(Image credit: Flight, by Melissa Nucera)
Summer 2011: record-breaking heat waves, drought, flooding, earthquakes, tornadoes–we have had it all. For most of us who have experienced it, the turning of the calendar to reveal a September 1st date is not going to feel all that different. Summer has not yet relinquished her hold. And she has a right to hold on. After all, Autumn does not begin for another three weeks, and even then Summer may greedily hunger for a little more time. Let us pray otherwise.
Regardless of what my thermometer tells me, my heart tells me that autumn is here and that it is once again time to revel in things ghostly and ghastly, in stories of things that go bump in the night. It is time to trail our favorite detectives as they relentlessly chase down their prey, to go down that dark path into the woods, to follow flights of fantasy and fairy tale that have a darker heart than their spring time brethren. To confront gothic, creepy, horror stories in all their chilling delight.
Every September 1st through October 31st for the last 5 years I have hosted the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril Challenge, affectionately known as the R.I.P. Challenge. I began this reader event, I blinked, and now I am hosting this for the 6th time. Wow, that is so hard to believe.
The purpose of the R.I.P. Challenge is to enjoy books that could be classified as:
Mystery.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural.
The emphasis is never on the word challenge, instead it is about coming together as a community and embracing the autumnal mood, whether the weather is cooperative where you live or not.
(Image credit: Sanctuary, by Melissa Nucera)
There are two simple goals for the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril VI Challenge:
1. Have fun reading.
2. Share that fun with others.
As I do each and every year, there are multiple levels of participation (Perils) that allow you to be a part of R.I.P. VI without adding the burden of another commitment to your already busy lives. There is even a one book only option for those who feel that this sort of reading is not their cup of tea (or who have many other commitments) but want to participate all the same.
R.I.P. VI officially runs from September 1st through October 31st. But lets go ahead and break the rules. Lets start today!!!
Multiple perils await you. You can participate in just one, or participate in them all.
Peril the First:
Read four books, any length, that you feel fit (my very broad definitions) of R.I.P. literature. It could be Stephen King or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Ian Fleming or Edgar Allan Poe…or anyone in between.
Peril the Second:
Read two books of any length that you believe fit within the challenge categories.
Peril the Third:
We all want you to participate. This Peril involves reading one book that fits within the R.I.P. definition.
Peril of the Short Story:
I am a big fan of short stories and my desire for them is perhaps no greater than in autumn. I see Poe and Lovecraft in my future for sure. You can read short stories any time during the challenge. When I can, I like to read short stories over the weekend and post about them around that time. Feel free to do this however you want, but if you review short stories on your site, please link to those reviews on the Book Review site.
Peril on the Screen:
This Peril was added last year and proved to be popular, and so it returns. This is for those of us that like to watch suitably scary, eerie, mysterious gothic fare during this time of year. It may be something on the small screen or large. It might be a television show, like Dark Shadows, or your favorite film. If you are so inclined, please post links to any R.I.P.-related viewing you do on to the book review site as well.
Peril of the Group Read:
This Peril is new for this year. I’ve recently discovered the joys of group reading and I posted about three group reads that I am hosting during this year’s R.I.P. Challenge. If you feel so inclined please join us in one (or more) of the planned group reads, information is located here.
In addition to, or instead of, these group read options you may want to host your own. That would be welcome too and if you choose to do so please let me know so that I can advertise them for you.
Again, you may participate in one or all of the various Perils. My one demand: enjoy yourself!
The R.I.P. VI Challenge does not require you to read from a pre-selected list of books, but like many of you I love to get ideas from what others are thinking of reading. If you want to include a pool of potential reads when you sign up, either in the comments or on your own sign up post on your blog (not required for participation), please do!
I will most likely post a reading pool of my own in the next couple of days, including a list of previously read books that I would recommend reading for the challenge.
This challenge is always a joy because of one thing: you! You sharing your passion for books, reading, films, television, etc. helps bring us together and ensures that we all have a great time. Thank each and every one of you who choose to participate on any level. I am honored that you would choose to do so.
Remember that we would love to read any reviews of the books you read or things you watch. Simply visit the R.I.P. VI Review Site (link is conveniently located by clicking the banner in my side bar) and leave a link to your post. These challenges are a great way to make new friends by tempting them to come to your site to read your reviews.
Before I let you go, I want to thank Melissa Nucera for allowing me to use her artwork for this year’s banners. I had a hard time choosing just one so I offer you two choices, The Birds or Dr. Who “Blink” (my silly names) in various sizes below. I will be giving away one small print of each of these images (sans my text additions) to two lucky participants here in the near future. I have also sent Melissa a set of interview questions and will be featuring more of her art (and giveaways) very soon.
Please be sure to visit Melissa’s Etsy site to see more of her wonderful work.
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If you need a custom size of either of these images please let me know and I can make you one from the originals so that they retain their clear resolution.
Before I let you go to sign up, I’d like to also mention another eerie themed event that will go on during the month of October:
Jenn, of Jenn’s Bookshelves, will be hosting the Murder, Monsters, Mayhem event. It will include guest posts, giveaways and all kinds of gothic goodness. I am thrilled to be doing a guest post sometime during the event. Please consider getting more bang for your buck and parlaying your R.I.P. participation into the Triple M event too. You can visit here for more information.
Do not let circumstances fool you. Autumn is here in spirit. It is R.I.P. VI Challenge time.
And so it begins…
Sorry I’m late – hope I can still get in on the action!
I’m having a horror-themed month on my blog for October, so this challenge seemed like the perfect one to try. Can’t wait to get started
I can’t believe that I almost missed this challenge! Thanks for hosting it once again, Carl! Fall is incomplete without R.I.P.
Thanks for hosting a creepy reading challenge.
I’ve read my two I signed up for already! ‘The Snowman’ by Jo Nesbo and ‘The Evil Guest’ by Joseph Le Fanu. I’ll keep reading though!
Hope I’m not too late to join in on the fun! Loved participating last year…you’re too cool for hosting this SIX years in a row!
Awesome! I have just discovered you, so sorry if I am late. Can I still sign up for the R.I.P challenge? I don’t have a blog at the mo, but hope to very soon!!lol!! If I can join you all, then I would like to sign up for Peril the Second
Can’t wait!
Lynne x
Would be wonderful to have you join us Lynne!
Sorry to ask a really stupid question, but I’m guessings I don’t need to/can’t sign up on the sign up list as I don’t have a blog? Lynne x
I just found out about this and have a few books I’d like to read! Might just to the 2-book challenge … there’s not that many days left!
I’m signing up closer to the end point than the beginning, but I just never got around to it, though I’ve been reading books that qualify. I didn’t want to miss out though!
My two books for Peril the Second are :
Twilight – Stephanie Meyers
Red Riding Hood – Stephanie Cartwright
I have also just read The Magic Cottage -James Herbert, just to add on an extra one!
I am also adding Peril on the Screen for which I have watched the BBC adaption of Jane Eyre. i LOVE this SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much
OMG!!!! It’s been a very long day and my brain is obviously frazzled – I can’t believe I put the wrong author :-O. My post SHOULD read :
Red Riding Hood – Sarah Blakley-Cartwright.
Phew! Glad I cleared that one up!lol!
Just did a review of Drink, Slay, Love over on Quirky Girls. I’ve done the 4-book challenge, and the remainder of the reviews will be going up in the next week or two. http://quirkygirlsread.wordpress.com/2011/10/16/rip-challenge-book-bonusdrink-slay-love/
I do this anyway every October; might as well share here.
Books (since September 26):
The Ghost and the Goth / Queen of the Dead – Stacey Kade (YA)
Once Dead, Twice Shy / Early to Death, Early to Rise / Something Deadly This Way Comes – Kim Harrison (YA)
Another Kind of Dead – Kelly Meding
Blood Work – Kim Harrison (graphic novel)
The Business of Death – Trent Jamieson
Spider’s Revenge – Jennifer Estep (in progress)
Better Off Undead – D.D. Barant (next)
Video (since October 1):
Hatchet II
Death Proof
Tales from the Crypt (S1)
Friday the 13th: The Series* (S1)
Tales from the Darkside (S1)
Drive Angry
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant
Tales from the Crypt (S2) – in progress
Scream 4 – possibly next, probably after rewatching 1-3
*No relation to the Jason Voorhees movies. Think “Warehouse 13″ with 1980s effects and a more overt horror theme.
Just found out about this. I’ll def join in next year, looks like fun.