The 888 Challenge 2008

The 888 Challenge
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 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!

Blue = overlap

1 Non Fiction (COMPLETE)
*The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson review here
*Pieces of my heart: A Life by robert J. Wagner review here
*Night by Elie Wiesel (overlap) review here
*Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old like a Skank by Celia Rivenbark review here
*The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston & Mario Spezi review here
*The Dog Who Rescues Cats by Philip Gonzalez review here
*The Fred Factor by Mark Sanborn review here
*In Cold Blood by Truman Capote review here

2 Chick Lit (COMPLETE)
*Naughty Neighbor by Janet Evanovich review here
*Moon Pies and Movie Stars by Amy Wallen review here
*Over the Moon at the Big Lizard Diner by Lisa Wingate review here
*The Sunday Wife by Cassandra King review here
*Cockatiels at Seven by Donna Andrews review here
*Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts (overlap) review here
* Bitsy's Bait and BBQ review here
*Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral by Kris Radish review here

3 Mystery/Thriller (COMPLETE)
*Dark Watch by Clive Cussler review here
*The Yiddisy Policenem's Union by Michael Chabon review here
*The Cat Dancers by P.T. Deutermann review here
*Open Season by C.J. Box review here
*Plague Ship by Clive Cussler & Jack Du Brul review here
*Double Cross by James Patterson (CD) review here
*The Chase by Clive Cussler review here
*Cat Pay The Devil by Shirley Rousseau Murphy review here

4 1800's (COMPLETE)
*Samantha at the World's Fair by Josiah Allen's Wife (Marietta Holley) review here
*The Canterville ghost by Oscar Wilde review here
*The Sheperd of the Hills by Harold Bell Wright (tape) review here
*Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome review here
*The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad review here
(although this was published in 1903 in book form, the story was first published in 1899 as a series so I'm counting it in my 1800s group)
*A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens review here
*The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde review here
*Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky review here

5 SciFi/Fantasy/Paranormal (COMPLETE)
*The Unnatural Inquirer by Simon R. Green review here
*The Outlaw Demon Wails by Kim Harrison review here
*Traitor to the Blood by Barb and J.C. Hendee review here
*Moon Called by Patricia Briggs review here
*Deja Demon by Julie Kenner review here
*The Darkest evening of the Year by Dean Koontz review here
*Small Favor by Jim Butcher review here
* Odd Hours by Dean Koontz review here

6 Next in a Series (COMPLETE)
*Blood Trail by C. J. Box review here
*Double Cross by James Patterson (overlap) (tape) review here
*Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich review here
*Spider Mountain by P.T. Deutermann review here
*The Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith review here
*Holey Moley by Beh Rehder review here
*Child of a Dead God by Barb & JC Hendee review here
*Winter Study by Nevada Barr review here

7 Books I Just Want To Read (COMPLETE)
*Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier (CD) review here
*Moving Pictures by Terry Pratchett review here
*The Kill Clause by Greg Hurwitz review here
*The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (Tape) review here
*The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier (CD) review here
*Atomic Lobster by Tim Dorsey review here
*Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (tape)review here
*The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan review here

8 Oprah's Book Club
*The House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III review here
*The Bluest Eye by Toni Morriaon (tape) review here
*Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts (overlap) review here
*Map of the Known World by Edward P. Jones
*Icy Sparks by Gwyn Hyman Rubio review here
*Night by Elie Wiesel (overlap) review here
*The Pillars of the Earth by James Patterson
*One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Book Give Aways

Bookshipper is giving away a copy of the book "Gilding the Lily"

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Bookroomreviews is giving away a copy of Driving Sideways by Jess Riley, a copy of The Summoning by Kelly Armstrong, a copy of Sweetsmoke by David Fuller, and a copy of Gargoyle.



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Fashionista Piranha is giving away an ARC copy of Gaiman's newest book, The Graveyard Book, due to be released September 30th, 2008. YEA! It looks like it will be a good one. Go visit her site and browse around.

The Southern Reading Challenge 2008

The Southern Reading Challenge
I've copied the rules from Maggie Reads:

The rules are easy: 3 Southern Setting Books by Southern Authors in 3 Months beginning May 15 through August 15!
How can you pass this amazing challenge up? Incentive you say? A tin full of yummy tasting pecans will be sent to a lucky participant every Friday. I'll also be linking y'all's experiences as they come in, just like last year. Sense of Place Contest? Oh, Yeah! Dead Mule Society List? You Bet! Click here for southern book suggestions

Books Read For the Challenge
1. Over the Moon at the Big Lizard Diner by Lisa Wingate review here

2. Holy Moly by Ben Rehder review here

3. Icy sparks by Gwyn Hyman Rubio review here

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Name Your Blues Contest

Maggie Reads is sponsoring a Name Your Blues Contest. One winner will receive an autographed copy of Finn by Jon Clinch. What fun!

Here's my entry: Polk Salat Nana

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Wrap Up

I truly enjoyed this Challenge, the books I read and those chosen by others were right up my alley. Thanks Maggie for sponsoring this and making it so much fun!

Over the Moon at the Big Lizard Diner was a light romance with lots of humor. I don't read too much romance but this one was just great, a good clean fun read. Even better it took place in my state, Texas.

Holy Moly was a murder mystery with humor and satire thrown in so this was another fun read for me. I've read Several of Rehder's books and have enjoyed them all.

Icy Sparks was took me into the life of a child growing up with a disability and made me think. It broke my heart to think of children growing up with out any understanding or real help, shoved in institutions. It was sad and funny in turn, bittersweet.

What an Animal Reading Challenge

I’ve decided to join Kristi’s What an Animal! reading challenge.

The rules are simple:
1. Read at least 6 books that have any of these requirements:

a. an animal in the title of the book

b. an animal on the cover of the book

c. an animal that plays a major role in the book. a main character that is or turns into an animal (define that however you’d like ;>)).

2. The animal can be any type of animal (real or fictitious)–dog, cat, monkey, wolf, snake, insect, hedgehog, aardvark…dragons, mermaids, centaurs, fairies, vampires…you get the idea…

3. Challenge runs from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009. You can still sign up after July 1st as long as you can get 6 books read by June 30th ;>).

4. Books can be fiction or nonfiction.

5. You may make a list of books at the beginning of the challenge or just list them as you find them.

6. Books may be swapped out at anytime (assuming you made a list to begin with).

7. Crossover books with other challenges is permitted and encouraged.

8. You don’t have to blog or write a review, but you can if you want to.

9. Sign up with Mr. Linky at Kristi's place. Please sign up with the specific post announcing the challenge if you are a blogger. If you do not blog, sign up with your name and leave the URL field blank. Thanks!

10. Have fun!!

Books:

1. Cat Pay The Devil by Shirley Rousseau Murphy review here

The main character is Joe Grey, a mystery solving cat.

2. The Cat Dancers by P.T. Deuterman review here

Cat in the title, mountain lions in the book

3. Swine Not? by Jimmy Buffett review here

A pig is the main character.

4. Spider Mountain by P.T. Deuterman review here

Spider in the title

5. Winter Study by Nevada Barr review here

Winter Study refers to an ongoing study of wolves, wolves are on the cover.

6. Moon Called by Particia Briggs review here

Do werewolves and a coyote shapeshifter count?

7. Cockatiels at Seven by Donna Andrews review here

Birds on the cover, various animals in the story.

What's In A Name Challenge 2008

FINISHED!

What's In A Name
What's In A Name? Reading ChallengeDates: January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2008The Challenge: Choose one book from each of the following categories.

A book with a color in its title.
A book with an animal in its title.
A book with a first name in its title.
A book with a place in its title.
A book with a weather event in its title.
A book with a plant in its title.

You may overlap books with other challenges, but please don't use the same book for more than one category. (For example, you can use The Red Pony for either a "color" book or an "animal" book, but not for both.)

*Book with a color in its title:

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison review here

*A book with an animal in its title:

Atomic Lobster by Tim Dorsey review here

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck review here

The Dog Who Rescues Cats by Philip Gonzalez review here

*A book with a plant in its title:

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck review here

*A book with a weather event in its title:

The House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III review here

*A book with a first name in its title:

Samantha at the World's Fair By Josiah Allen's Wife (Marietta Holley) review here

Bitsy's Bait and BBQ by Pamela Morsi review here

*A book with a place in its title:

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (888 Challenge) Review Here

A Superior Death by Nevada Barr review here

Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith review here