Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge

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Once again My Reader's Block is sponsoring the Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge. This year it's all about the themes--for full details go to the info post (link above). You can sign up for as  many themes as you would like so check it out. I'm signing up for Cherchez le Homme in which you read 8 books by male authors OR 8 books with male detectives.

Progress site

1. The Big Four by Agatha Christie (1927)
2. Casino Royale by Ian Fleming (1953)
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Cruisin' Through the Cozies 2012

I love cozy mysteries and didn't read nearly as many as I would have liked to last year. I have SEVERAL in my TBR pile already. When I saw this challenge at Socrates' Book Reviews I decided to join. Click on the link or the button above to go to Socrates' for all the info on this challenge.

I'm joining at Level 2 - Investigator - and plan to read 7 to 12 Cozies in 2012.

1. I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley
2. A hard Day's Fright by Casey Daniels
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Chunkster Reading Challenge

I have decided to join the Chunkster Challenge again this year. There are a lot of great books that are 450 or more pages long so this challenge is quite an encouragement to me. I have decided to join at the Plump Primer level and read 6 chunksters this year.If you are interested in joining or finding out more about the Chunkster Challenge plese click on the link or on the picture above.

Below is some info from the Chunkster Challenge page:

Below are the details and sign-ups for 2012. Wendy and I have made a few changes to the rules including the date. Next year’s challenge starts the first day of the year instead of in February as it usually did. That way participants who didn’t sign up for the 2011 challenge or those who’ve already finished, can start reading their chunksters in January and count them for this challenge.

Definition of a chunkster:

A chunkster is 450 pages or more of ADULT literature, whether non-fiction or fiction. A chunkster should be a challenge.

If you read books in large print, your books will need to be 525 pages or more. The average large type book is 10-15% larger or more so it’s a fair estimate.

The rules:

• No audio books. (There are exceptions to this rule.)
• No e-books allowed. This was discussed in much detail in the 2011 challenge. The short version: a chunkster isn’t a challenge if you’re reading it on an e-reader. (There are exceptions to this rule.)
• This year for the first time, essay, poetry, and short story collections will be allowed. Collections have to be read in their entirety to count. If you’ve needed a reason to finally pick up your copy of The Collected Works Of ____ now is the time.
• Books may crossover with other challenges.
• Anyone may join. (If you don’t have a blog, just leave a comment on this post with your challenge level and your progress throughout the challenge.)
• You don’t need to list your books ahead of time.
• Once you’ve picked a level, that’s it. You’re committed to it!

Post reviews here.
My Chunksters for 2012
1. 77 Shadow Street by Dean Koontz (451 pages)
2. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Steig Larsson
3. John Adams byMcCullough, David
4. Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
5. The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo
6. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
7. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Murakami, Haruki
8. Kraken by Miéville, China

5x4 Reading Challenge 2012

I'm hoping that this personal challenge will help me be a more well rounded reader. I've changed some of my categories from last year, but will keep the Classics, Short Story Collection and Pulitzer Prize categories. The two others will be Harold Bell Wright and Presidents. Past categories included Oprah Book Club Picks & Non-Fiction.

Classics
1. A Tale of Two cities
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Prize Winners
1. Middlesex

Presidents
1. River of Doubt
2. John Adams by David McCullough
3. Killing Linclon by Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard

Harold Bell Wright


Short Story Collections
1.Discount Noir
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Men in Uniform Reading Challenge

This challenge, hosted by The Book Vixen, sounds like fun! Thanks for hosting it! If you would like to learn more about this challenge, please click on the button or link. I will join at the Sergeant level – Read 1–5 men in uniform novels.

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What's In A Name 5

Finished!

I looking forward to this, my 5th time to participate in this creative challenge! Thanks to Beth Fish Reads for hosting again. You can click on the button or link to go there and read the rules.

1.A book with a topographical feature (land formation) in the title:
The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey 

2.A book with something you'd see in the sky in the title:
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

3.A book with a creepy crawly in the title:
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

4.A book with a type of house in the title:
Room by Emma Donoghue

5.A book with something you'd carry in your pocket, purse, or backpack in the title:
Noah's Compass by Anne Tyler 

6.A book with a something you'd find on a calendar in the title:
A Hard Day's Fright by Casey Daniels (TBR)

2012 E-Book Reading Challenge

Finished!

This is another great challenge for me since I have a LOT of boooks on my Nook sitting there ready to be read. A big thanks to The Eclectic Bookshelf for hosting this. If you are interested in this challenge click on the button or link to read the rules. I have joined at the The Mega Size E-Book Challenge – Read 25 or more E-Books.

1.The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor by Kirkman, Robert

2.The Moonpool (Cam Richter, #3)by  Deutermann, P.T.

3.Nightwalkers (Cam Richter, #4) by Deutermann, P.T.

4.The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Smith, Alexander McCall 

 5.Nightworld by Wilson, F. Paul

6.The Dirty Streets of Heaven (Bobby Dollar, #1) by Williams, Tad

 7.The Last Rakosh: A Repairman Jack Tale by Wilson, F. Paul

8.The Dark at the End (Repairman Jack, #15) by Wilson, F. Paul

9.Fatal Error (Repairman Jack, #14) by Wilson, F. Paul

10.Ground Zero (Repairman Jack, #13) by Wilson, F. Paul

11.By the Sword (Repairman Jack, #12) by Wilson, F. Paul

12.Bloodline (Repairman Jack, #11) by Wilson, F. Paul

13.Harbingers (Repairman Jack, #10) by Wilson, F. Paul

14.Infernal (Repairman Jack, #9) by Wilson, F. Paul

15. The Haunted Air (Repairman Jack, #6) by Wilson, F. Paul

16. Crisscross (Repairman Jack, #8) by Wilson, F. Paul

17. Odd Interlude #1 by Koontz, Dean

18. Odd Interlude #2 by Koontz, Dean

19. Odd Interlude #3 by Koontz, Dean

20. The Dog Next Door: And Other Stories of the Dogs We Love

      by Grant, Callie Smith

21. Discount Noir by Abbott, Patricia

22. Kraken by Miéville, China 

23. Emma byAusten, Jane

24. Creepers by Morrell, David

25. Hosts (Repairman Jack, #5) by Wilson, F. Paul

26. Conspiracies (Repairman Jack, #3) by Wilson, F. Paul

27. A Hundred Words for Hate (Remy Chandler, #4) by Sniegoski, Thomas E.

28. The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey by Millard, Candice

29. Ape House by Gruen, Sara

30. I Am Half Sick Of Shadows (Flavia De Luce, #4) by Bradley, Alan  

Why Buy the Cow Reading Challenge



Welcome to the Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge 2012! This reading challenge was previously called the Show Me the FREE RC, but this year, the hosts decided to shake things up a bit.


Quick FYI: This is not a library books, books you've won, or ARCs reading challenge. There are already plenty reading challenges for those specific type of books. You can find them here: A Novel Challenge.

This reading challenge has been developed specifically for FREE and LEGAL downloaded books. As many of you with e-readers know, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and a few other site periodically offer FREE books for your e-reading devices.

The above info is from the post for this challenge. Click on the link or the button for all of the info.  I've decided to join at the Coupon Clipper level and read 12 of the free books I already have on my Nook.


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2012 TBR Pile Challenge

 

This will be a great challenge for me since I have SO many books around here that I haven't read yet. Thank you Evie at Bookish, and the 9 other hosts. I'm looking forward to the mini-challenges as well as clearing some room on my shelves. If you are interested in this challenge click on the button or on the link for the info and rules of this challenge.

I'm going in at the - A Sweet Kiss level, that's 21-30 books. Hopefully I'll get more than that done!

1. The Big Four by Agatha Christie

2. Killing Lincoln by O'Riley and Dugard

3. A Hard Day's Fright by Casey Daniels

4. John Adams by David McCullough

5. 61 Hours by Lee Child

6. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larson

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Wrap-up for my 2011 Challenges

 I had a great reading year in 2011. There are so many books to read both old and new that I will never get to them all but I sure try to buy as many of them as I can.  I am sad to say that I did not meet my own personal 5x4 Reading Challenge goal but came closer than last year. Perhaps I'll do better next year on my personal challenge. I did read over 100 books this year.


Absolute favorites of 2011:
1. Corduroy Mansions by Alexander McCall Smith - This was a sweet book with soft humor. The dog was the best!
2. A Prisoner of Birth by Jeffery Archer - One of the best mystery books I read all year!
3.Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck :)
4. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand - Why did I wait for so long?
5. The Postmistress by Sara Blake - Loved it
6. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - Again...Why did I wait so long to read this wonderful book?
7. The City and The City by China Mieville - Weird and wonderful. This author has an unstoppable imagination.
8. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver - All I can say is wow!
9. Rose in a Storm by Jon Katz - I'm always a sucker for a dog and I really liked this one.
10. The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory - This wonderful historical fiction book made me want to read more by this author.


Other Favorites:
Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks
A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley
Dreadnought by Cherie Priest
Chasing Fireflies by Charles Marti
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
Holmes on the Range by Steve Hockensmith
Murderous Procession by Ariana Franklin
Velva Jean Learns to Drive by Jennifer Niven
The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party by Alexander McCall Smith
The Snowman by Jo Nesbo
Silas Marner by George Eliot


Books out of my comfort zone:
D-Day: The Battle for Normandy by Anthony Beevor


Books I just knew I would like but didn't so much:
The Last song by Nicholas Sparks
Beaglemania by Linda O. Johnston


Some of my least favorites:
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
Union Pacific by Paul Colt
All the Flowers are Dying by Lawrence Block


I'm revisiting an end-of-year survey that Perpetual Page Turner hosted  last year.
Best Book of 2011I had a hard time choosing the best book I read in 2011 but decided on Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck. Or Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.


Worst Book of 2011 I thought I would never get through Freedom by Jonathan Franzen. Worst book might be a little harsh to describe how I feel about this one, but oh my...


Most Disappointing Book of 2011 Catalyst by McCaffrey and Scarborough. I've read many of McCaffrey's books and several of Scarborough's and have generally liked them. I fully expected to like this one.


Most Surprising (in a good way) Book of 2011 The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. I didn't think I'd like them all that much, but truly enjoyed the reading of them.


Book You Recommended to People Most in 2011
Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Corduroy Mansions by Alexander McCall Smith


Best Series You Discovered in 2011
The Holmes on the Range series by Steve Hockensmith. This is a western series with likable characters, lots of amusing situations and just plain fun to read.


Favourite New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2010
Barbara Kingsolver, Steve Hockensmith, Jo Nesbo


Most Hilarious Read of 2011
Holmes on the Range by Steve Hockensmith


Most Thrilling, Unputdownable Book of 2011                  
A Murderous Procession by Ariana Franklin


Book You Most Anticipated in 2011
The City and the City by China Mieville. This had been on my wish list for a while and I was really looking forward to it.


Favorite Cover of a Book Read in 2011
It's hard to choose so I will put 4 of them here!

Isn't this just beautiful?

Most Memorable Character in 2011
Danny Cartwright in A Prisoner of Birth by Jeffery Archer


Most Beautifully Written Book in 2011
The Poisonwood Bible - sigh


Book That Had the Greatest Impact on You in 2011
D-Day: The Battle for Normandy by Anthony Beevor. Things should not be forgotten, such as the sacrifice of all the people involved in this action: soldiers from many countries as well as the local people.


Book(s) You Can't Believe You Waited UNTIL 2011 to Finally Read
Silas Marner by George Eliot
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte


Book That You Read In 2011 That Would Be Most Likely To Reread In 2012
Rose in a Storm by Jon Katz


Best Moment of Book Blogging in 2011
There isn't a single moment. I always enjoy it when people post comments and I find things in common with other readers.


 Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?
Oh yes, I did. I unfortunately joined 16 challenges last year. I finished 12 of them including the 100+ Reading Challenge.


Best Bookish Discovery
The book blogger community continues to amaze me, so this isn't a new discovery. But so many of the things I read make me stop and think, I love it.


LOOKING AHEAD…
1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2011 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2012?
I can't wait to read The next book in the Corduroy Mansions series. It has been sitting on my shelf and I need to read it before I can go on to the third one.


2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2012?
The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith. I can't wait to get my hands on this, the newest installment in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series!


3. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2012?
One goal of mine is to read books I already own and buy no (or very few) new books. Really, they are piled to the ceiling and I need to read them, not just keep on getting more! I would also like to visit my book blogger friends more and make new friends.