Holiday Reading Challenge

I was reading Ana's blog and she joined a particular Reading Challenge I thought would fit the bill to wrap up my reading year. So, I'm joining too!

Nely at All About {n} is hosting the 2009 Holiday Reading Challenge. Here is what she says about the challenge and the guidelines:

As I'm sure you can all tell, I'm in a "Christmassy" mood already. The blog is decked out, my giveaways are up, the iPod is set to holiday tunes, and I'm ready to snuggle up with a... Frappucino (because sadly, it is still too hot in Florida for hot chocolate). But what I'm really ready for is to crack open those holiday books that I have (bows head in shame) already begun buying. I can't help it! I love reading holiday books - they make me feel warm and toasty inside. And I thought what better way to get some of you guys in that same mood then to have (ahem) my very FIRST reading challenge. (Hooray!)

Challenge Requirements:

1- Challenge will start Friday, November 20 and will end Thursday, December 31.

2- You can read anywhere from 1 to 5 books for the challenge and, of course, if you're like me, you are more than welcome to surpass that number.

3- And now, here's the clincher... they must be holiday related books. That's right, the holiday doesn't really matter, but it would be more "jolly" if your choices were Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc.

4- The size of the book does not matter, nor does the genre. It is also okay for the book to overlap with other challenges. The only thing I ask is that they are not children's books. YA is okay. And so are re-reads. I for one tend to read the same books every Christmas - they are tradition.

5- To sign up - leave a link back to your challenge post. There will also be a post for review links as well as one for challenge wrap-ups.

6- And.... there will be goodies. That's right, we'll call them presents. At the end of every week that the challenge is running I will choose one winner from the review links and I will allow them to pick a book of their choosing (of course, I will provide a list). Meaning the more books you read, review and link up, the more chances you have at winning a "present".

 

I already have a couple of titles in mind so wish me luck.

Book Thief Challenge 2009

I’m adding another challenge to my list. This challenge is hosted by The Young Reader, whose blog I just recently discovered. The blogger is young individual who is enjoying the reading adventure. I definitely want to encourage any literacy in our youth so when I found that a challenge was being hosted, I had to jump in.

This one is more based on a theme and not really much of a challenge since I already scoped out the books I’ll be reading to fulfill the challenge.

Here are the details: (Can also be found here at The Young Reader):

This challenge is all about getting to know the thief. You may pick how many books to read (since I know a lot of you have many other books to read!):

1-3 books ~ Pickpocket
3-6 books ~ Candy Shoplifter
6-9 books ~Bank Robber
9-12+ books ~ Grand Thief

Guidelines/Rules/Notes

* The book can be of any genre (fiction or nonfiction) but must have some relation to thieves/theft. The book can have the word “Thief” in the title, can be about thieves, can involve a scene where something is stolen, etc. Use your imagination if necessary.
* Since this started later in the year, any thief-related books may be added to your current list.
* Please sign up with Mr. Linky. Make sure the link you added leads to your list/post not just your blog.
* Please feel free to use books you read here for other challenges too!
* It’s not required for you to pre-list your books
* The challenge begins today (3/19/2009) and ends December 31st, 2009

I love the categories for the number of books read.

I have two books on my list to start this challenge but I plan to add more. My personal goal is to read at least 6 books to reach the ‘Bank Robber’ status.

1) The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
2) The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
3) The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
4)
5)
6)

Challenges for 2009 Part 5 - 100+ Reading 09

Last but not least I’m joining the 100+ Reading challenge. Last year I read 110 books and was very happy so I expect to hit that number w/o a problem – although you never know when life can get in the way of your reading.

Here is the info on this one:

100+ Reading Challenge

http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/

The 100+ Reading Challenge will be hosted here this year. Here are the guidelines:

1) You can join anytime as long as you don’t start reading your books prior to 2009.
2) This challenge is for 2009 only. The last day to have all your books read is December 31, 2009.
3) You can join anytime until December 31, 2009.
4) If you don’t have a blog, please join our Yahoo Groups.

5) When you sign up under Mr. Linky, list the direct link to your post where your 100+ books will be listed. If you list just your blog’s URL, it will be removed.

6) All books count: children’s, YA, adults, fiction, non-fiction, how-tos, etc.
7) Feel free to post in the comment section or on Yahoo Groups your monthly progress as well as your favorite books that month.


I'm keeping track of the books on a separate list here:
Count Down to 100+


Okay, so those are my challenges for this year. There were so many great ones out there… audiobook, ebook, etc but I felt like I was cheating by signing up since they would have been so easy and then they wouldn’t be much of a challenge!

Good Luck on your reading Challenges in 2009!!

Challenges for 2009 Part 4 - TBR Themed 09

I love themed book challenges but 2009 did not offer a challenge of that nature so I was about to create my own challenge when I ran into AvidBookReaders TBR challenge.


The details are more difficult to post so I recommend you visit the site to hear more about it. AvidBookReader Blog - TBR Challenge

There is one hitch... There is a specific day to post the reviews… I guess that might be a problem but I’ll wing it and see how things go.



January: Category – Baby, I’m Yours by Catherine Mann
February: Keepers as definied by AAR – Gone too Far by Suzanne Brockmann
March: Historical Romance – Secrets of a Summer’s Night by Lisa Kleypas
April: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal – Bitten by Kelly Armstrong
May: Friends to Lovers/Unrequited Love –
June: Tortured Hero -
July: Wrongfully Accused/Just released from Jail -
August: New Authors/Old forgotten Authors -
September: New Authors/Old forgotten Authors -
October: Horror/Suspense -
Novemeber: Thanksgiving -
December: Holiday -

Challenges for 2009 Part 3 - TBR Lite 09

The TBR challenge is going 'Lite' this year since this was too restrictive for me last year. It seems many others found it iqually restrictive and the host decided to accomadate us with slightly different challenge:

TBR Challenge Lite

For those who love the original TBR Challenge, but need a little less “pressure” on their reading, the TBR Challenge *LITE* offers you that option!

You have your choice of ONE of the 3 options:

OPTION A: read 6 books in 12 months ~ your list of books CANNOT be changed, but you are allowed to have an “Alternates” list to choose from (like in the Original TBR Challenge).
OPTION B: read 6 books in 12 months ~ you CAN change your reading list throughout the year
OPTION C: make up a list of however many books you think you could get read in 12 months, as long as they are from your TBR stack/list, and then read them between January 1st and December 31st. You must have at least 3 books on your list.

Some Other General Guidelines:
- You are allowed to overlap with other challenges
- Audiobooks are allowed
- e-Books are allowed, but must still be books that you’ve wanted to read for at least 3, or more, months
- You should still have a list of books posted somewhere for others to see
- You don’t have to read your books in the order you put them on your list

http://tbrlite.wordpress.com/

Option B:
1) Inkheart by Funke
2) Lost duke of Wyndham by Quinn
3) Lover Avenged by Ward
4) Caressed by Ice by Singh
5) Mind Game by Feehan
6) Divine Justice by Baldacci

Challenges for 2009 Part 2 - Pub 09

Second on my List of Challenges is for those books published in 2009. Sponsored once more by 1morechapter.com

Pub 09

http://1morechapter.com/pub/

Here are the 2009 rules:

1. Read a minimum of 9 books first published in 2009. You don’t have to buy these. Library books, unabridged audios, or ARCs are all acceptable. To qualify as being first published in 2009, it must be the first time that the book is published in your own country. For example, if a book was published in Australia, England, or Canada in 2008, and then published in the USA in 2009, it counts (if you live in the USA). Newly published trade paperbacks and mass market paperbacks do not count if there has been a hardcover/trade published before 2009. Any questions on what qualifies? Just leave a comment here, and I’ll respond with the answer.
2. No children’s/YA titles allowed, since we’re at the ‘pub.’
3. At least 5 titles must be fiction.
4. Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
5. You can add your titles as you go, and they may be changed at any time.
6. Sign up below using Mr. Linky.
7. Have fun reading your 2009 books

1) Burning Wild by Christine Feehan (6/09)
2) Fragile by Shiloh Walker
3) Dark of Night by Suzanne Brockmann (4/09)
4) Instant Attraction by Jill Shalvis (3/09)
5) Dead and Gone by Charlain Harris (6/09)
6) Lethal Legacy by Linda Fairstien
7) Look Again by Lisa Scottoline
8) First Comes Love by Mary Balogh(6/09)
9) What I Did For Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips


Update: I have completed this challenge although I have not reviewed many of the titles.

Challenges for 2009 Part 1- Triple 9

Some challenges are just great to motivate you and others make you resent having to read. I take challenges to be in the first group and so I decided to join just as many challenges this year as in 2008 but with fewer restrictions.

The first challenge I joined was this year’s version of Triple 8. It’s called Triple 9 and here are the rules:

Triple 9 Challenge

Read 9 books each in 9 different categories in 2009.

1. Challenge runs from January 1 through December 31, 2009.
2. Choose 9 categories of your own that you would like to read 9 books EACH in.
3. You will be allowed 9 overlaps (books that fit into more than one category).
4. You may overlap your titles with any other challenge.
5. You may change your list or your categories at any time.

To make it harder --- If you need more of a challenge…Complete all your books by 9/9/09

http://the999challenge.blogspot.com/

Group 1: Paranormals:
1) Swallowing Darkness by Hamilton
2) Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
3) Back From Hell by Shiloh Walker
4) Lover Avenged by J.R Ward
5) Dance with the Devil by Kenyon
6) Kiss the Night by Kenyon
7) Night Play by Kenyon
8) Fangs for the Memories by Kathy Love
9) Bitten by Kelly Armstrong

Group 2: Young Adults:
1) Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
2) The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester
3) Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
4) The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
5) Vampire Academy by Mead
6) The Uglies by Westerfield
7) Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
8) The Curious incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
9) Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Group 3: Suspense
1) The Appeal by John Grisham
2) Divine Justice by David Baldacci
3) Book of Lies by Brad Meltzer
4) Lethal Legacy by Linda Fairstien
5) Look Again by Lisa Scottoline
6) Perfect Husband by Lisa Gardner
7)
8)
9)

Group 4: 2009 New Releases
1) Lover Avenged by J.R Ward
2) Fragile by Shiloh Walker
3) Dark of Night by Suzanne Brockmann
4) Branded by Fire by Nalini Singh
5) First Family by David Baldacci
6) Lethal Legacy by Linda Fairstien
7) Look Again by Lisa Scottoline
8) Burn by Linda Howard
9) What I Did For Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Group 5: Published on or before 2000
1) Bodyguard by Suzanne Brockmann
2) Menage by Emma Holly
3) Iresistible by Mary Balogh
4) Glitter Baby by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (1983)
5) Undercover Princess by Suzanne Brockmann
6)
7)
8)
9)

Group 6: Series/Category Romance:
1) Baby I’m yours by Catherine Mann
2) Price for Passion by Susan Napier
3) Reckless Conduct by Susan Napier
4) Accidental Mistress by Susan Napier
5) In Bed with the Boss by Susan Napier
6) Under the Millionaire's Influence by Catherine Mann
7)
8)
9)

Group 7: Books in Series:
1) Lost Duke of Wyndham by Julia Quinn
2) Simply Unforgettable by Mary Balogh
3) Naked in Death by JD Robb
4) Confessions of a Shopoholic by Sophia Kinsella
5) Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
6) Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning
7) Split Second by David Baldacci
8) Tempted by His Kiss by Tracy Anne Warren
9) First Comes Marriage by Mary Balogh

Group 8: New Authors
1) Salve to Sensation by Nalini Singh
2) Baby I’m yours by Catherine Mann
3) My Darling Caroline by Adele Ashworth
4) The Bride Bed by Linda Needham
5) Shards of Honor by Lois McMasters Bujold
6) Fangs for the Memories by Kathy Love
7) Instant Attraction by Jill Shalvis
8) An Assembly Such as This by Pamela Aidan
9) Darkest Fire by Gena Showalter

Group 9: Historicals
1) Mr. Cavendish, I Presume by Julia Quinn
2) Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas
3) To Sin With a Stranger by Kathryn Caskie
4) To Taste Temptation by Elizabeth Hoyt
5) To Seduce a Sinner by Elizabeth Hoyt
6) It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas
7) Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas
8) Duty and Desire by Pamela Aidan
9)


Some categories are easier to fill up while others will remain open until I run into a book that might fit the bill.

I have decided to break up this post on challenges so that each challenge will have it's own link.
Keep your eyes out for the other challenges.

One challenge I won't be posting about is the Chunkster Challenge. I was keeping an eye out so I could join on time but reading the rules it does not allow for YA books (which I think should not have been put as a limit since some of us love YA books and read them a lot) and it also restricts the chunksters from being Audiobooks (which I also think unfair but I can understand since some people don’t consider Audiobooks as a valid reading vehicle) – so that challenge is out!
:(