LibriVox Forum

An April Adventure!

Join in and roam the farthest reaches of literature and learning, exploring authors, genres and styles you've so far overlooked, ignored or actively avoided while LibriVoxing or reading. Preferred Kafka to Kids' books? Missed out on Mystery? Kept light-years away from Sci-Fi? Time to mix it up!

Rules of the Road

Be open-minded
Think about genres you've never tried before, and have a look for projects that match -- then volunteer for a section and expand your horizons! This could also be a first outing into a drama or dramatic read, poetry -- or even collaboration (if you're a dedicated soloist!) Open to even the newest LibriVoxers, just apply these criteria to your usual reading tastes.

Be kind to BCs
Just pick one section of one book, record and return it, then see if there's enough time left to select another. Signing up for several at the same time blocks other people from contributing -- and if you don't enjoy the read, the process of unclaiming (or at worst, the BC chasing, orphaning and re-opening for another reader) may well stop them getting their book into the catalogue in a timely way.

Be sincere
Don't pick sections purely 'as a joke' -- no author deserves that. Listeners might also be exploring new avenues, but most will be listening because they genuinely want to enjoy the book. Pick something new, but also interesting or challenging to you in some way.

Post what you're picking and why in this thread, then again when you finish too. Has your section opened a new door on book choices, or just confirmed a particular area of writing is not for you? Why/why not? This is a judgement-free event. We all have different tastes and reading backgrounds, so one person's exciting enterprise will be another's daily bread and butter. That's fine, it's all good! Let's share our new discoveries about ourselves and our books here.

April Adventure Statistics!
See the wrap-up post here: viewtopic.php?p=1463608#p1463608

Challenge ended: 30th April

Data tracked here (anonymous Google spreadsheet)

So, what are you reading then, Cori?

I do need somebody to set an example. Any example will do.

I think I'm going for an Economics book. I'm not sure I've ever read one of those in my life, though I do have one on my offline To Be Read shelf. It's been there a loooong time. Economics seems to be a lot of very smart people talking about <something> very intensely. Money, obviously, and ... markets ... and stuff. Definitely an adventure!

Just a few days ago, I was talked into playing a posh Parlourmaid in a One-Act Play.

I haven’t recorded it yet, so can I post-date this to count for this challenge?

If anyone needs an example, will “Son of the Exiles” in a French maid’s outfit do?


Cheers,
Chris

second participant I am also going for an Economy book seems like we need to all broaden our horizon in that topic.

I chose a chapter from Principles of Political Economy by John Stuart Mill: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=61820

People who know me, will know why this is a challenge to me. I am used to poetry, drama and VERY small chapters from novels. Non-fiction is not my thing really. But I will try to give it my best.

Will post once it's done, but may not be before the end of the week.

Sonia

SonOfTheExiles wrote: ↑April 1st, 2018, 5:08 amI haven’t recorded it yet, so can I post-date this to count for this challenge?

SonOfTheExiles also wrote:If anyone needs an example, will “Son of the Exiles” in a French maid’s outfit do?

Thank goodness for our No Images forum policy ... that mental image is quite splendid enough!

Sonia, 'end of the week' will make your BC happy! The challenge runs to the end of the month, just in case that's needed ...

Here we go! I'm not sure how much of an adventure it is, since I've done a lot of nonfiction before, but I don't recall doing anything about art or drawing. So I'm going to attempt a section in The Practice and Science of Drawing.

I just claimed: 25 Florence and Rosamond Hill, Lady Barker, Magyarland in Celebrated Women Travellers of the Nineteenth Century by W. H. Davenport Adams for April's Challenge.

Three reasons.

First reason: Usually I prefer to read poetry. I often find it hard to read long, descriptive prose in an engaging way.
Second reason: I like the topic. Two sisters travelling. Hi, Sonia *waves*
Third reason: Australia. Hi, Chris *waves*

Sandra

For my adventure, I chose a poet that I knew nothing about, found a very interesting little poem, and posted my file already in Rapunzelina's forum for Open Poetry.

viewtopic.php?t=69397

This is my recording:

https://librivox.org/uploads/rapunzelina/spc178_alicesitbyhour_lof_128kb.mp3

Happy Easter!

I've just claimed a tiny chapter in Kitty's "World's Story 2: India, Persia, Mesopotamia, Palestine"

79 How the Persians build a house, by S. G. W. Benjamin

It was hard to think of a genre I haven't dipped into, but when I saw this, I realized that I've read a ton of Western history but possibly no Eastern history.

I chose another section in a project: Songs of the Sea and Lays of the Land...

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=67715&start=270

It's a "New York Narrative." Since I'm a New Yorker, this intrigues me.

Thank you for the challenge! I'll post again when finished.

Art is an great choice, Tricia -- always interesting to see how a visual art can be taken into words.

I was eying that book myself, Sandra, but couldn't justify it as an Adventure, because I've definitely read travel books before. I definitely want to listen to it once done, though!

Wonderful, Ealswythe, you're our first successful adventurer! Glad you're on to the next piece already, too

Kara, no small challenge for you to find something new indeed. You've read SO diversely, like Tricia. Eastern history sounds fascinating, though.

Stats all updated, onward and upward.

I decided to aid in the recording of "Common Sense in the Household: A Manual of Practical Housewifery". viewtopic.php?f=2&t=68920
It's mostly a cookbook and I've never read one.
I've already claimed a section about Fruit desserts, and submitted it, but it hasn't been PLed yet (in fact my claim isn't even in the MW yet) so I'm not posting a link yet.
I'm planning to record at least one more section for this project.

Fruit desserts, Piotr, what fun! I did jam recipes several years ago ... it was ... a bit of a marathon-run, but good to get through.

I hadn't thought about links, but perhaps it's better just to mention the name of the books/projects here, because we ask people not to download sections (unless they're the BC/PL) until the book is catalogued.

I have a poem in mind that will be a good challenge for me. It is a poem in French and though I can read the French language as I did learn it in school, school was a couple of years ago. I am so excited to take on this challenge.
Thank you,
April