You are welcome, it is great to have you. The snow is piling up but I’m going to think Spring thoughts all the same.

  25. As us al, I just read what I read and if any of it fits here, it’ll show up on my blog. Hey, I read “The Ugly Duckling” to a grandkid last week. I’m counting it.

    1. I would count it too, and good for you Richard. Reading to kids is always a good thing, and should count double. 🙂

    1. All is forgotten and it is a new day, Michelle. Thanks for joining in. Yes, Melissa Nucera’s work is great.

  29. I’ve been reading a lot of Salman Rushdie and am trying to learn more about literature from India and South East Asia. Would fairy tales and myths from this part of the world count in this challenge?

    It’s *extremely* doubtful that I’d get through the whole thing, but I would like to explore the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. I don’t know anything about these, and would at least like to learn what they’re about, how they originated and what they mean to those cultures. Even if these don’t fit your rules, the challenge here wold be a good pressure point for me to get started with these two epics and whatever myths, legends, and fairy tales I can find.

    1. Oh, most definitely! Heck most folklore is from other parts of the world anyway.

      Will be great to hear about these as you read them.

    1. Yes. It’s there posted. It posted at 12:29 am on Friday. Focus is on Eclipse online short stories…

      1. As Jeff said, yes, it is there. I just didn’t do a post here because I was out of town until late Friday night.

  31. I just posted about this awesome sounding challenge and now I can’t wait to participate! Thanks so much for creating and hosting the Once Upon a Time Challenge! I’m excited to see what everyone else reads and watches for this challenge.

    1. Thank you Nadia, wonderful to have you along with us. We always have fun with it.

  32. Oddly enough, I’m going through a bit of a run of these books myself right now. Must be something in the air, as you said 😉

    I have, however, learned my lesson from last time so will be pacing myself properly this time. We’ll stick to The Journey for now and see how it goes…

    1. Definitely something in the air, even in the Winter-ish air we are having right now. Thanks for joining us kamo!

  33. OMG OMG I am so excited. I have to work up a book list tonight, last time I did R.I.P I did not have a list and I sucked at reading. This time I will have one and do better.
    Thank you
    Carl

  34. I will be joining you on ‘The Journey’ and the read/listen along. As I do not have a website where do I put my reviews of what I have read?

    Thanks, Juno.

  36. Hi Carl

    I just did my post and linked it to my name. I am so excited! I have so many books to read! lol I love the art you are using this year, too. It’s evocative and a little bit eerie. I look forward to all the books everyone is going to read. I’ve had so much fun going through some lists already others have posted that they are going to read, and seeing what I could add to my own!!

    I sure wish spring would come, though, don’t you? We have so much snow here. It’s barely above zero, though the snow is melting a bit now.

    Thanks so much for hosting this challenge again, Carl.

  37. I’ve never participated in this challenge before because I’m generally more of a realistic fiction reader, but I have several books on my reading list for the next few months that will totally fit. So, I’m in! At least for the Journey, and possibly for the Screen and Short Story challenges as well. Thanks for hosting!

  38. Hi Carl, I’m really excited to take part in this challenge again after an extended hiatus from blogging. It’s a wonderful “challenge” and I know I’m going to love my reading for it. Thanks so much for hosting again this spring!

  41. I’d like to join in with Quest the First and possibly Quest the Second! I am wondering if science fiction adaptations of fairy tales would fit in the fairy tale category?

  42. I love this! Better late than never. Since this is my first time joining in, I would love to go on The Journey.

  43. Thanks for hosting the challenge, Carl! It’s been fun checking out what everyone plans to read – and making my own list of books. Can’t wait to hit the library!

  44. Just found this challenge and it encouraged me to officially make a book blog! Thanks so much, it looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun.

  45. This sounds like wonderful fun. I’ll be going for Quest The First, and possibly also the Quest On Screen – I discovered the first season of Legend Of The Seeker, and will be watching. 😀

    My reading list is a little different from my usual – I chose standalone novels exclusively. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, Eyes Of The Dragon by Stephen King, War For The Oaks by Emma Bull and The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle. They’re all entirely new to me, so I’m looking forward to the reading!

  47. I FINALLY got around to posting my post! And I swear I’m going to read that short story that you sent very soon! Saw you reviewed it but haven’t read your review yet…want to read it first. I thought of you today actually when I was making my piles. I pulled Book on Fire off of the shelves which is the sequel to The Book of Flying…man that really was such an amazing book….I have to read that again one day…As always, thanks so much Carl for hosting this and continuing to be at the very heart of this community and keeping it what it’s always been about for me. I always cherish your challenges. They feel like home.

  50. Hey! That’s my first time to join the challenge, I’ve heard it is goodish 🙂 With the dreary weather outside I really need some escape in good books and thought I would read along. I do not have a blog but I’m active on GR, hope it’s okay I posted a link to my list on GR. I think I will do Q1. I am not sure though, maybe I have time to do Q3. Anyways, I look forward to this one and hope it’s really going to be fun 🙂 Thanks for setting this up!

  51. First time at the challenge! I’m going to try for Quest the Second and possibly the Short Story Quest. I have a couple anthologies that I’ve been meaning to start, as well as at least one King Arthur story.
    This is going to be fun!

  53. Woah. Just realized that it’s “Once Upon a Time” time. I’ve been away far too long…

  54. How … how have I missed this? Is it too late to join in this year? I believe I might have time to dive into Shakespeare’s fairyland and get in a few fantasy reads !

  55. Hi Carl, and I’m sorry I stumbled upon this beautiful site so late in the game. But I will put aside my current reads and squeak in a book before the deadline 🙂

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