50 Books for Our Times Project

Now - December 31, 2009

My Friend Amy is hosting this challenge basted on Newsweek's list : 50 Books for Our Times,

Here's how she describes it:

Newsweek came up with 50 Books for our Times. I jokingly asked on Twitter when a book blogger would come up with a challenge for the list not realizing that an hour later it would be me!

This list is...strange. And some of these books seem really overwhelming. So I suggested on Twitter that we get 50 book bloggers to read one each and report back if it's a book of our times.

If you want in, to cast your authoritative opinion as a book blogger whether or not one of these 50 books is a Book for our Times, pick a book off the list that hasn't already been chosen and leave a comment with your pick.

If all 50 books get spoken for, we can start having two reviewers per book. Until then, you must pick a book that hasn't been chosen (that you also haven't read) so we can get a perspective on all of the books!

To find out more or to join, go to Newsweek, You're On! The Fifty Books For Our Times Reading Project

Reliquiae Challenge

July 15, 2009 - January 15, 2010

Anna (from Miss Picky's Column) and Alex (from Le Canape) are hosting the Reliquiae Challenge...witches, vampires, shapeshifters, ghosts, fairies and elves are the subject matter from which you will read!

They write:

We’ve been roaming for quite some time in a world owned by vampires, werewolves, ghosts, witches and all sorts of fantastical beings, and the inevitable has happened, we’ve been bitten. We can’t seem to stop ourselves trying out new authors, drooling over gorgeous covers, adding series to our wish lists and watching out for new releases. It’s almost like a disease, though it only gets worse!

So setting out to find if there are any ailing souls like us out there we’ve decided to host a new challenge, and thus Reliquiae was born. Please come join us on this journey, grab your sunglasses, don’t forget your broom and spell book, be sure to pack some nourishment and you can even bring your black cat along. But beware, you’re not coming back!

You can choose from four different participation levels.

To learn more and sign up, visit the dedicated blog and use Mr. Linky!

Canadian Book Challenge III

July 1, 2009 - July 1, 2010

From Canada Day to Canada Day, can you read and review at least 13 Canadian books? John at The Book Mine Set is hosting part 3 of the Canadian Book Challenge. John writes:

Pick fiction, pick nonfiction, pick poetry, graphic novels, picture books, plays, etc-- if it's Canadian and if it's a book, it's in.

AND

Pick authors and books at random or theme your challenge should you be so inclined. I like to pick at least one book from each province and territory (it's where the magic number 13 came from), but some themes from other participants in the past have included a single author approach (ex. just Lucy Maud Montgomery or Robert Munsch books), a single province approach (ex. British Columbia or Quebec), a single gender (ex. wait, do you need an example for this, really?), and an ABM approach (i.e., just autobiographies, biographies, and memoirs). Of course, you could decide on an entirely different theme, or no theme at all. You do not have to decide ahead of time what books to read, but do so if it helps.

There are some guidelines posted in the post about the challenge...to learn more, go there. To sign up, email John (details on the post about the challenge).

Spice of Life Reading Challenge

July 1-December 31, 2009

This challenge is hosted by Rebecca Reid. Here is how she explains the challenge:

I like to read and I also like to cook. I’m quite the amateur when it comes to cooking, but I certainly appreciate a good meal. Nevertheless, I wanted to put my two hobbies together.

The Spice of Life Challenge, then, deals with something we all like, at least to some extent: food. Although it crosses over with some challenges that happened in the past, it is a new chance to read some of those books that you love to get to and to share them with others.

Here are the categories:

Cookbooks share recipes so we can recreate delicious meals. To count a cookbook for the challenge, please share a little bit about what types of recipes it contains, any of the favorites that you may have cooked, and what you liked or not about it. You obviously don’t have to read every page of a cook book or cook every recipe.

Nonfiction books are about food in general, including history of any food, cooking and diet guides, and reference books. For reference books, as for cookbooks, you may not need to read every word.

Memoirs, autobiographies, or essays are written by cooks or the everyday eater and are about learning to cook or about cooking or eating in general.

Fiction captures the significance of food in our lives by making food a main part of the story. Define this as you will: if food is important to the story, it counts!

Participants may choose from several levels of participation:

• A Taste: Joining the Spice of Life Challenge for “a taste” means that, although you love food and you love books about food, just a taste of food books will satisfy you right now. You’ll read and review just read two books from any of two of the above categories (different categories).
• A Sampler: Joining the Spice of Life Challenge for “a sampler” means that you want to balance your food book diet with variety, for variety is the spice of life. You will read and review a book from each category for a total of four books.
• A Feast: Joining the Spice of Life Challenge for “a feast” means that you want to fill yourself with good food books of all kinds this year! You will read and review six to eight books from at least three of the above categories.

To find out more or to participate go to, Spice of Life Reading Challenge.

Everything Austen Challenge

July 1, 2009 - January 1, 2010

Stephanie at Stephanie's Written Word is hosting the Everything Austen Challenge. All you need to do is pick out what six Austen-themed things you want to finish to complete the challenge.

Stephanie writes:

[...]you know I have a fondness for all things Austen. There are plenty of books and movies available to satisfy any Austen fan. Whether it’s a novel about the Bennet sisters fighting zombies, a TV mini-series in which a modern day British girl swaps places with Elizabeth Bennet or Colin Firth’s unforgettable portrayal of Darcy, Austen is all around us. Even if you haven’t read any of Jane Austen’s novels, mostly likely you’ve seen some of the movies or heard about all the Austen-themed books available today.

Grab one of the challenge buttons on the post about the challenge, and write a post detailing what six Austen-themed things you are going to do over the next six months.

If you post about the Everything Austen Challenge on your blog and sign up with Mr. Linky by July 15th you will be eligible to win a great prize (details on the challenge post!!)

Want to learn more and sign up? Visit the post about the challenge.

What an Animal II Challenge

July 1, 2009 - February 28, 2010

Kristy at Passion for the Page is hosting part II of the What An Animal Challenge.

The rules for the What an Animal II Challenge are the same as the original What an Animal Challenge:

1. Read at least 6 books that have any of the following requirements:


a. there is an animal in the title of the book

b. there is an animal on the cover of the book

c. an animal plays a major role
d. a main character 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...dragon, mermaid, centaur, vampire, werewolf...you get the idea...


3. Challenge runs from July 1, 2009 to February 28, 2010. That’s 8 months to read at least 6 books (you can read more if you’d like). You can still sign up after July 1st as long as you can get 6 books read by February 28th

4. Books can be fiction or nonfiction.


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


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


7. Crossovers with other challenges are permitted and encouraged.


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


To sign up and learn more, visit the post about the challenge.

Christmas in July

July 1 - August 31, 2009

Book Dragon's Lair is hosting the Christmas in July challenge.

The guidelines:

1. Read as many books as you can. A list would be nice but not necessary and is not written in stone (or even pen).
2. Overlaps with other challenges are acceptable.
3. Blog about the challenge (with a link back to the post about the challenge) then sign up. When you sign up, link to your challenge post, not your blog, unless we can easily find the link on your site.
4. You do not need your own blog to join the challenge, just comment on the post about the challenge.
5. You do not need to review your books but it would be nice. You could just post what book you read and a bit about it.
6. Visit Book Dragon's Lair the first week of September when you can comment with your wrap up post.

There may be prizes...

To sign up and learn more, visit the post about the challenge.