I had a lot of fun with the Challenges I joined last year and decided to join more this year.
(My 2008 Wrap Up is here.)
The Challenges I've chosen to join or continue this year are:
1. The 100+ Reading Challenge + The Read & Review Challenge (below) Finished! :)
2.The 5X4 Self Challenge (below) Finished! :)
3. The Audiobook Challenge (below) Finished! :)
4. The 2009 Read-Your-Own-Books Challenge (below) Finished! :)
5. Books Around the States (Continued from 2008) (below)
6. Suspense & Thriller 2009 Challenge (below) Finished! :)
7. Support Your Local Library Challenge 2009 (below) Finished :)
8. Chunkster Challenge (below) Finished! :)
9. What's In a name Challenge (below) Finished :)
10. The Daniel DeFoe Mini-Challenge (below) Finished :)
11. John Steinbeck Mini-Challenge (below) Finished! :)
12. The Southern Reading challenge (below) Finished! :)
Reading Around the World (see the sidebar)
Showing posts with label Book Challenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Challenge. Show all posts
Friday, December 11, 2009
Thursday, December 18, 2008
100+ Book Challenge 2009 + the Read & Review Challenge
Finished
Click on the picture above to go to J. Kaye's rules for this challenge.
January
2. Swan Peak by James Lee Burke review here
3. Dead Over Heels by Charlaine Harris review here
4. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick review here
5. Junie B., First Grader: Boss of Lunch review here
6. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger review here
7. Gil's All Fright Diner by A. Lee Martinez review here
8. Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith review here
9. No Nest for the Wicket by Donna Andrews review here
10. Angels & Demons by Dan Brown review here
11. Just Another Judgement Day by Simon R. Green review here
February
13. A Long Way Gone Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah review here
14. The Memorist by M. J. Rose review here
15. Love You Forever by Robert Munsch review here
16. Adam by Ted Dekker review here
17. Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich review here
19. Night of the Loving Dead by Casey Daniels review here
20. Just the Two of Us by Will Smith review here
March
21. Chill Factor by Sandra Brown review here
22. Heart of Stone by C.E. Murphy review here
23. Breath of Scandal by Sandra Brown review here
24. Watchmen by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons review here
25. Arctic Drift by Clive Cussler & Dirk Cussler review here
26. Angel's Tip by Alafair Burke review here
27. Pandora's Daughter by Iris Johansen review here
28. Fool by Christopher Moore review here
29. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows review here
30. Horton Hears a who by Dr. Suess review here
31. Armadillo Rodeo by Jan Brett review here
April
32. The Three Little Javelinas by Susan Lowell review here
33. Mean Streets by Jim Butcher, Simon R. Green & More review here
34. Tarzan and the Golden Lion by Edgar Rice Burroughs review here
35. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel DeFoe review here
36. Deader Still by Anton Strout review here
37. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson review here
38. 1776 by David McCullough review here
39. White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison review here
40. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson review here
41. In the Company of Ogres by A. Lee Martinez review here
42. Borderline by Nevada Barr review here
43. Dogzilla by Dav Pilkey review here
44. Getting Rid of Bradley by Jennifer Crusie review here
45. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith review here
May
46. Turn Coat by Jim Butcher review here
47. Power Play by Joseph Finder review here
48. Belle Weather: Mostly Sunny with a Chance of Scattered Hissy Fits by Celia Rivenbark review here
49. Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs review here
50. Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith review here
51. The Little Painter of Sabana Grande by Patricia Maloney Markun review here
52. Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe review here
53. Darkness Falls by Kyle Mills review here
54. Kiss by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy review here
55. The Christmas Day Murders by Sheriff J.B. Smith review here
56. The Mystery of Grace by Charles De Lint review here
57. Divine Justice by David Baldacci review here
58. The Help by Kathryn Stockett review here
59. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald review here
June
60. A Breed Apart by Pierre Davis review here
61. Eternity in Death by J.D. Robb review here
62. Appaloosa by Robert B. Parker review here
63. Resolution by Robert B. Parker review here
64. Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck review here
65. Glory In Death by JD Robb review here
66. The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen review here
67. Thanks For the Memories by Cecelia Ahern review here
68. The Lost City of Z by David Grann review here
69. Bless Your Heart, Tramp by Celia Rivenbark review here
70. The Golden Buddha by Clive Cussler and review here
71. Naked in Death by J.D. Robb review here
72. The Camel Club by David Baldacci review here
July
73. Cemetery Dance by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child review here
74. Savage Run by C.J. Box review here
75. Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson review here
76. Death Match by Lincoln Child review here
77. The Collectors by David Baldacci review here
78. Sail by Patterson and Roughan review here
79. Terra Incognita by Ruth Downie review here
August
85.Fingerlickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich
86. Made in the U.S.A by Billie Letts
87. The Girls He Adored by Jonathan Nasaw
88. When She Was Bad by Jonathan Nasaw
89.Marked Man by William Lashner
September
90. Staying Dead by Laura Anne Gilman
91. Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs
92. Nuclear Jellyfish by Tim Dorsey
93. The Judas Strain by James Rollins
94. From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris
October
109. The Zookeepers Wife by Diane Ackerman review here
110. Battle on the Bay by Edward T. Cotham, Jr. review here
110. Battle on the Bay by Edward T. Cotham, Jr. review here
November
112. The Keepsake by Tess Gerritsen review here
113. Whistling in the Dark by Lesley Kagen review here
114. Hold Tight by harlan Coben review here
115. Fire Me by Libby Malin review here
116. Three Weeks to Say Goodbye by C.J. Box review here
December
135. Texas Bound II
5 X 4 Self Challenge 2009
FINISHED!!
In all the years I've been reading I've never planned it out. I read books that catch my fancy, that appeal to me from the shelf at the library, bookstore or garage sale, or that friends talk about. I found last year when I joined the 888 challenge I felt.......cornered. It DID help me to broaden my reading to new genres and helped me to see I could enjoy reading them. However, I didn't finish the challenge by 3 books. This year in an effort to widen my reading range but still have lots of room for the books I come across that I want to read, I've created this pared down version, The 5X4 Self Challenge. Four books in each of five categories. These are books I wouldn't normally read or that I want to read and never get around to. That's a quarter of my 100 book reading goal for this year. I'm going to plan the books, but will change if something else comes along that catches my interest. Who knows, I may read more than four in each category. Of course, I already own all these books. The categories I've chosen are:
Classics
1 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald review here
2 Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe review here
3 Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck review here
4 Robinson Crusoe by Daniel DeFoe review here
Non-Fiction
1 Me Talk Pretty Some Day by David Sedaris review here
2 The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson review here
3 The Lost City of Z by David Grann review here
4 The Christmas Day Murders by Sheriff J.B. Smith review here
Books Older Than Me That Are Sitting on My Shelf
1 Kazan The Wolf Dog by James Oliver Curwood review here
2 Brewster's Millions by G. B. McCutcheon review here
3 Tarzan and the Golden Lion by Edgar Rice Burroughs review here
4 A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith review here
Award Winners
1 The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larson (Mcavity Best First Novel)
2 The Time-Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger (Booker Prize)
3 Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick review here
4 The Killing Floor by Lee Child ( Anthony Award for Best First Novel) review here
Histories
1 1776 by David McCullough review here
2 The Zookeepers Wife by Diane Ackerman review here
3 Battle on the Bay by Edward T. Cotham, Jr. review here
4 The Lost City of Z by David Grann review here
Chunkster Challenge
Finished April, 2009
Ok. Only one more challenge. I decided to join the chunkster challenge. Several reading plans are offered. I have opted for the "Do These Books Make My Butt Look Big" plan, mostly because I thought it was funny. Rules from the Chunkster site:*A chunkster is 450 pages or more of ADULT literature (fiction or nonfiction)
*No Audio books in the chunkster
*If you read large type books your book will need to be 525 pages or more
*Books may crossover with other challenges
Do These Books Make my Butt Look Big? - this option is for the slightly heavier reader who wants to commit to 3-5 Chunksters over the next ten months.
Here are my chunksters:
1. Dragonheart by Todd McCaffrey (544 pages) review here
2. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (480 pages) review here
3. The Memorist by M. J. Rose (464 pages) review here
4. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle (576 pages) review here
5. White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison (504 pages) review here
Support Your Local Library Challenge
Finished :)
I am adding J Kaye's Support your Local Library Challenge to my list of challences. Click on the picture to read the rules. I love the library and read lots of books from there every year. Boy does that save a ton of money! I think I'll set my goal at 25 library books.
1. Dragonheart by Todd McCaffrey review here
2. Swan Peak by James Lee Burke review here
3. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick review here
4. Angels & Demons by Dan Brown review here
5. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson review here
6. A Long Way Gone Memoirs of a Boy Soldier review here
7. The Memorist by M. J. Rose review here
8. Adam by Ted Dekker review here
9. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle review here
10. Chill Factor by Sandra Brown review here
11. Heart of Stone by C.E. Murphy review here
12. Breath of Scandal by Sandra Brown review here
13. Watchmen by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons review here
14. Arctic Drift by Clive Cussler & Dirk C. review here
15. Angel's Tip by Alafair Burke review here
16. Pandora's Daughter review here
17. Fool by Christopher Moore review here
18. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows review here
19. Mean Streets by Jim Butcher etc review here
20. White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison review here
21. Borderline by Nevada Barr review here
22. Turn Coat by Jim Butcher review here
23. Power Play by Joseph Finder review here
24. The Christmas Day Murders by Sheriff J.B. Smith review here
25. The Mystery of Grace by Charles De Lint review here
May 22, 2009 - YEA! I've finished another challenge. I love going to the library so I know I will be getting more books from the library. I will keep track of the rest of them for the year below.
26. Eternity In Death by JD Robb review here
27.Tortilla Flat
28. Glory in Death by JD Robb review here
29. The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen review here
30. The Lost City of Z by David Grann review here
31. Sail by Patterson and Roughan review here
32. The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly
33. Relentless by Dean Koontz
Suspense & Thriller Reading Challenge '09
FINISHED!
I have decided to join yet another challenge, but this should be easy because suspense and thriller novels are my favorite! So I copied the rules from J. Kaye's place:
This is for the ones who finished the 2008/09 Suspense & Reading Challenge are ready for another. Rules of this challenge: * Read TWELVE (12) different sub-genres of thrillers in 2009. * You do NOT need to select your books ahead of time. Also, you may change as you go. * Your books can crossover into other challenges. * You don't need a blog to join in this challenge. For those who do, this is important. When you sign up under Mr. Linky, list the direct link to your post where your S/T books will be listed. If you list just your blog’s URL, it will be removed. * BLOGGERS: Link your reviews here. My Books:
2009
1. Swan Peak by James Lee Burke (Hard Boiled) review here
2. Dead Over Heels by Charlaine Harris (Cozy Mystery) review here
3. Gil's All Fright Diner by A. Lee Martinez (Comic Thriller) review here
4. Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith (Private Dective) review here
5. Angels & Demons by Dan Brown (Religious Thriller) review here
6. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (Locked Room (island) Thriller) review here
7. Night of the Loving Dead by Casey Daniels (Paranormal) review here
8. Chill Factor by Sandra Brown (Seriel Killer) review here
9. The Memorist (Psychological) review here
10. Arctic Drift (Eco Thriller) review here
11. Angel's Tip by Alafair Burke (Police Proceedural) review here
12. Pandora's Daughter (Action Thriller ) review here
Book Challenges - 2008
I love books. I love to read books. I love to hold books. I love to smell books. I love to own books. So, I've decided to join some book challenges I've come across on the net. The book challenges I choose will be shown in separate posts.
1. The 888 Challenge (below) Missed it by 3 books
2. The What's in a Name Challenge FINISHED! (below)
3. Reading Around the States (below) To be continued in 2009
4. 100 Book Challenge (below ) FINISHED!
5. The Southern Reading Challenge FINISHED! (below)
6. What an Animal Reading Challenge (below) FINISHED!
7. Suspense & Thriller Reading Challenge (below) To be continued in 2009
Book Give Away Contests (below)
1. The 888 Challenge (below) Missed it by 3 books
2. The What's in a Name Challenge FINISHED! (below)
3. Reading Around the States (below) To be continued in 2009
4. 100 Book Challenge (below ) FINISHED!
5. The Southern Reading Challenge FINISHED! (below)
6. What an Animal Reading Challenge (below) FINISHED!
7. Suspense & Thriller Reading Challenge (below) To be continued in 2009
Book Give Away Contests (below)
Saturday, August 2, 2008
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
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*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
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)
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2 Chick Lit (COMPLETE)
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3 Mystery/Thriller (COMPLETE)
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4 1800's (COMPLETE)
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5 SciFi/Fantasy/Paranormal (COMPLETE)
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6 Next in a Series (COMPLETE)
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7 Books I Just Want To Read (COMPLETE)
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8 Oprah's Book Club
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*Map of the Known World by Edward P. Jones
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*The Pillars of the Earth by James Patterson
*One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Saturday, January 19, 2008
The Southern Reading Challenge 2008
The Southern Reading ChallengeI'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
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
3. Icy sparks by Gwyn Hyman Rubio review here
***********************************************************************************
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.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
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
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