Fandom Snowflake Challenge - Day 1

In your own space, talk about why you're participating in Snowflake and, if you’ve participated in the past, how the challenge has affected you. What drew you to it? What did you take away from it? What do you hope to accomplish this year? Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

I started lurking in Snowflake about four(?) years ago, and have participated since 2016. It's one of the annual fandom events I really look forward to, alongside Yuletide. It keeps the momentum and excitement of Yuletide going, and I like starting the year out with an event that encourages me to stick to a posting schedule for two weeks. And most of all, I like that it encourages the sort of pan-fandom interaction and discussion I miss from the LJ and Yahoo ML heydays. This year I'm hoping to complete every challenge by January 15, and to engage even more than I did last year.

これで以上です。

2017 Reading in Review

I had every intention of posting this before the new year began. Oops.

How many books read in 2017?
I read 108 books cover-to-cover. (NB: My definition of “cover-to-cover” includes all forewords, afterwords, glossaries, appendices, and other such bits. For instance, I read all of The Goblin Emperor except the who's who at the end, and it is thus not included in the count above.) The 108 included fiction, non-fiction, comics, and manga, in Japanese and English.

Favorite book overall?
Fiction: Thick as Thieves by Megan Whalen Turner
Nonfiction: The Souls of China by Ian Johnson

Least Favorite?
Fiction: The Lies of Locke Lamora
Nonfiction: The Wasting of Borneo

Fiction/Non-Fiction ratio?
82:26

Author gender breakdown?
Women: 41
Men: 58
Unknown or anthology: Nine
Interestingly, the ratio skews toward men because I although I read far more prose fiction by women, men wrote most of the comics and manga I read this year, many of which I read more than once during the year. Also, in the interest of simplicity, I sorted the comics by author, not illustrator, so those books will male authors but female illustrators are only included in the men's count.

Most books read by one author this year?
Six (all graphic novels by Warren Ellis--Injection vol. 1 x 2, Injection vol. 2, Transmetropolitan: Tales of Human Waste, Trees vol. 2, and Red.

Any in translation?
The Original Dream by Nukila Amal, from the Indonesian. Everything else, I read in its original language—in this case, English and Japanese.

Oldest?
Japan and Korea by Frank Carpenter, which I believe was published in 1926.

Newest?
I believe it was The Windfall by Diksha Basu, but don't quote me on that.

Longest Title?
Walking Your Octopus: A Guidebook to the Domesticated Cephalopod by Brian Kesinger

Shortest Title?
Red by Warren Ellis

Longest book?
Inda by Sherwood Smith

Shortest book?
Triangle by Mac Barnett

Format of books read?
Paper: 100
Ebook: Eight
I also listened to multiple audiobooks, but since I didn't include them in the count above I won't include them here.

Re-reads?
More than once in 2017: Six
 Triangle by Mac Barnett (x2)
 The Devil's Feast by M.J. Carter (x2)
 Injection vol. 1 by Warren Ellis (x2)

In 2017 and an earlier year: 17
 10% Happier by Dan Harris
 The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
 The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander
 The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
 The Castle of Llyr by Lloyd Alexander
 A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner
 The Giver by Lois Lowry
 The Infidel Stain by M.J. Carter
 Injection vol. 2 by Warren Ellis
 The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
 Prince's Gambit by C.S. Pacat
 Promethea vol. 3 by Alan Moore
 Promethea vol. 4 by Alan Moore
 Red by Warren Ellis
 The Strangler Vine by M.J. Carter
 The Tarot: History, Mystery, and Lore by Cynthia Giles
 The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley

Book that most changed my perspective:
A Mother's Reckoning by Sue Kliebold

Favorite character:
Costis in Thick as Thieves. He was an absolute delight.

Favorite scene:
There was a scene in The Devil's Feast that made me very, very happy.

Favorite Quote:
So much of what is onerous, or dangerous, to women, comes down to "custom." "Tradition." - Caitlin Moran, Moranifesto.
 
What do you want to read in 2018?
The list is endless. My top five are currently:
The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
Ka by John Crowley
League of Dragons by Naomi Novik
The Tain translated from the Irish by Ciaran Carson

これで以上です。