Madams and Monsieurs, I present to you our menu for the 2017 Historical Fiction Challenge.  The challenge begins on January 1, 2017 and ends 11:59pm on December 31, 2017.  There are four levels of dining to choose from.  You can pick and choose to your hearts content, but you must read at least 1 book from each course.

There will be a separate thread for lists.

Level 1:  Drive Thru -  Read 6 books

Level 2:  Early Bird Special  - Read 10 books

Level 3:  Fine Dining  -  Read 14 books

Level 4:  Connoisseur  -   Read 20 books

APPETIZER

1) Read a book by your favorite author

2) Read a "new to you" author

3) Read a book with either a number, color, or proper name in the title

4) Read a book that contains a significant animal in it (example:  the horse Ghost in Outlaw, Hedwig the owl in Harry Potter...etc.  If the animal has a name, it counts!)

5) Read a book not in a series and leave a review in this thread

6) Read a book whose author or a character shares a name with you (first name, last name, initals)

MAIN COURSE

1) Read a book 500+ pages

2) Read a book about forbidden love, in any capacity

3) Read a book that contains an American president

4) In honor of the 20th anniversary release of Harry Potter, read a book that features magic, sorcery, withcraft or any other nefarious dark arts

5) In honor of the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen's death, read a book that contains either a convoluted courtship, a strong heroine, a rakish rogue, an overbearing mother, or a book set in England

6) Read a book that features a wedding, a birth, or a funeral (kuddos to you if the book contains all three!)

DESSERT

1) Read a book on your TBR list

2) Read a book set in 2 time periods, or 2 countries

3) Read a book with less than 300 pages

4) Read a book set in the Old West

5) Read the first book in a series

6) Read a historical romance

FINE WINES

1) Read a book about or set during the Prohibition Era

2) Read a book whose main character is older than 60

3) Read a classic novel published before 1900

4) Re-read your favorite book

5) Read the oldest book on your TBR pile

6) Read a book that, at the time of publication, was written by an author who was older than 50

This looks like such fun, Carolyn!  I am so excited to start it.

Yes, I'm tired of this century.  Going to spend more time in the Middle Ages!

Excellent, Carolyn!

Very Nice Carolyn

the 2017 HF Banners that Jeanne listed are here Banners

Wow - this looks like so much fun!!! 

ETA - Never having done a challenge - do you have to plan everything out ahead of time, or can you move things around if you find they fit better somewhere else?

You can do it either way plan ahead or fill in the slots as you go

Okay, next question... how do I get the banner to go into my signature line... it just shows up as Link blah blah blah

Love the categories! As a giant nerd who likes to plan what I'm reading way in advance I was completely stumped for the "Read a book whose author/character shares the same first, last, initials with you".  Good gravy!  Could not find any characters or authors with the name Holly or initials which are HP.  Finally after much searching I stumbled on the answer quite by accident-Hester Prynne!  We share initials!  Eureka!  Here's hoping Hester by Paula Reed is not a dud.

Terrific job with the categories; I'm in & can't wait! Debbie

This sounds like such fun!  I'm in.  I need to EMPTY my TBR pile.  I say this every stinkin' year, but I mean it this time!  I'm really curious to see what I have sitting around here that will fit.  And I do like to plan ahead, but I've been known to switch a book from one category to another if I have to...no one here is that strict, Ann.  

Holly--good job on Hester!  I'm hoping to use Queen Victoria, myself.   Glad to see you're at Wayne State.  

Thanks Vicky!  I'm really excited  - I can't wait!

Queen Victoria! How fun for you, Vicky! 

And, Holly, I think Mom has read Hester ... maybe she'll chime in with a review. Anyone have any a suggestion for Kelly or initials KP?

Sharon Kay Penman? I think that counts!

Holly, I read Hester in 2010.  According to my reading journal notes, much of the story takes place in England where Hester becomes involved in the intrigues of Oliver Cromwell.  My final sentence: "Enjoyed this book, probably more than I expected."

Linda

Carolyn! The categories for "Fine Wines" is so on-point! Props to you for your cleverness.

I also noticed that you are starting the Poldark series in 2017 ... you will absolutely not be disappointed. Such wonderful, wonderful books. Be prepared to find another hero in Ross Poldark, ala Sebatian St. Cyr or Timothy Wilde.

Appetizer course - Favorite Author: I read The Summer Queen by Elizabeth Chadwick. This is the 1st book in her trilogy about Eleanor of Aquitaine and it was wonderful, as one would expect from EC. However, it didn't set my hair on fire. Writing, research, character development, etc. were all excellent, but the pacing seemed a bit slow - maybe because the author knew she needed to stretch Eleanor's story into three full-length books.

I will absolutely read the next two, but the mild disappointment (primarily to to (unfair) comparison to some of her other books) is reflected in my rating of this book at only a 4.5.

~Kelly

Kelly,

im happy you like the categories! I aim to please 😀

I have the entire Poldark series, and I'm going to start them soon. I LOVE the tv show, so I can only assume I'll LOVE the books. And of course imagining Aidan Turner while I read is never a bad thing 😘

Kelly:  I am reading the second Eleanor book on my kindle, I think it is called The Winter Crown.  I am finding that I like it better than the first one for the same reasons you mentioned.

Cheryl, our reading tastes tend to align pretty closely, so I'm delighted to know that book two is a bit better than the first one.

I keep failing to finish challenges, but what the heck! I'm in! :) 

Question - we can only use each book for one category, correct? 

Appetizer - Book Review: Don't you just love it when you know a book you read in January will make the year's top 10 list in December? For me, that book is The Boys in the Boat, by Daniel James Brown. It is a non-fiction book that tells the magical story of the 1936 Washington University eight-oar crew who won Olympic gold in 1936 in pre-war Germany.

Through the author's deft storytelling skills, we learn the stories of the boys, particularly Joe Rantz. We learn about their motivations, the privations of making it in Depression and post-Depression years and the unbelievable commitment they made to become one single, flawless, rowing unit where each person had complete faith and commitment in the rest of the men on the boat. The story is compelling, inspirational and one that will remain with you long after the last footnote has been read.

And for those leary of non-fiction, never fear! This book reads as if someone were telling you a story that you couldn't wait to hear. And, there are plenty of pictures to truly bring the story to life. Highest recommendations for this book ... I cannot imagine that you will regret learning about nine hard-working young men from working class families who gave all they had to become national heroes.

One last comment: If you can get through the descriptions of the races without crying, you are a stronger woman than I! :)


~Kelly

I am reading The Autumn Throne (Eleanor of Aquitaine, Bk 3) :: Elizabeth Chadwick

Can't say enough abuot books by Elizabeth Chadwick. The writing is just beautiful. Love Eleanor of Aquitaine, I woman before her time

I just finished Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye for the Appetizer #3 category.  This one is sort of a take off on the classic novels Jane Eyre and Nicholas Nickleby with a troubled, murderous governess as the title character.  While I admired the cleverness of the writing I can't rate it quite as highly as I do the author's New York City police novels.  It's still worth a read though.  I give this one 3 and a half stars.

I am reading The Homesman by Glendon Swarthout.  It is excellent.  I expected it to trudge at a distance a bit, but you are right there with them and its realism has educated me to how 'the West' was settled, and at what price.