Eight Books and 8 Categories in '08

January 1 - December 31, 2008

UPDATE August 31, 2008: So much interest was generated with Michelle's idea, that she has started a group blog for those who want to join her in the challenge. This is not a review blog, but a place for participants to update their lists and share their links to their reviews! Go on over and check it out - I know I'll be there!!

My friend, Michelle, not only has a new blog - she also has a new idea for 2008. It is a personal challenge for herself to read eight books in eight categories in the year 2008 (she's allowing 8 "overlaps" so her 2008 books commitment is 56).

Recently she posted her plan to our Yahoo Group - a Novel Challenge, and all of us book crazed, challenge addicted, list obsessed people began drooling. So, I thought I'd post it here as well.

I'm sure Michelle would love to see your lists if you feel inspired to create your own personal reading challenge for 2008; and I know she'd love to have you cheer her on as systematically picks off the books on her lists!

Reading The Author Challenge

September 1, 2007 - December 31, 2007

Incurable Logophilia has finalized the dates and guidelines for the Reading the Author Challenge.

Here are her guidelines:

1. Read as many books by a single author as you like, with a minimum of 3.
2. Review each book you read on your blog.
3. Put a comment here if you want to join.

Sound like fun? Check it out!

Cardathon Challenge

January 1, 2008 - NO END LIMIT

Here's one for fantasy, science fiction, and horror lovers - Becky at Becky's Book Reviews has set up a new challenge with its own group blog - Cardathon Challenge.

She's being flexible with the dates - officially it begins on January 1, 2008 - but readers can sign up any time after January 1st...and the challenge runs as long as it takes you to read the books you've chosen.

Books for this challenge must fit the following guidelines:
1) a book written by Orson Scott Card
2) a book edited/compiled by Orson Scott Card
3) a book with an introduction by Orson Scott Card
4) a book reviewed by Orson Scott Card on his official website.

If you want to join - pop over to the Cardathon Blog and leave a comment for Becky with your email address - and she'll get you signed up to contribute to the blog.

Oh, and she's looking for someone who wants to create a button!

First in a Series Challenge

January 1, 2008 - December 31, 2008

Joy has a new challenge! (I'm going to have to start thinking about giving out awards to those bloggers who host the most reading challenges - Joy would be in the running!!).

This one coordinates nicely with Katherin's Series Challenge which begins in December.

Joy is challenging readers to read 12 books over 12 months - and those books must meet the criteria of being first in a series by any author (old or new). She's already set up Mr. Linky, so go here if you want to join in the fun.

Reading Through The Decades Challenge - 2007

Through December 2007

Michelle over at 3M's Booklist has come up with a new challenge...read 15 books in 15 consecutive decades over the course of 2007. She's being liberal with the rules. You can pick less than 15 books and you can overlap challenges. Oh, and there is a prize too (a book of your choosing from Amazon.com that is priced $15.00 or less...the more books you chose, the more chances you have to win). You have until June 30, 2007 to sign up for this one...so make haste!

To Read participant reviews of books read for this challenge go here.

To follow my progress and see my list of books, go here.

TBR Challenge - 2007

Join Jen in the 2007 TBR Challenge from January 1, 2007 through December 31, 2007. Simply pick 12 books from your TBR stack and read them over the course of the year.

To see my progress and my list of books, go here.

RIP Challenge

September 1 - October 31, 2007

Carl over at Stainless Steel Droppings is getting ready to host his annual RIP (Readers Imbibing Peril) Challenge. As usual, his post on this challenge is inspiring and wonderful (please, even if you don't join the challenge, go by and take a look!).

Carl is giving participants lots of choices...a sampling:

1. Read Four books of any length, from any subgenre of scary stories that you choose OR

2. Read two weighty tomes during the challenge period OR

3. Choose two large books like those described in #2 and read a smaller qualifying tale in between OR

4. Choose one book that you feel meets the criteria for Readers Imbibing Peril II OR

5. Read one R.I.P. short story per weekend

And there are additional challenges, and examples, and of course prizes! Hurry and sign up if you want to be eligible for the first prize in this fun challenge!!

Carl has set up a special review blog for this challenge where participants will use Mr. Linky to link to their reviews.

To see my picks and follow my progress, go here.

In Their Shoes Challenge 2008

January 1, 2008 - December 31, 2008

Vasilly over at 1330V is sponsoring a Memoir, Autobiography, Biography challenge for 2008. She's created a group blog here.

The rules are simple:

1. You pick the number of books that you want to read.
2. You also pick the books you read. They just have to be either a memoir, autobiography, or biography. If you don't know the differences, Vasilly has provided definitions for you!
3. You can cross challenge books from other challenges with this one .
4. You can also re-read books.
5. You can post your reviews on the group blog or your own.

AND there may be a prize at the end!

I've already decided to do this one. Hope to see you there too!

To see my picks and watch my progress, go here.

Southern Reading Challenge - 2007

June 1st through August 31st

July 3, 2007 UPDATE: Maggie is hosting a bit of a contest over at her site. You don't have to be participating in the Southern Reading Challenge to play along! The contest is to select a passage from a Southern book and then either take a photo or find a picture on the Internet that goes with the passage. Of course there is a prize for the lucky winner! Check it out but be quick, the contest only runs through July 31st.

Maggie over at Maggie Reads is sponsoring the Southern Reading Challenge 2007. Be sure to go here to link to your reviews for this challenge.

This one sounds like a lot of fun. The goal is to read three books set in the South and written by a Southern author. There's even a map to help participants determine what States are acceptable for the challenge!.

Hop on over to Maggie's blog to read more about it!

I knew I couldn't resist this one...and I can't! I'll be signing up for it. I've found three books on my stacks that I think meet the criteria:

1. The Evening Star, by Larry McMurtry (completed June 30, 2007; read a review here.)
2. Bastard Out of Caroline, by Dorothy Allison (completed August 18, 2007; read a review here.)
3. No Country For Old Men, by Cormac McCarthy (completed July 20, 2007; read a review here.)

I COMPLETED the challenge on August 18, 2007! Thanks, Maggie!!

The Complete Booker

The Complete Booker

An Ongoing Challenge to Read All the Booker Prize Winners

My bookie soul-mate, Laura at Musings, is hosting an ongoing challenge with no time limit. The goal: to read every Booker Prize Winner. She's started a group blog called The Complete Booker for participants to track their progress and post their reviews.

I'll be posting there, but also keeping track here on my blog.

A Pulitzer Challenge?

UPDATE August 17, 2007: This challenge has been shelved! If you are interested in reading Pulitzers, check out The Pulitzer Project.

Over at Things Mean A Lot blog, there is a challenge to host a challenge!

She suggests a fall challenge of Pulitzer winners - 3 books in 3 months. Being new to book blogging, Things Mean A Lot says she'd love if someone would host this. Interested? Go on over and check out her blog and leave a comment.

The Pulitzer Project

The Pulitzer Project
Hosted by Michelle
Current; No Time Limit

For those of you who love reading award winning novels and don't like time limits, Michelle is hosting the perfect challenge. She has set up a blog specifically for this challenge. She says:

Welcome to the Pulitzer Project. The goal of the participants of this site is to read all 81 books that have won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. There is no time limit.

For complete guidelines, visit The Pulitzer Project blog.

I know this is one challenge I cannot resist!! To see my progress, visit my blog here.

2008 Themed Reading Challenge

January 1, 2008 - June 30, 2008

If you're like me, you have a stack of TBR books a mile high and you are just looking for an excuse to read them! I'm hosting a Themed Reading Challenge beginning January 1st and running 6 months. Here are the rules:

1. Choose at least 4 books that share a theme - such as historical romances or books with animals as the central character or books set in a particular part of the country or books about family secrets. It doesn't matter what the theme is - your choice!

2. Sign up here using Mr. Linky to link to your post of book selections by DECEMBER 31, 2007.

3. Write a review about each book you complete and a final wrap up at the end of the challenge.

4. Feel free to use the banner above on your blog.

5. Go back to my blog starting in January when I will have a Mr. Linky set up for you to link to your reviews of the books you have read.

Hope to see you there!!

To see my theme and list of challenge books, and to follow my progress go here.

Outmoded Authors Challenge

September 1, 2007 - February 28, 2008

August 14: Please note this challenge has been extended ONE month to February 28th!

Imani at The Books of My Numberless Dreams is sponsoring two autumn challenges - this is the second of the two. Pop on over and check it out! Here's what she says:

I'm going to be a bit dictatorial in deciding which authors actually make it to the Outmoded list. Despite the biases displayed in the lists so far, do not feel that you have to suggest Western authors. I'm quite open to cheating and adding authors who were never in fashion in this part of the world (but may be outmoded in yours). I also intend to go through some old Paris Review issues as they have quite a few really good contributions from writers I never heard of before then.

These are the ones I've decided on so far with the help of my readers at The Books of My Numberless Dreams:

• Malcolm Lowry
• Andrew Salkey
• Sybille Bedford
• D.H. Lawrence
• Walter Scott
• George Bernard Shaw
• C.L.R. James
• Elizabeth Bowen
• G.K. Chesterton
• Dawn Powell
• Radclyffe Hall
• W. Somerset Maugham
• John Glasworth
• Freya Stark
• Orlando Patterson

Index Librorum Liberorum Challenge

September 1, 2007 - August 31, 2008

Autumn is fast approaching, and you know what that means, right? MORE CHALLENGES!

Imani over at The Books Of My Numberless Dreams is hosting TWO (yes, TWO) new challenges. The first is Librorum Prohibitorum Liberatorum (say that fast three times).It looks to be a very creative banned books challenge that spans the world. Here's what Imani says:

"For a year, working with the Index Librorum Prohibitorum (List of Prohibited Books) officially catalogued and promulgated by the Roman Catholic Church under the leadership of Pope Paul IV in 1559, participants are encouraged to select books or the oeuvre of authors to read, mull over and share with like-minded individuals at this site. The only requirement is that each participant chooses authors from at least three different countries. The Beacon for Freedom of Expression has a database that allows sorting by country."

She's taking sign ups now - looks to be fun and informative and maybe a little bit heathen *big grin*!

To see my progress on this challenge, click here.

The Book Awards Reading Challenge 2007-2008

July 1, 2007 - June 30, 2008

My blogger friend, Michelle, who owns the fabulous BookAwards Yahoo Group, is hosting a new challenge for those of you who love to read award winning books (both fiction and non-fiction)
- The Book Awards Reading Challenge.

Simply read 12 award winning books over 12 months. Michelle's made it easy to pick books by providing lists of winners (although you can choose books not on her lists as long as they have won an award). Oh, and did I mention prizes? Yes, there will be prizes. For details on prizes and all the rules, hop on over to the blog set up just for this challenge - and if you want to be a contributing member, simply send Michelle your email address for an invitation.

Despite my vow to not join any new challenges for awhile, I can't resist this one - so you'll see me over there!

To view my list and progress, and to read my reviews, go here.

Something About Me Challenge

AUGUST 1 - DECEMBER 31, 2007

UPDATE (August 1, 2007): Lisa has now CLOSED this challenge to new participants. If you haven't posted your list yet, you'll need to wait until next year!

UPDATE: Lisa has started a new blog for this challenge. Interested participants need to go here for further details and to sign up! This is going to be a GREAT challenge!!!

Lisa at Breaking the Fourth Wall has decided to call her new challenge: Something About Me.

It is still in the works - still time for you to pop over and make suggestions! Most likely it will begin in August or September with nominations for books starting in June or July.

Here is her idea: each participant nominates up to five books which represent them in some way. Once all the books are nominated, participants choose the books from that list they want to read. Sound like fun!??!?

I'm sitting here pouring over my nomination possibilities right now!!

June 12, 2007 Update:
I've started sorting through the nominations and am creating a list of books I've already read and books I want to read. I'm highlighting those I will read during the challenge period - but hope to read all books on the second list at some point (probably through 2008!). If you're interested in my picks and progress, go here.