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Admin
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Location: Dallas, Texas | 
Can you believe it's been 10 years since the first WoGF? Perhaps we'll figure out some way to celebrate the occasion...
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Regular
Posts: 92
| For a number of reasons I have had a few years where I have not been able to read as much as I would like to (thankfully that feels in the past now) but I still have such fond memories of that challenge, and the Grand Master Challenge around the same time. Both really opened my vistas to reading new authors, increasing the diversity of my reading and opening up both books from the past I have missed and getting up to speed with more modern books. If you had said that was a decade ago I'd have said 'no way!'
It's a testament to you and everyone involved how that morphed into this 'new idea' of the RYO challenges and I am sure many visitors here over the years have experienced the same richness and diversity and rewarding experiences that I have.
Time to raise a glass I think, and say congratulations to this site that has played it's own role in encouraging people to open their vistas in what was perhaps once viewed through a white, male lens.
Bravo! |
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Admin
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Location: Dallas, Texas | bazhsw - 2022-01-01 12:13 PM For a number of reasons I have had a few years where I have not been able to read as much as I would like to (thankfully that feels in the past now) but I still have such fond memories of that challenge, and the Grand Master Challenge around the same time. Both really opened my vistas to reading new authors, increasing the diversity of my reading and opening up both books from the past I have missed and getting up to speed with more modern books. If you had said that was a decade ago I'd have said 'no way!' It's a testament to you and everyone involved how that morphed into this 'new idea' of the RYO challenges and I am sure many visitors here over the years have experienced the same richness and diversity and rewarding experiences that I have. Time to raise a glass I think, and say congratulations to this site that has played it's own role in encouraging people to open their vistas in what was perhaps once viewed through a white, male lens. Bravo! Thanks for the kind words! We are really proud of how the RYO has come along for the last number of years. The community has taken to it with gusto and a lot of creativity. It's great to see everyone getting into the spirit of the challenges and branching out to try new authors and challenge their own reading habits. We have some new features to add to the next edition of the RYO that we think folks are going to like so keep coming back -- we'll be here!
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Regular
Posts: 74
| I echo that sentiment! I absolutely love this site - who doesn't love a good list??? The challenges and the way they're presented are so great, and I use them to guide my reading and go places I never would have otherwise. I definitely raise my glass! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1031
Location: UK | And I am literally having a whisky right now,so I raise my glass too. I love this site,its what got me back into reading SF after several decades away. I am well known over in our Science Fiction Fans group on Library Thing for liking to make lists - and I get all my ideas from here!
Cant believe in a matter of months it will be my tenth anniversary on the site.Here's hoping for another 10 years...hmmm,that will make me 84,but here's hoping ! |
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Regular
Posts: 92
| Does anyone have a fun way of selecting a random author when undertaking this challenge they would like to share? I may go off a random letter for a surname and take it from there. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 556
Location: Great Lakes, USA | @bazhsw. I used to go to the new books shelf in the library and pick a new book from there if they had any suitable. If they didn't, I would go to the women authors page on this site, shut my eyes, scroll and point.
Closest author that I haven't read anything by was selected . I would pick a book by that author. I am doing the latter this year as the new library gets very few science fiction, fantasy or horror books. Didn't really like last year's pick. Hope I do better this year. |
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Admin
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Location: Dallas, Texas | finminer - 2022-01-02 10:20 AM I echo that sentiment! I absolutely love this site - who doesn't love a good list??? The challenges and the way they're presented are so great, and I use them to guide my reading and go places I never would have otherwise. I definitely raise my glass! Well I very rudely let this awesome comment pass me by! Thanks so much, fin! I hope you and Baz don't mind me using these great quotes about the site on the new home page of WWEnd 3.oh! Really means a lot to know how much ya'll are digging' the site. You rock! |
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Admin
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Location: Dallas, Texas | dustydigger - 2022-02-19 6:57 PM And I am literally having a whisky right now,so I raise my glass too. I love this site,its what got me back into reading SF after several decades away. I am well known over in our Science Fiction Fans group on Library Thing for liking to make lists - and I get all my ideas from here! Cant believe in a matter of months it will be my tenth anniversary on the site.Here's hoping for another 10 years...hmmm,that will make me 84,but here's hoping ! 10 years is an awesome anniversary! Thank you so much for sticking with all these years. I know we've had many ups and downs in that time but you've always been there trying to keep the conversation going. We'll get our new custom list feature going with 3.oh! and turn you loose to make some great lists for all to enjoy! BTW, I'm going to poach some of your comments for our testimonials section too! |
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Regular
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| Thanks for your suggestion @daxxh, I ended up copying the whole 'Women authors' page into a text document and copied into Excel and then did a random number generator to get an author.
So as random as I could 
It worked because I did read a work by an author I a) had never heard of and b) almost certainly would not have come across by any other means. The author was writing
from a cultural perspective very different from my own and was a translated work so I appreciate the fact that I did pick a random author.
And @administrator feel free to use any of my contributions in this thread as a testimonial - I really value this site, the structure, challenges and everything else. I suspect many may not actively contribute in forums but would miss the place greatly if it were not here. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 556
Location: Great Lakes, USA | Kallocain by Karin Boye is my random pick for the Women of Genre Fiction challenge. I used the scroll through the author list and pick one with my eyes closed method. I had to buy this one and it has arrived, so I will be reading it soon.
I joined this site the first year this challenge was offered and have done it every year. I plan to keep on joining it. Love the challenges and love this site!
Edited by daxxh 2022-07-09 7:04 PM
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2022 Women of Genre Fiction Reading Challenge