2008 Challenge Wrap-up

Running a bit late on this one but better late than never!

In 2008 I joined several challenges that had mixed success. Even those I didn't complete I still enjoyed and I have plans on repeating the exercise again in 2009.

Wrapping up the year I'll start with a run down of the challenges for 2008.

Triple 8 Challenge - 8 books in 8 categories in 2008.
For my categories I had selected Anthologies, Audiobooks, Romantic Suspense, Paranormals, Published before 2000, Series Romance, Young Adults and New Authors. I completed all categories except Anthologies. It's the category that I suspected would give me the hardest time but I noticed that Romantic Suspense was also difficult to complete. Still I really enjoyed this challenge and I will be joining it again in 2009.

To Be Read Challenge (TBR) was another challenge I missed from completing. I was one book away. I honestly did not enjoy this one because the restrictions were too tight. You had to select your reading list out the door and you could not change those you selected. I am not always in the mood to read certain books and the ability to change my list is important to me. That is why in 2009 I'll join a lighter version of this challenge which will afford me some more flexibility. I think you should read what you enjoy and if I'm forcing myself to read something it feels more like homework that pleasure.

I missed completing The Classic Romances by one book as well. This one was not bad but it became an afterthought more like - hey I have a challenge.. let me see if I have read any of the books on the list. I think I'll pass on this one.

Book A Month was the most challenging of all my reading challenges (no pun intended), I missed 3 themes on this one because I just could not find a book I wanted to read for that theme. I missed the first month's theme because I signed up late (TIME) and then I missed May (MOTHER) and July (INDEPENDENCE). Yeah, that last one should have been a no brainer but in July.. Could not think of ANYTHING to read with that theme,

I completed all my other challenges with plenty of time to spare....

Pub 08 - 8 books published in 2008
Stephenie Meyer mini challenge - read all of Ms Meyer's books in 2008
Chunkster Challenge - I didn't officially sign up for this one but I still did it. Had to read a few BIG CHUNKY books and all the Twilight books qualified.
100+ Reading Challenge - Read 110 books in 2008 so I did get to meet this challenge as well.

This wraps up the Challenges that I signed up for in 2008. I have not posted all the reviews for the books that I had pending but at this stage if the game it's unlikely that I will, so I thought I'd just post the wrap up and move on.

2009 Challenges will be up soon.

2008 Challenges Recap / Update

With 3 months from the end of the year I thought I should go and recap my challenges to make sure I'm on track to complete them. Some have been more successful than others but they have been fun nonetheless.

In no particular order:

Triple 8 Challenge:

I think I'll be missing the mark with one of my categories.
The one I always have problems with - Anthologies.
I have read three of eight and I have three months to go. Not very promising.

I completed the Audiobook category in no time. I have listened to 35 audiobooks as of today so the 8 the challenge required was not much of a challenge.

The romantic suspense is 5/8 at this time. This category proved to be more difficult than I expected. For some reason some of the books I thought of categorizing as rom. suspense really weren't (too much suspense, no romance or too much romance, no suspense). I recently selected Midnight Rainbow by Howard to be my last Rom. Suspense but I'm not sure if it will fit the bill – When I read it I'll decide if I’m keeping it in the pool.

Paranormals... no problem. I seem to move in that direction lately so I finished this category fairly early although I have not reviewed the books I have read, I'm done with this category.

Done with the category for books published before 2000 as well. I found great titles that are just as enjoyable today as they were 8+ years ago.

Just finished Series Romance with the last two titles being picked up from my yahoo groups AOM (Amy Fetzer) and Suzanne Brockmann's Body Language. I read many Suzanne Brockmann's for this category. The woman can definitely write a good Short.

In the Young Adult category I have just one title to read and I'll be taking care of that by the end of the year. I typically pick up a YA or two over the year but this year I have read several and I must admit being a bit envious of the kids today. Most YA books tended to be category/serial books when I was growing up but with authors like Brian Jacques, Tamora Pierce and Stephenie Meyer out there, today's YA have more substantial reading material. Wonderful choices out there.

And then the New Authors category... With my Yahoo group sponsoring an AOM program, I didn't think this one would be very difficult to complete and I was right. Although I did notice that many of the books I read were in my TBR list and not necessarily a recommendation from my AOM group.

So in total I am 9 books away from completing the Challenge.
5 - Anthologies
3 - Romantic Suspense
1 - YA

>>>>>>>

TBR challenge:

I realized that this one was a bit more of a challenge. The fact that you create your list upfront and MUST follow it was a killer for me. The Triple 8 challenge allowed me to change my mind on the books as long as I kept the categories I felt good. I use the lists as guide by not as set in stone.

Still I have been holding my own. With three months left in the year, I have 3 books to complete.
I have kept to my main list and not had to tap into the Alternates but I think that will change in October since I challenge my self to read only Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Paranormal genre in October. I'm happy that I have a book that I can tap into, allowing me to continue the book a month rhythm I have developed on this one.

>>>>>>>

Classic Romances:

Another one that is on track to be completed in December.
I am 3 books away from this one and I'm doing well. Some of these were a hit but others where complete flops so I think I'll skip this one next year.


>>>>>>>>

Book A Month challenge:

This has been the most challenging of all the Challenges I signed up for.
The theme for the month is not announced until the first few days of the month and some of them have left me stumped to find a book.

I have missed 3 books so far. The month of January (signed up a bit late), May (theme: Mother) and July (theme: Independence) so I'm six books behind and just 3 months to compete.

Any suggestions on the topics from these missing months?

>>>>>>>

I completed the PUB 08 challenge reading more than the required books published in 2008. As of today I have read a total of 15 books published in 2008.

I also completed the Stephenie Meyer Mini-Challenge and the Chunkster challenge (This was an unofficial challenge since I discovered the challenge a bit late and couldn't sign up for it).

And last but not least the 100+ Reading Challenge.

I will complete this one without a problem; I have read a total of 92 books as of today. This puts me at 8 books to reach the 100 book goal. I've been reading an average of 8-10 books a month this year and if I continue on that vein I will be at around 113-115 for the year, about 12 books below last year. I think I'll see if I can get a few more reads here and there so I can meet last years numbers.

Anyway, I'll be posting my yearly report card in January and we'll see how things wrap up.

One Hundred Book Challenge

Wrapping up my posts for this year challenges I still need to report on two more challenges that I have been working on from the sidelines.

This challenge is hosted by J. Kaye Book blog and you an sign up at the 100+ Reading Challenge Blog.

The One Hundred plus Reading Challenge is an extreme challenge for those casual readers. There is just one rule and that is to reach the goal of reading 100 books in 2008. For the last four years I have successfully met that goal so I'm hoping that I will be able to complete this one with out a problem. I am well on my way so I think I'm good.

Have you read over 100 books in a year? That would be 1 book every 3.65 days. Was it difficult to pass the 100 mark? If you didn't get there, What was the most books you ever read in a year?

The Stephenie Meyer mini-Challenge

Marg from the Reading Adventures blog recently posted a mini-Challenge she joined that was right up my alley since I had recently discovered Stephenie Meyer, so I rushed over to Becky's Reading reviews and joined.

If you think you would like to join and discover the wonderful talent that is Meyer head on over to Becky's blog and leave her a comment.

Let me break down the challenge:
:: The challenge started on June 1st and you have until January 30th 2009 to finish it.
:: You need to read two (yup, just two) books authored by Stephenie Meyer.
:: No reviews are required but you need to leave a comment on Becky's site letting her know the titles you read.
:: IF you read the Twilight series, she would like to know who you are rooting for, Edward or Jacob.

That's it. Pretty straight forward, huh? Well, I recently completed this challenge (will post reviews shortly) but I'm not closing the door on this one just yet.

The newest installment of the Twilight Series will be out in August and it is a must read for everyone that has been following the adventures of Bella Swan.

So keep an eye out for Breaking Dawn (Don't you just love the covers!!)

Another of Meyer's titles I'm waiting on is The Host. I'm on the hold list at the library but I'm number 18. So it might be a while. This is Meyer's first Mainstream title, since the Twilight Series is marketed to Young Adults (I believe I'm young and I am an adult, nothing wrong with my enjoying them!)

So if you read twilight and decided it was not for you, give The Host a chance, it just might be your cup of tea!

Final Challenge in 2008 - Triple 8 Challenge

Last but farthest from the least is the challenge that has giving me the most grief without even opening a book.

How is that possible you ask? Well, the rules of the challenge, although flexible, really didn't account for some anal, neurotic lady as myself. I have been going over these lists and adding books only to remove them or researching which books would meet the challenges rules... it was an interesting process and I still have a few categories with incomplete listings, just because I have no idea what to put down.
I finally just decided to post what I have and as the year progresses I will add the missing books... but I commit myself to not change the books in the lists I post today.

Anyway, the challenge is sponsored by 3M at the Triple8 Challenge website and Here are the rules:

1. Challenge runs from January 1 through December 31, 2008.
2. Choose 8 categories of your own that you would like to read 8 books EACH in.
3. You will be allowed 8 overlaps, for a total of 56 unique book titles.
4. You may overlap these 56 titles with any other challenge.
5. You may change your list or your categories at any time.
6. Post a comment here that you are participating, and I will add a link to the sidebar. Request an invite including your e-mail address if you want to post your list to this blog. However, we will NOT be writing reviews here! You may update your lists by providing the link to books read. Please use your name as a label, along with the book categories you're reading from.
7. Check back here to see who is participating and cheer others on.
8. Participants who complete all 56 books will be in the running for in-stock books from paperbackswap.com. (I have mucho credits.) Overseas is okay!
9. Have fun reading!

Here are my lists:

Group 1: Anthologies
1) Stroke of Midnight
2) Dead and Loving It
3) Hot Spell
4) Bite
5) Hero, Come Back
6) A Gift of Love
7) Veils of Time
8) Just One Sip

Group 2: Audiobooks
1) An Arranged Marriage by Jo Beverley
2) An Unwilling Bride by Jo Beverley
3) Mirror Image by Sandra Brown
4) Play Dirty - Sandra Brown
5) Seventh Heaven by Catherine Anderson
6) Running from the Law by Lisa Scottoline
7) Killer Heat by Linda Fairstein
8) The Collectors by David Baldacci

Group 3: Romantic Suspense
1) Play Dirty - Sandra Brown
2) Mirror Image - Sandra Brown
3) Kill and Tell - Linda Howard
4) The Missing by Shiloh Walker
5) Slightly Shady by Amanda Quick
6) Smoke Screen by Sandra Brown (read but not reviewed)
7) Death Angel by Linda Howard
8) Midnight Rainbow by Linda Howard (read but not reviewed)

Group 4: Paranormals
1) Lover Enshrined - J.R. Ward
2) Through the Veil by Shiloh Walker
3) A Kiss of Shadows by Laurell K.Hamilton
4) A Caress of Twilight by Laurell K.Hamilton
5) Seduced by Moonlight by Laurell K.Hamilton (read but not reviewed)
6) A Stroke of Midnight by Laurell K.Hamilton (read but not reviewed)
7) Mistral's Kiss by Laurell K.Hamilton (read but not reviewed)
8) A Lick of Frost by Laurell K.Hamilton (read but not reviewed)

Group 5: Published before 2000
1) The Princess and the Pea - Victoria Alexander
2) A Valentine Wedding - Jane Feather
3) All Night Long by Michele Albert
4) Family Man by Jayne Ann Krentz
5) Lady Be Good by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
6) Bewitching by Jill Barnett
7) Dreaming by Jill Barnett
8) Running from the Law by Lisa Scottoline

Group 6: Series Romance:
1) The Littlest Cowboy - Maggie Shayne
2) Expecting his Royal Baby by Susan Stephens
3) Indiscreet by Mary Balogh
4) Baby, I'm Yours by Karen Templeton
5) Forbidden by Suzanne Brockmann
6) Freedom's Price by Suzanne Brockmann
7) Awakening Beauty by Amy Fetzer
8) Body Language by Suzanne Brockmann

Group 7: YA
1) Sweet Far Thing - Libba Bray
2) Brisnger - Chris Paolini (read but not reviewed)
3) Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
4) Dragon Rider - Cornelia Funke
5) Redwall - Brian Jacques
6) Twlight by Stephenie Meyer
7) New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
8) Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Group 8: New Authors
1) The Smoke Thief by Shana Abe
2) Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
3) Dead Until Dark - Charlaine Harris
4) One Wicked Night - Sari Robins
5) After the Kiss by Karen Ranney
6) Bewitching by Jill Barnett
7) The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
8) Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison

Hopefully you now understand what I was talking about when I was making my list and checking it twice...
I love that this challenge will make me pull out a lot of those books that have been sitting forever in my TBR pile.

I will add the lat few books missing on the lists as I run into them and I'll also post the links to those selections that have already been read.

Happy Reading in 2008!!!

Even More Challenges in 2008 - TBR Challenge

So I'm on the last two of the challenges I have accepted for 2008.

The next Challenge I have accepted is sponsored on the TBR Challenge website and is the strictest among all since I'm not allowed to modify my selection after I have posted my choices. Talk about accountability!!!
That is the most intimidating factor of the challenge, it's also the best feature.

Here are the rules:

** Pick 12 books - one for each month of 2008 - that you've been wanting to read (that have been on your "To Be Read" list) for 6 months or longer, but haven't gotten around to.
** OPTIONAL: Create a list of 12 "Alternates" (books you could substitute for your challenge books, given that a particular one doesn't grab you at the time)
** Then, starting January 1, 2008, read one of these books from your list each month, ending December 31, 2008. :o)

With the rules in place, here is my list:

1) Seventh Heaven by Catherine Anderson
2) The Wolf and the Dove - Kathleen Woodiwiss
3) Rules of Engagement - Christina Dodd
4) The Princess and the Pea - Victoria Alexander
5) Lions and Laces - Meagan McKinney
6) The Lightkeeper - Susan Wiggs
7) A Valentine Wedding - Jane Feather
8) After the Kiss - Karen Ranney
9) Family Man - Jayne Ann Krentz
10) Lady Be Good - Susan Elizabeth Philips
11) A Useful Affair - Stella Cameron
12) Unsung Hero - Suzanne Brockmann

Alternatives:
1) The Immortal Highlander - Karen Marie Moning
2) Scandalous Lovers - Robin Schone
3) An Unmistakable Rouge - Annette Blair
4) One Of These Nights - Justine Davis
5) Out of Control - Shannon McKenna
6) Devil You Know - Liz Carlyle
7) The Irish Devil - Diane Whiteside
8) The Queen of Heart - Patricia Potter
9) The Secret Life of Bryan - Lori Foster
10) The Forever Kiss - Angela Knight
11) A Little Mischief - Amelia Grey
12) Once a Mistress - Debra Mullins

I was not sure about the lists since there are a few in there that have been in my TBR pile for years, but I guess that is the idea behind the challenge, move the books from my TBR pile to my Read pile!

I'll be editing this post over the year to reflect the reviews posted for the books selected.

More Challenges in 2008 - Classic Romance Challenge

This was another challenge that I thought would reduce my TBR pile.

Jennie's Booklog is reading 12 classic romances in the next 12 months. I have lots of older books from authors that are considered classic Romance writers because they have been writing romance since before I knew romance was so much fun, so I decided to join Jennie but I added a twist since I might not have many Classic titles in my TBR pile.

I'm reading 12 books from Classic Romance Writers! I'll be updating this post with links to the reviews as I read the books.
Here are my selections:

1) The Wolf and the Dove - Kathleen Woodiwiss
2) The Diabolical Baron by Mary Jo Putney
3) Lions and Laces - Meagan McKinney
4) Seventh Heaven by Catherine Anderson
5) The Lightkeeper by Susan Wiggs
6) A Valentine Wedding - Jane Feather
7) Family Man - Jayne Ann Krentz
8) The Princess and the Pea - Victoria Alexander
9) Rules of Engagement - Christina Dodd
10) Lady Be Good - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
11) After the Kiss - Karen Ranney
12) Indiscreet by Mary Balogh

More Challenges in 2008 - Book A Month Challenge

If you thought I was done selecting my challenges for 2008 you were wrong. I'm still working on my lists and making sure I have the resources to satisfy the challenges I have selected to be part of, but I thought I would post the challenge that has no lists...

This challege is similar to the Themed Challenge that I participated back in 2006. The difference is that in this challenge we don't know ahead of time what will be the theme of the month. It reminds me of the Author of the Month readings I do with my Yahoo Group.

Every month a new theme is selected and we need to read a book that has that theme in it (in some form or the other).
I will update this post with the themes as they are posted at the Book A Month Challenge website.

I missed January but I selected a book to read as a catch up...

Jan - Time:
Feb - Hearts: A Valentine Wedding by Jane Feather
Mar - Crafts: Portrait of a Lover by Julianne MacLean
{*** More Crafts: Bewitching by Jill Barnett***}
Apr - Beauty: To Bed a Beauty by Nicole Jordan
May - Mother:
Jun - Knowledge: Only with a Highlander by Janet Chapman
Jul - Independence:
Aug - Cold: Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
Sep - Change: Death Angel by Linda Howard
Oct - Hauntings: The Missing by Shiloh Walker
Nov - Giving: Thanksgiving by Janet Evanovich
Dec - Light: Light My Fire by Katie MacAlister (Not Reviewed - B)

Challenges in 2008 - Pub '08

I've been really itching for a good reading challenge this year. I know I tend to read a good share of my TBR pile every month but what you all don't see are the new books that sneak in to that same pile. I haven't bought a new book since J.R Ward's latest in October but I am part of PaperBackSwap.com and I swap many books, which means my shelves are filling up just as fast as I'm reading them.

With so many books to read I find myself not knowing what to grab next. That is what these challenges are for me. Some finite point I can aim for when I'm with out direction. But where too find the challenge? Why of course I turn to my trusted cyber friends / reading buddies from my Yahoo Reading Group (Historical Romance Chat). I'm telling you these girls are the Cool Whip on any dessert! Within a few post I had a good list of sites that were sponsoring challenges.

At this point you might ask, why the need to find an official challenge, why not just self challenge yourself? Sorry, but I'm not too strong on the commitment side of things but I'm damn reliable, so I need some sense of accountability. That's why I have never lost weight on my own and thus I joined Weight Watchers! LOL! Having someone else look at the scale for me motivates me!

So I reviewed a few and I already joined one. Funny thing is that the one I joined does nothing to reduce those books that have been sitting in the TBR pile forever! Oh well! I'll just have to join a few more.

The one I have joined is the Pub 08 Reading Challenge, sponsored by Michelle at 1 More Chapter. The rules are very straight forward:

1. Read a minimum of 8 books published in 2008. (Library books are acceptable!)
2. No children’s/YA titles allowed, since we’re at the ‘pub.’
3. At least 4 titles must be fiction.
4. Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
5. Titles may be changed at any time

Now to the "List":

1) The Wicked Ways of the Duke by Laura Lee Guhrke
2) To Bed a Beauty by Nicole Jordan
3) Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
4) Racing the Moon by Michele Hauf
5) To Pleasure a Lady by Nicole Jordan
6) Lady Killer by Lisa Scottoline
7) Through the Veil by Shiloh Walker
8) Killer Heat by Linda Fairstein

As I read the selections I'll be updating this post to add the link to the review.

Have you challenged yourself this year?