A sincere apology

Dear all,

this apology post doesn't even begin to express how incredibly sorry I am for being such a lousy challenge starter for being MIA for a good portion of the year.
Truth being, it's my first time and I lost steam midway. I am terribly sorry for being overly ambitious when it comes to starting and maintaining a challenge like this. I know this isn't an excuse, but I still wish to express my sincerest apology.

April Update

First of all, an apology for a missing March update.

In the past two weeks I read two relic novels: The Chinese Alchemist by Lyn Hamilton and The Sanctuary by Raymond Khoury.

The Chinese Alchemist tells the tale of a antique seller from Ontario who gets caught up in an international antique smuggling operation in her search of an antique piece for a client. She travels to New York and China in hunting down a piece of artifact belonging to a Tang dynasty concubine who is said to have perfected the recipe for the Elixir of Immortality, and had hidden this recipe in the artifact. Much of the story is set in China, so those who enjoy reading books that depict the Orient might enjoy this. For me, it was almost a refresher history lesson.

The Sanctuary is also about the hunt for an elixir of immortality. Set in Beirut, Lebanon, this story also tells of relic smuggling and archaeology. In this book, the chapters of the main plot are interjected with journal-like entries of a man who seemed to have attained immortality and travelled from Naples at the height of the Renaissance to the Middle East. It is a very enjoyable and action-packed novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

So if you're stuck on finding something to read, these two books can be worth considering. 

February Update 1

Today millions of ethnic Chinese around the world celebrate Chinese New Year (based on the lunar calendar), including myself. So here's a Happy Chinese New Year to you if you celebrate this festival! Or you could shout out to your Chinese neighbour a Happy Chinese New Year - that would make their day.

How is everyone's reading coming along? As the organizer I'm mildly ashamed of my own reading list - this two months I've been distracted by other books, such as the Percy Jackson series, since it's coming to theatres soon. However, I've set my sight on a book I want to read online through Wowio. This author has enabled us to read the book free online, charging only for downloadable copies. The book in question is called Raising the Past. It might not be a Relic novel in the strictest sense - since the object in question was not hunted before it was found, but nonetheless it's a relic that holds the mystery of, presumably, the human race.

So for those who might interested in reading this e-book, click this link: http://www.wowio.com/users/product.asp?BookId=1244. Reading the book online is free, and if you want to insert a bookmark you have to sign up for a free account with Wowio. In situations like this I always recommend signing up with a Spam Email account - an email account apart from your important correspondences, mainly for online purchases and memberships.

January Update 1

Hello Challengers!

This is your challenge organizer Yvonne speaking.

Indeed, the number of challengers is disappointing, but all five of us will press along, will we not?

So what relic novels have you read thus far,  12 days into the new year?

I am reading The Icon by Neil Olson. Does anyone have that book on their list, or has already read that book?

If you have any reviews you would like to share with us, feel free to email me or leave a comment here.

I wish all of us a great time doing this reading challenge!

Buttons!

I have designed two buttons of different sizes for this challenge. I believe less is more when it comes to buttons of this size.

This is the 300x300px button for those who have more space. You can also reduce this to a size of your preference.

This is the smaller 150x150px button to fit most sidebars. I think it is more preferable if you reduce the larger one to fit your sidebar than to expand the smaller one, which might lose image integrity after being stretched.



I hope you like these buttons. If anyone wants to contribute other designs, leave a comment and I'll get back to you!

Introduction to Relic Novels Challenge

Dear challengers,

welcome to Relic Novel Challenge (RNC) 2010. This is the first year I am hosting this challenge.

What is a Relic Novel?

A relic novel is a novel where a relic or artifact is being hunted. The best example would be The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown in which the holy grail is being hunted. The only pre-requisite of a relic novel is for the main characters to be hunting for a particular relic. He or she usually, but need not necessarily, go on a wild-goose chase around the globe. The hunt also need not be contemporaneous to us.

When is this challenge held?

This challenge runs from 1st January 2010 to 31st December 2010.

Who can participate?

Anyone who reads! (And optionally blogs)

So what is this challenge about?

As with most reading challenges, there are specific aims to this challenge. I have filched the idea of differing levels for readers with differing aims.

Initiate Hunter : Read at least 6 relic novels

In-training Hunter: Read at least 12 relic novels

Master Hunter: Read at least 18 relic novels

Can I crossover my books with other challenges?

Yes, the books used to fulfil this challenge can be used for other challenges as well.

Is there anything in it for me?

Of course! Apart from the sheer entertainment of reading relic novels and learning about various historic cultures, more tangible rewards for this challenge can be expected. I will elaborate more on prizes for this challenge when the number of challengers stabilizes.

How do I participate?

Fill up Mister Linky below!
If you have a blog page dedicated to this challenge (thank you!), fill in Mister Linky with the URL to that post.

In time to come, I will invite readers to post reviews on this blog, so watch this blog!