A Novel Challenge

Exploring China Through Books

noreply@blogger.com (Brianna (The Book Vixen)) — Fri, 10 May 2013 23:49:00 +0000

Summer 2013

For me, one of the greatest pleasures of reading is an author's ability to transport a reader to far away lands and introduce ancient and contemporary histories, as well as cultures and traditions. I have always been fascinated with China and during the summer of 2004, I was fortunate enough to spend six weeks in this fascinating country teaching English to elementary school children. I have since developed an ever-growing list of books to be read that in one way or another are related to China. I'm convinced that I am not alone; there must be others who would enjoy this type of reading as well. So, I've decided to host a summer reading program entitled, Exploring China Through Books, here on my blog. I have chosen six books with the intention of discussing one book every two weeks during the summer months. Essentially, this will be an on-line book club with scheduled live chats as an option.

Guidelines:

To sign-up, simply add a link to your blog or Good Reads profile to the linky at the end of this post. If you are a blogger, please post this event on your blog with a link to this post in order to share this with others. Once you sign-up, please leave a comment on this post and let me know if you would be interested in the live chats. (I need to know an approximate number of participants in order to adjust the ChatRoll widget accordingly)
You do not have to commit to read all six books; you may pick and choose those that interest you the most. However, these should be books...not audio books.
At the beginning of each new discussion week, I will create a post of the book being discussed with some possible discussions questions and I encourage to develop your own questions as well. With each post I will also include a schedule for live book chats. This is optional, and I will do my best to offer at least three different times to choose from to accommodate the various time zones. Prior to participating in your first book chat, you will need to sign-up with Chatroll. This will only take about 5 minutes and you can access Chatroll through the widget in my sidebar.
If you have any questions or concerns, please leave a comment on this post and I will address it as soon as possible.

Reading Schedule:
(Books should be read by the date listed for that week's discussion)
JUNE 9TH

Red Sorghum By Mo Yan
Description:
The acclaimed novel of love and resistance during late 1930s China by Mo Yan, winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature Spanning three generations, this novel of family and myth is told through a series of flashbacks that depict events of staggering horror set against a landscape of gemlike beauty, as the Chinese battle both Japanese invaders and each other in the turbulent 1930s. A legend in China, where it won major literary awards and inspired an Oscar-nominated film directed by Zhang Yimou, Red Sorghum is a book in which fable and history collide to produce fiction that is entirely new—and unforgettable.
JUNE 23RD

Bound Feet & Western Dress
By Pang-Mei Natasha Chang
Description:
"In China, a woman is nothing." Thus begins the saga of a woman born at the turn of the century to a well-to-do, highly respected Chinese family, a woman who continually defied the expectations of her family and the traditions of her culture. Growing up in the perilous years between the fall of the last emperor and the Communist Revolution, Chang Yu-i's life is marked by a series of rebellions: her refusal as a child to let her mother bind her feet, her scandalous divorce, and her rise to Vice President of China's first women's bank in her later years. In the alternating voices of two generations, this dual memoir brings together a deeply textured portrait of a woman's life in China with the very American story of Yu-i's brilliant and assimilated grandniece, struggling with her own search for identity and belonging. Written in pitch-perfect prose and alive with detail, Bound Feet and Western Dress is the story of independent women struggling to emerge from centuries of customs and duty.
JULY 7TH

The Concubine's Daughter By Pai Kit Fai
Description:
In the bestselling tradition of Memoirs of a Geisha, a riveting saga of early twentieth-century China, where a mother and a daugther fight to realize their destinies in a world where woman could still be bought and sold. Lotus Feet. He would give his daughter the dainty feet of a courtesan. This would enhance her beauty and her price, making her future shine like a new coin. He smiled to himself, pouring fresh tea. And it would stop her from running away… When the young concubine of an old farmer in rural China gives birth to a daughter called Li-Xia, or “Beautiful One,” the child seems destined to become a concubine herself. Li refuses to submit to her fate, outwitting her father’s orders to bind her feet and escaping the silk farm with an English sea captain. Li takes her first steps toward fulfilling her mother’s dreams of becoming a scholar—but her final triumph must be left to her daughter, Su Sing, “Little Star,” in a journey that will take her from remote mountain refuges to the perils of Hong Kong on the eve of World War II.
JULY 21ST

Red Azalea By Anchee Min
Description:
Red Azalea is Anchee Min’s celebrated memoir of growing up in the last years of Mao’s China. As a child, she was asked to publicly humiliate a teacher; at seventeen, she was sent to work at a labor collective. Forbidden to speak, dress, read, write, or love as she pleased, she found a lifeline in a secret love affair with another woman. Miraculously selected for the film version of one of Madame Mao’s political operas, Min’s life changed overnight. Then Chairman Mao suddenly died, taking with him an entire world. A revelatory and disturbing portrait of China, Anchee Min’s memoir is exceptional for its candor, its poignancy, its courage, and for its prose which Newsweek calls "as delicate and evocative as a traditional Chinese brush painting."
AUGUST 4TH

Waiting By Ha Jin
Description:
The demands of human longing contend with the weight of centuries of custom in acclaimed author Ha Jin's Waiting, a novel of unexpected richness and universal resonance. Every summer Lin Kong, a doctor in the Chinese Army, returns to his village to end his loveless marriage with the humble and touchingly loyal Shuyu. But each time Lin must return to the city to tell Manna Wu, the educated, modern nurse he loves, that they will have to postpone their engagement once again. Caught between conflicting claims of these two utterly different women and trapped by a culture in which adultery can ruin lives and careers, Lin has been waiting for eighteen years. This year, he promises, will be different.
AUGUST 18TH

Miss Chopsticks By Xinran
Description:
Xinran takes her readers to the heart of modern Chinese society in this delightful and absorbing tale of three peasant girls getting to grips with life in the big city. The Li sisters don’t have much education, but one thing has been drummed into them: their mother is a failure because she hasn’t managed to produce a son, and they themselves only merit a number as a name. Women, their father tells them, are like chopsticks: utilitarian and easily broken. Men, on the other hand, are the strong rafters that hold up the roof of a house. Yet when circumstances lead the sisters to seek work in distant Nanjing, the shocking new urban environment opens their eyes. While Three contributes to the success of a small restaurant, Five and Six learn new talents at a health spa and a bookshop/tearoom. And when the money they earn starts arriving back at the village, their father is forced to recognize that daughters are not so dispensable after all. As the Li sisters discover Nanjing, so do we: its past, its customs and culture, and its future as a place where people can change their lives.

This reading event is hosted by The Book Barista. For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

Language Freak Summer Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Brianna (The Book Vixen)) — Fri, 10 May 2013 23:42:00 +0000

Now – August 31, 2013

Do you love learning foreign languages?
Have you ever suspected that something is lost in translation when reading a book?
Do you feel ashamed of not practicing some foreign language enough?
Are you an unbearable snob who tells everybody that they haven't read a book if they have read it in translation?

If your answer is yes to any of these questions, this challenge is just for you! As a seasoned linguist myself, I can answer in the positive to all of them, so I'll be the one to organize a challenge for all of you foreign language lovers!

The idea is simple: read books in a foreign language, enjoy it and be proud of yourself! I will collect whatever you want to post about your experiences from now till the end of August and hopefully we will all have some progress in languages by the beginning of September!

There are levels, of course:

Beginner: read 1 book in a foreign language
Intermediate: read 2 books in a foreign language
Advanced: read 3+ books in a foreign language

The books can be in one language or in several different languages. You choose what you want to practice! But for really crazy linguists I have a special offer, which is called accordingly:

Crazy Linguist: read at least 1 book in EACH foreign language you know

Bonus level is for films:

Subs Fan: watch any number of films in a foreign language (Why is it called so? Because subs are allowed, of course!)
The rules are easy:

Any types and formats of books are allowed.
Really, I mean it! If you are just a beginner then a short story, a fairy tale or an adapted book counts as a book! The point is to practice.
If you are bilingual or nearly so, then this language doesn't count. For example, although English is not my mother-tongue, 80% of my reading is in English, so I will not count it. But you are to decide if some language is challenging for you or not :)

To sign up please link up an introduction post to the linky below. You may tell us:

What languages do you know? Note: even if you are a beginner, it totally counts! And don't forget to mention what your mother-tongue is!
What is your history with these languages?
Do you use them or are you out of practice?
Have you read some books in these languages? Did you like it?
What are your plans for the challenge?

Or whatever you want :)

I'll add all of the participants to my RSS feed, and if in some review you mention that you have read a book for this challenge, I'll link it up with other reviews at the end of each month (first one is planned for the end of May). I plan to sort them by language, but we'll see how it'll go :) You must not write a review, of course, you can just describe what your experience with the book/film was. Pointing out some linguistic peculiarities is encouraged! You may also try to write a paragraph or two in the target language, if you want some practice!

This reading challenge is hosted by In My Book. For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

Spring into Horror Read-a-Thon

noreply@blogger.com (Brianna (The Book Vixen)) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:39:00 +0000

Aril 22, 2013 – April 28, 2013

As scheduled almost a year ago, the Spring into Horror Read-a-Thon is almost here! It's coming to put some scare in your Spring on Monday, April 22 at 12:00am CST through Sunday, April 28 at 11:59pm CST (adjust times according to your time zone). Now don't let the word 'horror' scare you away. You only have to read one scary book during the duration of the read-a-thon. However, that book can be horror, paranormal, thriller, mystery, etc. The rest of the read-a-thon, you can read whatever you want. More horror/scary stuff or just your regular reading repertoire. As always, this is a week long read-a-thon, but you can join in and read whenever it's convenient for you. It's all about being laid back and getting some reading done...with a little bit of scary thrown in.

I will not be hosting any mini-challenges, as we learned from my last few read-a-thons, focusing on the reading rocks. However, if anyone else would like to host a mini-challenge, you are more than welcome...just let me know. If you know someone who would like to donate a prize, or authors, if you would like to promote your book through the read-a-thon, please contact me at truebookaddictATgmailDOTcom. We will also have a few scheduled Twitter chats again. I will announce the times in the starting line post. Our Twitter hashtag is #SpringHorrorRAT

You do not have to have a blog. You can sign up using your Goodreads, Twitter, or Facebook accounts.

If you are planning on joining me (I hope so), please sign up in the linky below. You don't have to do a post now, but if you would like to help me spread the word, that would be great. (Don't forget that this is just the sign-up linky. There will be starting line sign-in and wrap-up linkies during the read-a-thon and doing both is required to be eligible for the giveaway). You can start any time during the week up until Friday night at midnight CST.

This reading event is hosted by Seasons of Reading. For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

Follow Friday Hosted by Anniesh Imaginary Adventures

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:24:00 +0000

March 1 - June 1, 2013
Hosted by:
Anniesh Imaginary Adventures

As you may know, every Friday people tweet the names of Twitter users they'd like others to follow and tag it with #followfriday and/or #FF. My idea of this monthly feature originates with the aforementioned feature on Twitter. Follow Friday should become a great way for bloggers to socialize and network their blogs, and to share upcoming events! I hope that it will help many bookworms not to miss any interesting event as well as my fellow bloggers to attract more participants or even more blog followers.

And, this is how it should work:

On the third Friday of every month I will share with you a bookish challenge, a read-a-long, or a readathon that I've found in the blogosphere and will start soon, and the entering of which I'd recommend to every kindred spirit.
Create your own Follow Friday post and recommend upcoming bookish events hosted by other bloggers that you find interesting. Even though I'm addicted to the classics, please feel free to recommend events from any genre that is dear to your heart! You may keep your FF post short or you may write a lengthy one; it's up to you. You can also praise the whole blog that hosts that particular event, if you like.
It would be nice, if you would use my official graphic and please link back toAnneish Imaginary Adventures so that other people wanting to participate know where to get the information to do so!
Once you have your Follow Friday posted, come back to Anneish Imaginary Adventures and add your link to the list.
Visit other participants' link to find out what events they recommend and please do share with them as well as with me, if they inspired you to enter an event!
Finally, have fun and read on!

This meme is hosted by Hotchpot Cafe. For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

Birth Year Reading Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:19:00 +0000

March 1 - June 1, 2013
Hosted by:
Hotchpot Cafe

Announcing the fourth year of the Birth Year Reading Challenge!

This year's challenge focuses on an important year in your life, one that introduced you to dynamic and meaningful possibilities. Maybe that was the actual year of your birth, or maybe it was the year of another kind of "birth": when you were "born" to a new life in the spiritual, emotional, educational, social, geographical, or some other sense.
What books were published the year you were born, or the year that you experienced another kind of "birth"?

This challenge encourages you to find out, and then read some of them. You might even draw a few conclusions about social and literary trends that year. If nothing else, you'll have an incentive to explore books you might otherwise not have considered.

Wikipedia has lists of books by year published. You can check literary prize lists for high-quality choices. Using Google to locate “best books of _____” provides some interesting choices. There is also a cool feature at BibliOZ where you can check theNew York Times bestseller list for the week you are interested in.

If you already participated in this challenge, or if you discover you were born in a year of unattractive books, the Rebirth option gives you the chance to sample another year instead. So read on!

RULES

1. Join anytime between now and November 30, 2013. The challenge ends at midnight EST on January 31, 2014.

2. a. Choose books from your birth year.

AND/OR

2. b. Choose a year that you experienced another kind of "birth," then choose books from that year. Your sign-up post should include a few details about the year you've chosen and the kind of "birth" you are commemorating.

3. Books may come from your TBR pile or list, but they don’t have to.

4. Overlaps with other challenges are allowed and encouraged.

5. Change your list at any time.

6. Reviews and reactions are encouraged, but not required. You don’t need to have a blog to participate. But you do need to let me know of your progress, so I can bestow your virtual candles. (Here's the progress and reviews page from BYRC 2012, so you can see how it works.)

7. All genres and formats are eligible. If it’s a book, you can count it.

8. One candle is awarded for each qualifying book you read. There is no limit on how few or how many candles you can earn.

ACHIEVER PRIZES

When you meet your reading goal, you can select a book from my library – most likely a gently used trade paperback – and I'll mail it to you. But keep reading because . . .

OVERACHIEVER PRIZE

The person who reads the most books for the challenge will receive a fun little surprise package with a bookish theme. And . . .

GRAND PRIZE

On February 1, 2014, the three readers who’ve earned the most candles will be entered into a drawing for a $25.00 gift card from Barnes & Noble. Nothing like a little no-cost book shopping to start a new year off right!

This meme is hosted by Hotchpot Cafe. For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

The Spring of Sarah Dessen Reading Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:40:00 +0000

March 1 - June 1, 2013
Hosted by:
Ramblings of a Daydreamer

When I was in my mid-teens, I discovered Sarah Dessen’s books and fell in love. I can’t remember which one I read first, but the one that stuck with me the most (and still to this day is a favourite) was Someone Like You. It was one of those stories that was so relevant to me, and that I could have sworn Sarah had written about me and my best friend. It was that book that made me even more certain I wanted to be a writer.
I realized it was a shame I hadn’t read all her books since I’m such a big fan. I decided I would read all of them this year, and then I realized it would be fun to ask people to join me, so The Spring of Sarah Dessen was born (I was going to wait until summer, but I just couldn’t!).

Here’s the deal: read as many Sarah Dessen books as you can before June 1st. Pretty simple right?

Oh, you want more details than that? ;-)

The Details:

This is basically a reading challenge, and the idea is for you to read and review as many of Sarah’s books as you can between March 1st and June 1st. Each new review you write gets you one entry into the giveaway (I’ll get to that in a second). Reviews must be posted for the first time between March 1st and June 1st (you can start reading the books any time, but all reviews must be brand new and never posted before as of March 1st, 2013). So basically if you read and write a review for one book that’s one entry, if you read and write a review for 3 books that’s 3 entries, etc.
Rereads count as long as you haven’t posted a review for it before (or if you posted a review quite a long time ago, I’ll accept a ‘fresh’ review - for instance, I read and reviewed Along for the Ride in 2011, so if I were to read it again, I’d write a new review with my second impressions and link it to my old review - you can do that too).
Audiobooks count
You can join this challenge at any time
You don’t have to have a blog to participate, as long as you can post reviews somewhere (GoodReads, YouTube, Amazon, Chapters, etc)

Other Stuff:

Between March 1st and June 1st, I’ll be posting reviews of the Sarah Dessen books I read, along with other posts like cover comparisons, favourite characters, book crushes, etc. If you’d like to write a post for the event (your favourite Sarah Dessen books, why you love her books, what her books mean to you, favourite quotes from her books etc), please let me know and I’d be happy to include it in the event.
I will be creating a page for this event and will update it regularly with all our reviews so people can check them out easily. Hopefully it will drive a bit of traffic to participants’ blogs.
If you’re on Twitter, feel free to use the hashtag #SOSD so we can all find each other and cheer each other on. You can share your reviews, updates, book/page count, etc. BTW, I'm @SweetMarie83 on Twitter. ;-)

The Giveaway:

Instead of a Linky List, I’m going to set up a Rafflecopter. You get one entry for participating, and then one entry for each review you post. On June 2nd, Rafflecopter will pick a winner from among the entries, and the winner will get a pre-order of Sarah’s new release The Moon and More (which comes out June 4th). If you’re lucky enough to have gotten an ARC of The Moon and More…first of all, can I have it? *grins and bats lashes* (I’m only half-joking…I want that book so bad!!) Seriously though, if you already have the book, you can pick a Sarah Dessen book of your choice. OR if you already own all of Sarah’s books, you can choose a contemporary YA novel (I’m sticking with Sarah’s genre) of your choice up to $10 CAN. If there’s enough interest in this challenge, I will add a second winner.

Sarah Dessen’s Books

*in order of publication…I’m going to be reading them in order, just for fun*

That Summer {GoodReads}

Someone Like You {GoodReads}

Keeping the Moon {GoodReads}

Dreamland {GoodReads}

This Lullaby {GoodReads}

The Truth About Forever {GoodReads}

Just Listen {GoodReads}

Lock and Key {GoodReads}

Along for the Ride {GoodReads}

What Happened to Goodbye {GoodReads}

The Moon and More {GoodReads}

Does this reading challenge sound like something you'd be interested in? Want to join? Simply sign up via the InLinkz below (the URL can be your blog or wherever you'll be posting reviews). If you want to write an introductory post with your goals (feel free to use one of my graphics, and please link back to this post so other people can find out about the challenge) you can use that link to sign up.

This meme is hosted by Ramblings of a Daydreamer. For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

Shelf Candy Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 13:31:00 +0000

Every Saturday

This weekly meme/blog hop, hosted here, features beautiful book covers!

If you'd like to participate, just grab my button (or create your own), write your post, and link up in the Linky widget at the bottom of this post. As a bonus, you can include information on the artist, designer, and/or photographer, but it's not required. You can simply feature a cover and explain why you love it!

This meme is hosted by A Night's Dream of Books. For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

Monday Musings

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 13:25:00 +0000

Every Monday

This is a weekly feature hosted at The Book Barista where each Monday I'll post a book-related topic for your thoughtful consideration. So, grab your cup of coffee and let's chat! There is a different topic each week.

You can either leave a comment on the meme post, or if you would like to share your thoughts on this subject with your blog followers as well, simply use the linky for your blog post.

In your blog post, please be sure to link back here as well, thank you!

This meme is hosted by The Book Barista. For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

Bram Stoker Awards Reading Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 18:09:00 +0000

February 18, 2013 – December 31, 2013

Are you a fan of Horror Fiction? Then this is the reading challenge for you! Join me as I read my way through the list of nominees for the 2012 Bram Stoker Awards. For the final list of nominees, please CLICK HERE. Anything from the list is acceptable, including short fiction, screen plays, and poetry. I'm hoping to organize a few special events to occur during the days of the awards as well which will take place June 13th - 16th.

Challenge details:

1. This challenge will begin on February 18th, 2013 and end December 31, 2013.

2. Books for this challenge may include print books as well as e-books and audio books.
Choose a Level: 3-6 nominees: Afraid of the Dark7-12 nominees: Sleeping With One Eye Open13+ nominees: Among the Walking Dead
3. This challenge can cross-over to your other reading challenges.
4. You do not need a blog to participate! If you are not a blogger, you can post your reviews at Goodreads, Shelfari, or LibraryThing and link them up on the monthly review posts or leave a comment with a link to your review.
5. I will create a new post each month with a link-up for your reviews.
6. To sign-up use the link below. If you are a blogger, create a sign-up post and link back to this post. If you don't have a blog you can just leave a comment for this post saying that you are joining.

Are you a fan of Horror Fiction? Then this is the reading challenge for you! Join me as I read my way through the list of nominees for the 2012 Bram Stoker Awards.

This reading challenge is hosted by I Eat Words. For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

2013 Sarah Dessen Read/Reread Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Brianna (The Book Vixen)) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 21:24:00 +0000

January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Sarah Dessen. In fact, I think all of us girls here on I Eat Words are enormous fans. I know I'm super excited that we get a new book from Sarah Dessen this June! Anyway, I was looking at my book case the other day and was examining my Sarah Dessen books when I thought, I really want to reread these! Then I thought, how cool would it be to make it a challenge?

I know some people shy away from reading challenges, and I don't want you to be put off by that term. There's really no rules or nothing that you'll win at the end. If you participate, you'll get to experience (or experience again) the awesome that is Sarah Dessen's work. And I figure, hey, maybe we can read one book a month and chat about it?

So here's the schedule I've come up with :)

February - Just Listen

March - This Lullaby

April - Dreamland

May - The Truth About Forever

June - The Moon and More

July - That Summer

August - Along for the Ride

September -Someone like You

October - Keeping the Moon

November - What Happened to Goodbye

December - Lock and Key

I know it's not in order of release, but hey! Whatever. Haha :)

This reading challenge is hosted by I Eat Words. For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

2013 Books About Books Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Meyer) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 17:34:00 +0000

January 1st, 2013 – December 31st, 2013

Introducing the 2013 Books About Books Challenge!
I wanted to come up with a good challenge to host in 2013, but I wasn’t sufficiently inspired until late January. I finished Start Here: Read Your Way Into 25 Amazing Authors and realized that I love reading about…well, reading. I enjoy essays on authors and literature. I have a few books on my shelves that I haven’t picked up yet, and I really should. In addition, I have tons of books about writing books that I really need to divide and conquer (I think my desk shelf would really appreciate it). And don’t think fiction will be left out – just read the details below!
Reading Challenge Details

The challenge will run from January 1st, 2013 – December 31st, 2013
Sign up throughout the year – no cut-offs here (Obligatory: I am not a Never Nude, although there are dozens of them! Dozens!)
Book can be in any format – bound, audiobook, ebook
All books read during 2013 count – even if you started before January 1st
Rereads absolutely count
Read any of the following:
- Compilations of essays on authors/literature or reading pathways
- Books about writing books
- Fiction in which books play a big role
- Check out these Book Riot posts (including comments) for ideas:
  - What to Read When You Don’t Know What to Read: A List of Books About Reading
  - Riot Recommendation: Books About Reading
  - A Great Big, Huge, Not Very Small at All List of Books About Books
  - Got some must-read suggestions? Throw ‘em down in the comments!

Levels

Flash fiction: 1-5 books
Short story: 6-10 books
Novella: 11-15 books
Novel: 16-20 books
Doorstopper: 21+ books

I’ll host a discussion at the end of every month for participants (and lurkers). So, sign up below (you can post a Goodreads/Twitter link if you don’t have your own blog) and let’s get started!
For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

Vintage Children’s Literature Reading Challenge 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Meyer) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 17:34:00 +0000

January 31st, 2013 – December 31st, 2013

Finally I decided to bite the bullet and enter the blog world of challenge hosting. I have a bit of an interest in classic or vintage children's literature, so I have decided to host a vintage children's literature reading challenge. I realise this is a little late to start but better late than never. I must confess that this is a bit of a learning experience for me, for while I have participated in challenges I have never hosted one. This is really about adding to reading enjoyment by starting a conversation and by refining some of my blogging skills. Even if there are only a couple of people interested in participating I am interested to see if from the challenge we generate a list of must read children's books, whether or not some old classics are worthy of a re-visit and whether they stand the test of time. Are classic books still accessible to a current generation of readers or are they best left to nostalgic adults?
Rules
1. Only titles published before the year 2000 count. So that means only the first three Harry Potter novels would qualify for this challenge.
2. The challenge focuses mainly on novels but you can choose picture books or collections of short stories or non-fiction, if you desire .
3. Challenge runs from 31st of January to the 31st of December 2013 and you can sign up at any time.
4. You don't need a blog to participate, you can just sign up and for each book read just leave a comment on the monthly post for the challenge or you could link to your goodreads page, facebook, twitter, whatever you can think of.
5. Choose a level
6. If you blog, write an introduction post with the badge and a link back here. Maybe outline some of the titles you plan to read.
7. Any format counts, including e-books and audio books, re-reads count as do double ups with other challenges.
Levels:
Gumnut baby - four books. (the gumnunt babies are the most famous characters by Australian children's author illustrator May Gibbs.)
Alice - six books - you are entering into the wonderland of childhood.
Mary Poppins - ten books - you have a serious interest in the world of the young.
Peter Pan - twelve books or more - you clearly are still in touch with your inner child.
I will post monthly on subjects related to children's literature and sporadically I will organise some giveaways, they will mostly be for simple fun things like cool bookmarks, however I will organise something special towards the end of the year.
This challenge is about reading fun and my learning some new skills with blogging so comments and suggestions welcome. I have added a linky, which I hope works, ( I have never used one before except as a participant). If you sign up please leave a comment. I will set up a separate tab for the challenge and as a place to link to posts. I will post details of an initial giveaway open to anyone who reads a vintage children's title between now and the end of March and leaves a comment and or link.
For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

2013 Gothic Reading Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Brianna (The Book Vixen)) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 14:18:00 +0000

January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013

CHALLENGE GUIDELINES

Any book considered "Gothic" - examples include the 60's and 70's Mystery Suspense Romance like Barbara Michaels, Victoria Holt, Beverly C. Warren, books like VC Andrews, Dracula, Frankenstein, Victorian Age Suspense and Horror or Drama, Edgar Allan Poe, etc. If it's Gothic, it counts!

Please look HERE for a list of all the elements in a Gothic Novel.

I wanted to keep this one super simple, but most of all FUN. Re-reads are allowed. Cross challenges allowed. Story in any form (Book, eBook, graphic novel). Anthologies of short stories are allowed.

Setting Four Challenge Levels:

1-7: A Dark and Stormy Night
8-14: A Wicked Web
15-21: Booked By Betrayal
22-28: The Crumbling Castle

This reading challenge is hosted by The Paperback Stash. For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

2013 ARC Reading Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Brianna (The Book Vixen)) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 14:16:00 +0000

January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013

This is the original ARC Challenge That I created in 2010,I hope all of you ARC Readers will join me again in 2013 for the ARC Reading Challenge. I welcome old and new participants. I don't know about you, but my ARC pile is way too big.

Note: I use the term "ARC" loosely, any book a publisher or author gives you with the expectation that you review it, counts for this challenge.

The Levels

Level Bronze:

a. All of us who have or will have less than 12 ARCS must read all of the ARCS we have. Note, that if you have 11 ARC's and then receive a 12th one you will be bumped up to category b.

b. All of us who have or will have 12 or more than 12 ARCS must read and review at least 12.

Level Silver: Read 24 ARCS
Level Gold: Read 30 ARCS
Level Platinum: Read 35 or more ARCS

Rules:

To sign up, leave a direct link to your blog post about this challenge. Please leave a comment as well.

You Can join this challenge at anytime throughout the year.

You don't have to make a list of which ARC's you plan to read, but you can if you want.

If you choose a lower level, you can always change it to a higher level if you like. However, you cannot go from a higher level back down to a lower level.

Crossovers with other challenges are allowed and Audio-books and ebooks are allowed as long as they are ARC's.

Read the books and review them on your blog. If you don't have a blog, you can post your review on sites like Powells, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc.

Please subscribe to my blog, as I will be doing a monthly post with MR Linky. Please add your reviews for each month in MR Linky in the monthly post. For your Name, please use this format Name: (Your Name, Book Title and Author's Name) for example: (Teddy, Obsessive Reading by Helen Reader). Please be sure to use the direct link to your review, not just to your blog. Then please leave a comment.

HAVE FUN!

This reading challenge is hosted by So Many Precious Books, So Little Time. For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

2013 In the Middle Reading Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Brianna (The Book Vixen)) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 14:14:00 +0000

January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013

The in the Middle Reading Challenge hosted by Rachael Turns Pages. Let's put it this way most of the books I read are in the middle books they aren't overly short and they aren't overly long so when I feel like in order to complete the big and small book challenge I would leave out the in the middle books. So I created this challenge so I would continue to read the in the middle books.

Challenge Guidelines:

This challenge will run from January 1st 2013 to December 31st 2013
All books read during 2013 count
All books must be from 300 to 400 pages in length
The books can be in any format (bound, ebook, audiobook)
Note for audiobooks: look up the number of pages on Amazon and use that number
You don't have to be a blogger to participate. However, leave a comment and tell me what level you're aiming for. You can also record with a shelf on goodreads or shelfari
For bloggers, post up a challenge sign up post saying what level you've signed up for. Be sure to sign-up with your sign-up post in the linky.
You don't have to review the books you read however if you do, you will be able to post your links to your reviews here. (I'll have a post up for reviews up in January.)
Crossovers with other challenges count and are encouraged
Have Fun! (reading is about having fun and enjoying the story the author has crafted)

Levels:

Leafing through the pages: 1-5 books
Cruising through the pages: 5-10 books
Finishing these novels: 10-15 books
Never stop reading: 15 + books

This reading challenge is hosted by Rachel Turns Pages. For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

Jodi Picoult Reading Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (WVRed) — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 16:37:00 +0000

January 1^st, 2013 to December 31^st 2013

Reading Challenge Details:

The Challenge will run from January 1^st, 2013 to December 31^st 2013
All Jodi Picoult books started and finished after January 1^st count
The goal is to read or reread as many Jodi Picoult books as possible. The Levels will be below you can choose which level you would like to be in.
Book can be in any format (bound, ebook, audiobook)
You can list your books in advance or list them as you go. It is not required that you review the books you read for this challenge, but if you do great.
Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed and encouraged.
Post this reading challenge on your blog to track your progress. Please include a link back to this sign-up post so others can join the reading challenge too. You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads or LibraryThing.

Levels:

Fresh out of college Lawyer: 1 to 4 novels
Ruling this courtroom: 5 to 8 novels
Being a Lawyer is my thing: 9 to 12 novels

(Sorry for the cheesy names, but she has a lot of courtroom scenes)

Jodi Picoult Books

Songs of a Humpback Whale
Harvesting the Heart
Picture Perfect
Mercy
Plain Truth
Salem Falls
Perfect Match
Second Glance
My Sister’s Keeper
Vanishing Acts
The Tenth Circle
Nineteen Minutes
Change of Heart
Handle with Care
House Rules
Sing You Home
Lone Wolf
Between the Lines
The Storyteller (March 2013)

I will put the link you thing here. You can link to your blog post signing up. Put which level you are joining in at down in the comments. Thank you for everybody who joins.

For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge 2013

noreply@blogger.com (WVRed) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 03:03:00 +0000

January 1st and December 31st, 2013.

This is the sign-up post for the Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge 2013. If you've taken part before, the challenge "rules" are essentially the same. And as always, the goal of the challenge is simply to encourage you to discover, or re-discover, the unique story-telling of Haruki Murakami. It's a really flexible challenge and all you have to do to participate is read at least one book by Haruki Murakami in 2013. However, there are several levels of participation to choose from, for those that want to immerse themselves more in Murakami's surreal worlds.
Levels of participation:
Hajime - Read one book
Sheep Man - Read 3 books
Toru - Read 5 books
Nakata - Read 7 books
Sumire - Read 10+ books
Super-frog - Read everything Murakami has written! (that is available in English, or your preferred language) For a list of the books available in English, visit the Books Page.

Things to keep in mind:
*Whether you're a complete newbie, or already a huge Murakami fan, everyone is welcome to join in.
*You can join in anytime throughout the year.
*Feel free to grab one of the Murakami Challenge badges to display on your own site, but please save them to your own computer first.
*You don't have to have a blog to participate. You can also share your thoughts on Goodreads, LibraryThing, Tumblr, Twitter, etc. Or provide a guest post here!
*Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
*Books should be read between January 1st and December 31st, 2013.
*Please share your reviews of the Murakami books you read for the challenge. This is optional but we'd love to hear what you thought. I also welcome you to submit reviews to any of Murakami's books or stories that you have read and reviewed previously. Reviews in any language are welcome. More on the 'Submit a review' page.
*Books can be in any format: paper, ebooks, audio.
*Rereads are allowed, and encouraged.
*There will be prizes (details to be decided).
And most importantly, have fun!

For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

2013 Global Reading Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (WVRed) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 22:48:00 +0000

January 1, 2013-December 2013

As in the past, the 2013 Global Reading Challenge (2013GRC) challenges you to expand your reading boundaries, go where you haven't been before, move a little outside your comfort zone.
You may read any genre so long as the books are fiction.
Decide which level you will attempt, although you can change that later if you wish.
Use the Mr Linky to sign up with your name, the level you intend to attempt, and your blog URL.
Feel free to include the logo in your blog posts or on your blog (with a link to this page)
Your reading will take place in the calendar year 2013.
When you are ready to add books to the Mr Linkies that will be provided, return to this blog and look for the 2013 Global Reading Challenge icon in the right hand margin. That will have a link to the most recent page for the meme.
You may like to consult Global Reading Challenges for 2011 and 2010 and 2012 for suggestions of books.
Please advertise the 2013 Global Reading Challenge (2013GRC) on your blog.
You might be interested in creating your own map showing where you have been using World66
My final post for GRC 2010 shows you what it can look like.

The Easy Challenge
Read one novel from each of these continents in the course of 2013:
Africa, Asia, Australasia/Oceania, Europe, North America, South America (please include Central America where it is most convenient for you)
The Seventh Continent (here you can either choose Antarctica or your own ´seventh´ setting, e.g. the sea, the space, a supernatural/paranormal world, history, the future – you name it).
From your own continent: try to find a country, state or author that is new to you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Medium Challenge

Read two novels from each of these continents in the course of 2013:
Africa, Asia, Australasia/Oceania, Europe, North America, South America (please include Central America where it is most convenient for you)
The Seventh Continent (here you can either choose Antarctica or your own ´seventh´ setting, e.g. the sea, the space, a supernatural/paranormal world, history, the future – you name it).
From your own continent: try to find a country, state or author that is new to you.
Try to find novels from fourteen different countries or states.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Expert Challenge

Read three novels from each of these continents in the course of 2013:
Africa, Asia, Australasia/Oceania, Europe, North America, South America (please include Central America where it is most convenient for you)
The Seventh Continent (here you can either choose Antarctica or your own ´seventh´ setting, e.g. the sea, the space, a supernatural/paranormal world, history, the future – you name it).
From your own continent: try to find a country, state or author that is new to you.
Select novels from twenty-one different countries or states if possible. (For Australasia, selecting a different state for your last book will be acceptable)

For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

Crafty Book Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (WVRed) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 22:37:00 +0000

January 1, 2013-December 31, 2013

The rules:
* any crafty related fiction book counts, whether it’s quilting, knitting, crocheting, sewing, embroidery, scrapbooking, etc.
* pattern books for the most part, are excluded, with a few exceptions: books by Elizabeth Zimmermann that are very chatty & contain stories, not just patterns, will count IF you read cover to cover. I won’t be policing you, so use your own judgment.
* non fiction craft books, such as “Crochet Saved My Life” are included (haven’t picked up the book yet? Go to https://www.createspace.com/3928868 and plug in coupon code 76K89G9K for 20% off). Thank you, Kathryn!
* any format is fine: ebook, print book, audio book, reread
* yes, you can also cross over to other challenges, if you like
* reviews are not necessary, but would be very nice for the authors (on your blog, on goodreads or amazon, wherever)
* I’ve started adding a list of crafty books that count for this challenge

If you are a blogger, please write up a blog post talking about the challenge, include the button or header graphic I made above (I’m sorry, I don’t know how to do the fancy code so you can just grab it) and link to this post at http://anastaciaknits.net/2013/01/12/crafty-book-challenge/ so that others can find out about this challenge & join in! When writing up your post, please be sure to tell us how many books you want to try to read!

Non-bloggers, you can join in by commenting on your goals!

I am planning on reading 7 books this year – the only one I know I’ll read for sure is Crochet Saved My Life.

For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

Monthly Mix-Up Mania: 2013-2015 Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:07:00 +0000

January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013
Hosted by: The Book Dragon's Lair

What: To read a book for each letter in the year. That's right, a title for the J in January and the A in January, etc.... 74 books total!

Official Start date: April 1, 2013, because we're fools to try this but any book read since 1-1-11 that you didn't already use for the 2011-2013 edition counts ;)

End date: March 31, 2015, yes, two years, because well, we have other challenges to do ;)

Guidelines:

only one letter per book

books can be moved around if it fits better somewhere else after you've read it

the letter doesn't have to be the first word, just the first letter of a word in the title (a, an, and the do not count)

reviews aren't necessary but a quick "I read for letter... it was about... I did/not like it" would be nice and can be left in the comments.

if you decide to join in, create a post on your blog telling others then come back and link up (to the actual post, not just your blog's home page)

a blog is not necessary, just comment on that month's post.

the most important thing is to have fun!

For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

2013 Amish Fiction Reading Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 17:18:00 +0000

January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013
Hosted by: Amish Fiction Reviews

On January 1, 2013 I'll choose three lucky participants who will receive a special selection of Amish items from here in Ohio's Amish country. This may include a new Amish novel, cookbook, a jar of jam/jelly, and/or whatever else I may find on my various trips to Amish country!

Challenge details:

1. This challenge will begin on January 1st, 2013 and end December 31, 2013.
2. Books for this challenge can be from any genre and may include print books as well as e-books and audio books.
Choose a Level:
Inspired     6 books
Smitten    12 books
Devoted   24 books

3. This challenge can cross-over to your other reading challenges.
4. You do not need a blog to participate! If you are not a blogger, you can post your reviews at Goodreads, Shelfari, or LibraryThing and link them up on the monthly review posts or leave a comment with a link to your review.
5. I will create a new post each month with a link-up for your reviews.
6. To sign-up use the link below. If you are a blogger, create a sign-up post and link back to this post. If you don't have a blog you can just leave a comment for this post saying that you are joining.

Join the 2013 Amish Fiction Challenge!

For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

"The Baby-Sitters Club" 2013 Reading Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Brianna (The Book Vixen)) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 22:39:00 +0000

January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013

I recently reorganized my (huge) collection of Ann M. Martin's books. This took longer than it should have as I kept stopping to flip through some of my favorite titles. This got me desperately wanting to sit down and just read them all over again. And so that is exactly what I'm going to do. In addition to my regular reading, I plan to read The Baby-Sitters Club series from Kristy's Great Idea to The Fire at Mary Anne's House. If time permits I will also read the Mysteries, Super Special, Super Mysteries, and any of the the other supplemental books. My plan is to stick with the books pertaining to the main members of the club and only shoot for the spin-off series if I'm incredibly crazy. I also plan to do this all over the course of 2013. I will mark the titles I've completed in red. I won't necessarily be reviewing the books (since every review will consist of "read this book") but will try to post updates about my progress. Want to join in the fun? I would love to discuss this series with you! Feel free to set your own BSC reading goal and read as many of the books that you can!

The Baby-Sitters Club

Kristy’s Great Idea
Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls
The Truth About Stacey
Mary Anne Saves the Day
Dawn and the Impossible Three
Kristy’s Big Day
Claudia and Mean Janine
Boy Crazy Stacey
The Ghost at Dawn’s House
Logan Likes Mary Anne
Kristy and the Snobs
Claudia and the New Girl
Goodbye Stacey, Goodbye
Hello, Mallory
Little Miss Stoneybrook…and Dawn
Jessi’s Secret Language
Mary Anne’s Bad-Luck Mystery
Stacey’s Mistake
Claudia and the Bad Joke
Kristy and the Walking Disaster
Mallory and the Trouble With Twins
Jessi Ramsey, Pet-sitter
Dawn on the Coast
Kristy and the Mother’s Day Surprise
Mary Anne and the Search for Tigger
Claudia and the Sad Goodbye
Jessi and the Superbrat
Welcome Back, Stacey!
Mallory and the Mystery Diary
Mary Anne and the Great Romance
Dawn’s Wicked Stepsister
Kristy and the Secret of Susan
Claudia and the Great Search
Mary Anne and Too Many Boys
Stacy and the Mystery of Stoneybrook
Jessi’s Babysitter
Dawn and the Older Boy
Kristy’s Mystery Admirer
Poor Mallory!
Claudia and the Middle School Mystery
Mary Anne vs Logan
Jessi and the Dance School Phantom
Stacy’s Emergency
Dawn and the Big Sleepover
Kristy and the Baby Parade
Mary Anne Misses Logan
Mallory on Strike
Jessi’s Wish
Claudia and the Genius of Elm Street
Dawn’s Big Date
Stacey’s Ex-Best Friend
Mary Anne + 2 Many Babies
Kristy For President
Mallory and the Dream House
Jessi’s Gold Medal
Keep Out , Claudia!
Dawn Saves the Planet
Stacey’s Choice
Mallory Hates Boys (and Gym )
Mary Anne’s Makeover
Jessi and the Awful Secret
Kristy and the Worst Kid ever
Claudia’s Friend
Dawn’s Family Feud
Stacey’s Big Crush
Maid Mary Anne
Dawn’s Big Move
Jessi and the Bad Babysitter
Get Well Soon Mallory!
Stacey and the Cheerleaders
Claudia and the Perfect Boy
Dawn and the We Love Kids Club
Mary Anne and Miss Priss
Kristy and the Copycat
Jessi’s Horrible Prank
Stacey’s Lie
Dawn and Whitney, Friends Forever
Claudia and Crazy Peaches
Mary Anne Breaks the Rules
Mallory Pike # Fan
Kristy and Mr. Mom
Jessi and the Troublemaker
Stacey vs. the BSC
Dawn and the School Spirit War
Claudia Kishi , Live from WSTO!
Mary Anne and Camp BSC
Stacey and the Bad Girls
Farewell , Dawn
Kristy and the Dirty Diapers
Welcome to the BSC , Abby
Claudia and the First Thanksgiving
Mallory’s Christmas Wish
Mary Anne and the Memory Garden
Stacey McGill , Super Sitter
Kristy + Bart =?
Abby’s Lucky Thirteen
Claudia and the Worlds Cutest Baby
Dawn and Two Many Sitters
Stacey’s Broken Heart
Kristy's Worst Idea
Claudia Kishi, Middle School Dropout
Mary Anne and the Little Princess
Happy Holidays, Jessi
Abby's Twin
Stacey the Math Whiz
Claudia, Queen of The Seventh Grade
Mind Your Own Business, Kristy!
Don't Give Up, Mallory
Mary Anne to the Rescue
Abby the Bad Spor
Stacey's Secret Friend
Kristy and the Sister War
Claudia Makes Up Her Mind
The Secret Life of Mary Anne Spier
Jessi's Big Break
Abby and the Best Kid Ever (
Claudia and the Terrible Truth
Kristy Thomas, Dog Trainer
Stacey's Ex-Boyfriend
Mary Anne and the Playground Fight
Abby in Wonderland
Kristy in Charge
Claudia's Big Party
Stacey McGill…Matchmaker
Mary Anne in the Middle
The All-New Mallory Pike
Abby's Un-Valentine
Claudia and the Little Liar
Kristy at Bat
Stacey's Movie
The Fire at Mary Anne's House

The Baby-Sitters Club: Super Specials

Babysitters on Board
Babysitters’ Summer Vacation
Babysitters’ Winter Vacation
Babysitters’ Island Adventure
California Girls
New York, New York
Snowbound
Babysitters at Shadow Lake
Starring the Babysitters Club
Sea City, Here We Come
The Babysitters Remember
Here Come the Bridesmaids
Aloha , Babysitters
BSC in the USA
The Babysitters European Vacation

The Baby-Sitters Club: Mysteries

Stacey and the Missing Ring
Beware, Dawn
Mallory and the Ghost Cat
Kristy and the Missing Child
Mary Anne and the Secret in the Attic
The Mystery at Claudia’s House
Dawn and the Disappearing Dogs
Jessi and the Jewel Thieves
Kristy and the Haunted Mansion
Stacey and the Mystery Money
Claudia and the Mystery at the Museum
Dawn and the Surfer Ghost
Mary Anne and the Library Mystery
Stacey and the Mystery at the Mall
Kristy and the Vampires
Claudia and the Clue in the Photograph
Dawn and the Halloween Mystery
Stacey and the Mystery at the Empty House
Kristy and the Missing Fortune
Mary Anne and the Zoo Mystery
Claudia and the Recipe for Danger
Stacey and the Haunted Masquerade
Abby and the Secret Society
Mary Anne and the Silent Witness
Kristy and the Middle School Vandal
Dawn Schafer, Undercover Babysitter
Claudia and the Lighthouse Ghost
Abby and the Mystery Baby
Stacey and the Fashion Victim
Kristy and the Mystery Train
Mary Anne and the Music Box Secret
Claudia and the Mystery in the Painting
Stacey and the Stolen Hearts
Mary Anne and the Haunted Bookstore
Abby and the Notorious Neighbor
Kristy and the Cat Burglar

The Baby-Sitters Club: Super Mysteries

Babysitter’s Haunted House
Babysitters’ Beware
Babysitters’ Fright Night
Babysitters’ Christmas Chiller

The Baby-Sitters Club Friends Forever
BSC Friends Forever Super Special : Everything Changes

Kristy's Big News
Claudia vs Stacey
Mary Anne's Big Breakup
Claudia and the Friendship Feud
Kristy Power
Stacey and the Boyfriend Trap
Claudia Gets Her Guy
Mary Anne's Revenge
Kristy and the Kidnapper
Stacey's Problem
Welcome Home, Mary Anne
Claudia and the Disaster Date

BSC Friends Forever Super Special : Graduation Day

Other Titles

Logan's Story
Logan Bruno, Boy Baby-Sitter
Shannon's Story
Kristy's Book
Claudia's Book
Mary Anne's Book
Stacey's Book
Abby's Book
Dawn's Book

Happy Reading!

-Melly

Want to join the fun! Read as many BSC books as you can in 2013. There are no real rules. You can read your favorites or join me in a journey to complete the entire series! Have fun!

This reading challenge is hosted by Beauty and the Armageddon. For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

UtopYA 2013 Reading Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 16:45:00 +0000

January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013

I'm sure many of you have heard of the UtopYA Conference and if you haven't you should definitely check it out!!! I went last year and had a blast. I'm going again this year and before June I wanted to read as many books by the authors that would be there as possible.

I thought what more fun of a way to read these books than to do it together, so I came up with this reading challenge! I really hope you do this with me so we can get to know each other and read these books by the wonderful authors! note: you do not have to be attending UtopYA con to be a part of the reading challenge

this is an unofficial challenge and not affiliated with UtopYA

The challenge is to reach your set goal. There are 6 different levels to choose from.
Levels
5- Gnome
10- Fairy
15- Mermaid
20- Werewolf
25- Vampire
30- Angel

Challenge Rules
1. The books must be written by an author that is a panelist, exhibitor or attendee of UtopYA Con 2013.
2. The challenge will start on January 1, 2013 and end December 31, 2013 but you may join at anytime.
3. You don't have to have a blog to participate. Just join in on the fun somehow! P.S. that means authors please participate too! We would love to have you.
4. The books can be in any format (ebooks, paperback, scroll, etc.)
5. To join the challenge
if your a blogger, make a blogpost with the challenge button and tell us what level you've picked and link your post to the linky.
everyone else, tweet/facebook/pin/etc. what level you picked with a link to this post and link the direct link to the linky.

Prizes (prizes are to be determined but they will be awesome)
1. The person that reads the most books by UtopYA authors (books read before the Con will count x2, so if you read 15 books before the Con it will count as a score of 30)
2. Everyone that reaches their goal will be entered to win a prize
3. there will be UtopYA challenges throughout the year so be looking out for those!

UtopYA Authors
If you're a panelist, exhibitor, or attendee of the 2013 UtopYA Con and you're an author, I would love to do a promotion with the reading challenge! Please fill out this google doc if you're interested!

You can find the list of UtopYA author books on this Goodreads shelf
this list is subject to change due to additions to panelists and attendees*

For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

The Year-Long Memoir Reading Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 16:40:00 +0000

January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013

What is a "year-long memoir" anyway?
My definition of a year-long memoir is a memoir in which the author has undertaken some task or goal or virtue to pursue for an entire year, then written a book about his or her experience.

Why a reading challenge?
Why not? I like a good challenge.

What are the "rules" of the challenge?
1. Choose memoirs to read.
2. Read them.
3. Write a short review or your own reflective piece on what you read.

Who can join in?
Anyone! Just let me know if you're interested, email me or leave a comment, and I can add you to this blog. It's a group effort.

Do I have to have my own blog for this challenge?
Nope. Just a Google or Blogger account for me to add you.

How many books are allowed? Is there a minimum?
No. You can set a goal to read from 1 to 500...

Can I join this group blog?
Yes you can! Do you have to? Not if you don't want to.

What if I want to read a memoir that isn't a "year-long" memoir?
I don't mind, as long as it's a memoir or autobiography.

For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

Chunkster Challenge 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 16:37:00 +0000

January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013

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.)

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!

You must pick a level of participation:

The Chubby Chunkster – this option is for the readers who want to dabble in large tomes, but really doesn't want to commit to much more than that. FOUR Chunksters is all you need to finish this challenge.

The Plump Primer - this option is for the slightly heavier reader who wants to commit to SIX Chunksters over the next twelve months.

Do These Books Make my Butt Look Big? - this option is for the reader who can't resist bigger and bigger books and wants to commit to SIX Chunksters from the following categories: 2 books which are between 450 - 550 pages in length; 2 books which are 551 - 750 pages in length; 2 books which are GREATER than 750 pages in length (for ideas, please refer to the book suggestions pagefor some books which fit into these categories).

Mor-book-ly Obese - This is for the truly out of control chunkster. For this level of challenge you must commit to EIGHT or more Chunksters of which three tomes MUST be 750 pages or more. You know you want to.....go on and give in to your cravings.

Want Suggestions of what to read?

Check out the Chunky Book Suggestions page. Throughout the year, we will be adding new books to this page.

To review or not to review, that is the quesion...Reviews are not mandatory, but they are strongly encouraged. We will be putting up a Mr. Linky at the beginning of the challenge for links to your reviews. We will also be posting a Mr. Linky for wrap up posts at the end of the challenge.

For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.