Chivalrous Deeds: A Historical Fiction Challenge

January 1, 2011-December 31, 2011

Holly of Bippity Boppity Book is hosting the Chivalrous Deeds: A Historical Fiction Challenge.  This is what she says:

I LOVE reading challenges and participate in several every year. For 2011 I decided to host my own-Chivalrous Deeds: A Historical Fiction Challenge!

The Object of the Challenge: As a Knight or Lady Knight, to visit as many courts as possible. For example, reading Victoria Victorious by Jean Plaidy would count as 1 visit/chivalrous deed achieved at the court of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Reading No Will But His by Sarah Hoyt would count as 1 visit/chivalrous deed achieved at the court of Catherine Howard and Henry VIII, etc...

Rules/Guidelines:

1. You can visit any court from any point in history as long as the book you are reading is Historical Fiction
2. You can visit the same court more than once but not consecutively. Knights and Lady Knights have many great deeds to perform and so must not tarry at one court for too long!
3. No books started before 1 January 2011 will count for this challenge
4. Participants can only win 1 prize in this challenge
5. Entries will be counted by posting a link to your review of the book. You do not have to have a blog to participate as long as you are posting a review somewhere and can provide a link to it (Paperbackswap, Goodreads, Librarything etc...). I will add a place to post these links closer to the end of the year.

Duration: The Chivalrous Deeds Historical Fiction Challenge will begin 1 January 2011 and finish on 31 December 2011.

Prizes: I will be giving 2 prizes for this challenge.

1. The person who reads the most books for this challenge will receive their choice of a book from the Book Depository not to exceed $20.
2. The person who visits the greatest number of different courts during the challenge will receive a book of their choice from The Book Depository not to exceed $20.

 To join, go to the Chivalrous Deeds: A Historical Fiction Challenge.  

Okra Picks Challenge

October 1, 2010 - March 31, 2011

Kathy at Bermuda Onion is hosting the Okra Picks Challenge. Kathy writes:

Since I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy the hospitality of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance at their last two trade shows, I know just how passionate those folks are about books. Each season, SIBA selects a crop of Southern books to handsell and those books are called Okra Picks. Okra Picks authors are given a sash to wear at the trade show, and believe me when I tell you those sashes are worn with pride! Since I love Southern books, I thought it would be fun to host an Okra Picks challenge.

Kathy lists this year's picks on the post about the challenge.

She has developed four different levels of participation:
1-3 Books: Goober
4-6 Books: Tater
7-9 Books: Peach
10-13 Books: Okra
There will be prizes...and you can join at any time. To learn more and sign up, visit the post about the challenge.

Persephone Secret Santa 2010

Now through December 15, 2010

Paperback Reader is hosting the very popular Persephone Secret Santa this year. She writes:

Stacy very kindly allowed me to take the reins this year after she took a hiatus from blogging before returning under a new blog name with more relaxed blogging priorities. After the stellar job she did last year I am not changing the format but hoping to open it up to wider participation.

Participants must email Claire at claire.boyle@gmail.com on or before November 5th with your name, address (all personal information will be destroyed after completion of gift exchange), a list of Persephone titles you have read and/or own and specify whether or not you are willing to ship your gift internationally.

On November 6th-7th, names will be randomly drawn and participants will be notified as to who they are playing Santa to.

Participants should aim to have their package delivered before or during the first week of December. Take into account the extra time needed if shipping internationally or if you are going on holiday/to see family over the holidays.

On December 15th, participants will post as to who their Secret Santa is and share what he (or she) sent.

To read ALL THE GUIDELINES and to learn more about this event, visit the post about the exchange.

The Royal Mistress Challenge 2011

January 1 - December 31, 2011

The Misadventures of Moppet is once again hosting The Royal Mistress Challenge. She writes:

I had so much fun running the challenge this year that I’m bringing it back for 2011. Not least because I still want to read all the royal mistress titles I didn’t get to this year!

There are five categories in the challenge:

1. Novels about real, historical mistresses and favourites of royalty (either kings or junior royals), such as Nell Gwynn, mistress of Charles II, or Piers Gaveston, favourite of Edward II. Complete list here.
2. Novels about fictional favourites of royalty, such as Amber St Clare, fictional mistress of Charles II, heroine of Kathleen Winsor’s Forever Amber.
3. Non-fiction about royal mistresses and favourites.
4. Other media: films, documentaries, TV or radio programs on the subject of royal favourites.
5. Works by mistresses and favourites (books, letters, memoirs…)

Rules for the challenge:

1. Join any time
2. You don't have to have a blog to join
3. Re-reads and overlaps with other challenges are okay
4. Books read before 2011 do not count toward this challenge (but can be used towards the 2010 challenge)
5. You can choose from five different levels of participation:


• Orange Girl – Read one book
• Maid of Honour – Read up to three books
• Courtesan – Read up to five books
• Official Mistress – Read up to seven books
• Secret Wife – Read more than seven books!

If this challenge interests you, you might want to subscribe to Miss Moppett's blog as she will be publishing some interesting posts in the weeks to come about:

• royal mistress books to be published in 2011
• suggestions for novels about historical royal mistresses
• suggestions for novels about fictional royal mistresses
• suggestions for non-fiction about royal mistresses

Learn more and sign up by visiting the sign up post.

2011 Debutante Ball Challenge

October 1, 2010 - December 31, 2011

Jen at Devourer of Books is hosting the Debutante Ball Challenge 2011. She writes:

The Debutante Ball is a group blog for debut authors, all women. The blog is currently in its fifth year and has a track record of debuting some really great authors. I am a big fan (in fact, I’ve already begged my way onto all of the review copy lists for the 2011 books), so I am hosting this challenge in order to introduce the Debutante Ball and the fantastic Debs to more people.
Basically, the idea here is to read books by the 2011 Debs.

Although Deb would love for participants to commit to read all six books, she is offering participation levels which allow readers to read 1, 3 or 5 books.

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

The Odyssey - READ A LONG

November 1 - 30, 2010

Trish at Love, Laughter and a Touch of Insanity is hosting a Read-A-Long of The Odyssey for the month of November. She writes:

The Odyssey is classic tale of journey and adventure, a tale many of us haven't read since we were in grade school (if at all). We're skipping the war bit (The Iliad) but with Cyclopes and Sirens we're sure to be duly entertained. I hope you'll join me for a readalong of The Odyssey!

The Odyssey is divided into 24 books and 6 books will be read each week. The schedule is as follows:

Nov 1-8: Books I-VI; 1-6
Nov 9-15: Books VII-XII; 7-12
Nov 16-22: Books XIII-XVIII; 13-18
Nov 23-30: Books XIX-XXIV; 19-24

To learn more and sign up, visit the post about the Read-A-Long.

November Novella Challenge 2010

November 1 - 30, 2010

J.T. from Bibliofreak is hosting the 2010 November Novella Challenge on its own dedicated blog this year.

There are a few different levels to choose from:

• Level I: Read one (just one!) novella by November 30, 2010
• Level II: Read four novellas (one each week, mayhaps?) by November 30, 2010
• Level III: Read eight novellas (two a week?) by November 30, 2010
• Level IV: AKA, the As Many As You Freakin’ Can level: Read as many novellas as you freakin’ can by November 30, 2010

To sign up, visit the sign up post; learn more by checking out the dedicated blog.

101 Fantasy Reading Challenge - PERPETUAL challenge

Perpetual Challenge - No Time Limit

This challenge (hosted by Michelle of The True Book Addict) has now gone perpetual. Michelle is asking that folks sign up on the perpetual challenge announcement if they plan to continue working on the challenge. She is also hosting a three month mini-challenge (details here) which is entirely optional and you need not sign up...just go ahead and jump in. I guess there were a few questions, which Michelle has clarified.

Want more information? Visit the dedicated blog!

20 Under 40 Reading Project - PERPETUAL Challenge

Nomadreader is hosting a perpetual reading challenge on its own dedicated blog. The 20 Under 40 Reading Project is designed for readers to read the works by the authors on The New Yorker's 20 Under 40 List. Nomadreader writes:

Thanks to the careful analysis of The New York Times, I can tell you half are women. Whether truly accidental as they claim or not, I'm thrilled to see this emerging group of female voices. Only two are under thirty, and both are women. The list represents "a significant number of writers who hail from outside the United States or have parents who do."

Participants can decide how much or how little they want to read during the challenge (which has no time limit).

Read more about the project by visiting the dedicated blog; sign up by leaving a comment on the introductory post.

Sci-Fi Challenge II

August 28, 2010 - August 8, 2011

Mish at Stage and Canvas is hosting the Sci-Fi Challenge, and although I am late to post this, it is not too late to join. Mish writes:

One of science fiction’s quirks is that it’s more encompassing than specified genres like mystery so not as clearly defined. That’s one reason why I like it, but also think it’s detrimental and confusing for some. It seems that what turns a lot of people off from the genre is the stigma that it’s all aliens, robots, outer space, scientific terminology, and Star Wars, but it’s so much more than that. In brief, it’s a vast literature of ideas and infinite possibilities that may include the past or future, a completely different timeline, utopias or dystopias, science and technology like time travel, or an invasion of body snatchers. There’s something for everyone, from alternate histories to classics like Frankenstein and H.G. Wells to contemporary literature like the Handmaid’s Tale and then some. I love the genre because of its wide study, commentary, and exploration of humanity and technology. From cyberpunks to super-humans and beyond, it spans tastes and is limited only by the imagination.

Guidelines:

1. Read 4 or 8 science fiction books (or audio books). Some suggestions are posted on the post about the challenge.
2. You may join at any time.
3. You do not need a blog to participate.
4. Overlaps with other challenges is allowed.
   

Learn more and sign up by visiting the post about the challenge.

Book Spotlight Monday - EVENT

Hosted by Meaghan at Book Geek

Meaghan at Book Geek is hosting Book Spotlight Monday. She writes:

Each Monday I will spotlight a book, whether it be a book I'm currently reading, a book I'm planning to read, or one of my old favorites, and you can participate in one of two ways. You can comment on the book I spotlighted by reviewing it, talking about what you liked or didn't like about it, mentioning a scene or a character you liked, talking about the author of the book, quoting a few lines from it ... anything like that. And if you haven't read the book, you can talk about if you'd like to read or not, your opinion of the book based on the blurb, or something like that. As long as it relates to the book, it's okay.

There is also another alternative to participate:

You can also spotlight your own book. There are really no guidelines... you can spotlight a book you're currently reading, a book in your TBR pile, a book you're waiting to come out, a book you're planning to read, a book you want to buy, a book you've heard good things about, a book you loved when you were a kid... the possibilities are endless! As long as it's a book, you're good.

Want to play? Visit Meaghan's blog every Monday.

The American Primary Sources Challenge

July 4, 2010 - July 2, 2011

Jean is hosting the American Primary Sources Project. She writes:

The goal of this challenge is to get us all a little more educated in American history by reading primary sources.

American history has always been one of my worst subjects. I hardly studied it in school, and didn't read much after that. I always mean to read the Federalist papers or Lincoln's speeches, it just never happens. But if I have a challenge to live up to, I think I'll get much closer to learning something about my country--so here we are.

Jean defines a primary source as:

Texts produced in the time we are studying. (If you are studying Eleanor Roosevelt, a letter from her is a primary source; a biography of her life is a secondary source.) You may read diaries, news accounts, letters, oral narratives, poems, sermons, essays, speeches, folksongs, almost anything. And you may study anyone or any time period in American history.

The Guidelines:

1. Participants may join in at any time. Comment on the dedicated blog introductory post to join.
2. Each participant will read a primary source document weekly (if it's really long, feel free to work in weekly chapters or segments). The weeks will start on Sundays.
3. If you're not American but want to participate, read your country's historical documents!
4. Jean is posting a weekly post telling what she's read. You can leave a comment telling about what you read. Discussions are encouraged.
   

There are links on the dedicated blog to massive collections of every sort of American historical texts you could desire.

To learn more and to sign up, visit the introductory post and the dedicated blog.

Inspirational E Book Challenge

July 1, 2010 - December 31, 2010

Here is another late posting - but you can still join. Sponsored by Joy at Edgy Inspirational Romance, the Inspirational E Book Challenge is all about reading E-books. Joy writes:

Every time I notice a free inspirational ebook offered at Amazon, I download it to my iPhone. Now my virtual to be read pile is starting to resemble the pile of print books sitting on my nightstand.

Between now and the end of the year, I'm challenging myself to whittle down the stack. I plan to read at least six ebooks in the next six months. Care to join me?

The goal is six books. And there is a prize up for grabs.

One person from the Linky Tool who finishes 6 ebooks will also win a $10 Amazon gift card. The winner will be chosen 12/31/10

Learn more and sign up by visiting the post about the challenge.

The Great War Reading Challenge

June 1, 2010 - June 1, 2011

I am SO late posting this...but since it runs into 2011, there is still time to join. Hosted by Gwen at Once Upon a Time, The Great War Reading Challenge is designed to read books about World War I (fiction and/or nonfiction). Gwen writes:

This is a personal reading challenge, though you're more than welcome to join in! ;-)

Ever since high school (and an excellent teacher!), I have loved history. As I moved on to university (guess what my major was ;-), my fascination with it grew and developed. I took courses in a variety of subjects - medieval, women's, African, British, Canadian - until in my last year I took a World War One course. Ever since then, I have continued to read any non-fiction war book I can get my hands on.

Since beginning this blog in the not so distant past, I decided to formalize my interest in World War One by a personal reading challenge: The Great War Reading Challenge.

Gwen's plan is to read books (either fiction or non-fiction, from any age level) that deal with World War One (1914-1918), its origins, events, and lingering effects.

Learn more and join Gwen by visiting her post about the challenge.

Week In Words - EVENT (new host)

Hosted by Barbara at Stray Thoughts

This is a REALLY late update. Melissa is no longer hosting this weekly event. Barbara at Stray Thoughts is now hosting. This is what she writes:

I love quotes: I keep a file for them on my computer, underline them in books, put a sticky tab at the top of pages to remind me where they are. Sometimes it’s due to the succinctness and depth of truth in them, sometimes just the way it is worded causes me to think differently or more deeply about something. Sometimes I think, “I never thought about it quite that way.” Other times my response is, “That’s it exactly: that’s just how I though or felt, only he/she expressed it better.”

If something you read during the past week inspired you, caused you to laugh, cry, think, dream, or just resonated with you in some way, please share it with us on Mondays. The source can be a book, newspaper, blog, Facebook — anything that you read. My only stipulation is that we keep it family-friendly.

There will be a Mr. Linky here on Monday mornings for you to share your Week In Words post with others, and then you can enjoy perusing the quotes that others have found. I hope you’ll join us!

Visit Barbara every Monday morning to play along.

James Patterson Reading Challenge

September 1, 2010 - August 31, 2011

Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews is hosting the James Patterson Reading Challenge again. This one is a bit different than last year. You get to choose how many books you want to read.

Level 1 - Read 2 books...just trying them out
Level 2 - Read 5 books...a loyal fan
Level 3 - Read 10+ books...obsessed with James Patterson

Here are the guidelines...

1. Choose one of the levels above. You do not need to make a list of what you will read now or, if you want, you can. However, nothing is written in stone and the books you list can be changed at any time. Overlapping books with other challenges is allowed.
2. Although you can change books throughout the year, you cannot change your level of participation. So, choose one level and that's what you must stick with for the year.
3. As long as it's written by James Patterson, you can use the book in this challenge. You can overlap books from other challenges and count them as part of this challenge.
4. All books need to be read between September 1, 2010 and August 31, 2011. Books read prior to September 1st don't count for this challenge.
5. If you want to participate, just post about it on your blog with a link back to the post about the challenge.
6. Audio and Ebooks are acceptable.

Learn more and sign up by visiting the post about the challenge.

Alex Cross Reading Challenge

September 1, 2010 - August 31, 2011

Yvonne at Socrates Book Reviews is hosting the Alex Cross Reading Challenge.

Here are the guidelines...

1. Choose how many books you'd like to read from the series. You can read the entire series or however many you'd like. It's up to you! You can change your mind any time throughout the year.

2. All books need to be read between September 1, 2010 and August 31, 2011. Books read prior to September 1st don't count for this challenge.

3. If you want to participate, just post about it on your blog with a link back to the post about the challenge. Make sure you list the books you need to read.

4. Audio and Ebooks are acceptable. You can also use these books for other challenges.

Yvonne has a list of all the books in the series on the post about the challenge. Visit that post to learn more and to sign up.

YA Dystopian Challenge 2010

October 1 - December 19, 2010

Bart at Bart's Bookshelf is once again hosting the YA-Dystopian Challenge. Bart writes:

The idea is to have fun with this, so like last year, I intend to keep participation as flexible as possible. However I’m tweaking the 1 to 4 books requirement ever so slightly. Like always though, if you think you’ve met the requirements, then you’ve met them!

There’s no need to list your selected books upfront, but it’s always fun to see everybody’s book pools (Not just because we all like to do a bit of book-coveting, but somebody might spot a great read they had never considered before!) So if you want to do that, then go right ahead.

There are several levels of participation:
Level 1: is the ‘taster’ level. This is for people who just want to join in with no other commitment than to read just the one young adult dystopian novel.
Level 2: Is for those want a little bit more of a challenge, but still have some wriggle-room to participate as real life permits, requirement for this level is just two to four, young adult dystopian novels.
Level 3: Is for the dystopian die-hards! Minimum requirement for this level is five young adult dystopian novels.
Learn more and sign up by visiting the post about the challenge.

Hometown Challenge

September 1, 2010 - August 31, 2011

Kris from Not Enough Books is hosting the Hometown Reading Challenge on its own dedicated blog. The idea behind this challenge is simple, read at least one book that takes place in your hometown (hometown refers to the city you live in or if you live in a small town, the county you live in or the closest major city).

The Rules:
1)You must read 1 non-fiction book, but the rest can be either fiction or non-fiction.
2) Anybody can join, you don't have to have a blog to participate.
4) You must sign-up for this challenge by going to the post about the challenge and following the directions for sign up.
5) You can sign-up for this challenge anytime before August 1st, 2011.
6) You don't have to create a list of books you plan to read ahead of time, but if you do know what you plan to read, it would be fun if you did.

There are 4 levels of participation:
Level 1: Tourist - read 1-2 books
Level 2: Relocation - read 3-4 books
Level 3: Local - read 5-6 books
Level 4: Founder - read 7-8 books

Learn more and sign up by visiting the post about the challenge.

Off the Shelf Reading Challenge

January 1 - December 31, 2011

Bookish Armour is hosting the Off the Shelf Reading Challenge.

Maybe this challenge is for you. I know what it's like. There's so many titles and so many beautiful books out there sometimes it's hard to keep that TBR shelf under control, but if you really want to try why not challenge yourself?

Note: This challenge is to read those books you own copies of, but have never got around to reading. If you don't have many that you own, but have a massive TBR shelf you're welcome to read those ones as long as you don't add new ones. You don't need to actually get rid of your books after you've read them, this is just to read them.

There are several levels of participation:

Challenge Levels

1. Tempted– Choose 5 books to read
2. Trying – Choose 15 books to read
3. Making A Dint – Choose 30 books to read
4. On A Roll – Choose 50 books to read
5. Flying Off – Choose 75 books to read

For extra hard challenges

1. Hoarder – Choose 75-125 books to read
2. Buried – Choose 125-200 books to read

Learn more and sign up by visiting the post about the challenge.

Dystopia Challenge

January 1 - December 31, 2011

Bookish Ardour is hosting the Dystopia Challenge. There are several levels of participation:

Challenge Levels

1. Asocial– Choose 5 books to read
2. Contagion – Choose 15 books to read
3. Soldier – Choose 30 books to read
4. Drone – Choose 50 books to read
5. Conditioned – Choose 75 books to read

For extra hard challenges

1. Brainwashed – Choose 75-125 books to read
2. Totalitarian – Choose 125-200 books to read

Learn more and sign up by visiting the post about the challenge.

Comic Challenge (Year Long)

January 1 - December 31, 2011

Hosted by Bookish Ardour, the Comic Challenge is a year long challenge to read comics. There are several levels of participation:

Challenge Levels

1. Pow! – Choose 5 comics to read
2. Zoink! – Choose 15 comcis to read
3. Kerplunk! – Choose 30 comics to read
4. Ka-Boom! – Choose 50 comics to read
5. Holy Smokes! – Choose 75 comics to read

For extra hard challenges

1. Pow! – Choose 75-125 comics to read
2. Bam! – Choose 125-200 comics to read

Learn more and sign up by visiting the post about the challenge.

Century Challenge

January 1, 2011 - December 31, 2011

Bookish Ardour is hosting The Century Challenge.

How The Challenge Works
The books you’ll select will be decided by publication year and have to be read in order from the time period you choose (here’s a guide on Wikipedia if you need help finding out which books to read).
For example, if you choose to read 10 books in the decade of 1900, it could be as follows:

1900-1910

• 1900 – Love and Mr Lewisham by H.G. Wells
• 1901 – The Sea Serpent by Jules Verne
• 1902 - The Hound of The Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
• 1903 – The Jewel of The Seven Stars by Bram Stoker
• 1904 – Nostromo by Joseph Conrad
• 1905 – The 120 Days of Sodom – Marquis De Sade
• 1906 – I Am A Cat by Natsume Soseki
• 1907 – Through The Eye of The Needle by William Dean Howells
• 1908 – The Man Who Was Thursday by Gilbert Keith Chesterton
• 1909 – Ann Veronica by H.G. Wells
• 1910 – The History of Mr Polly by H.G. Wells

If you read enough you can choose to read books from a particular century or spanning a century (so the 20th century for example or 1887-1997 instead). If you’re not sure you’ll be able to read 100 or want a smaller challenge then you can choose one of the following ‘time slots’.

Challenge Levels

1. Decade Challenge – Choose a time period of one decade with 10 books to read
2. Quarter of a Century – Choose a time period of 25 years with 25 books to read
3. Half a Century – Choose a time period of 50 years with 50 books to read
4. Three Quarters – Choose a time period of 75 years with 75 books to read
5. A Century – Choose a time a time period of 100 years with 100 books to read

For extra hard challenges

1. One and a Half – Choose a time period of 150 years with 150 books to read
2. Two Centuries – Choose a time period of 200 years with 200 books to read

Learn more and sign up at the post about the challenge.

Comic Book Challenge

October 1 - November 30, 2010

Although this one started on October 1st, you still have time to join. Bookish Ardour is hosting this one and it is pretty straight forward.

1. Decide which challenge level you'll be doing - both comics and graphic novels are allowed.
2. Grab the code for the badge and post it on a side bar or in a signature (if you want to participate, but aren't blogging, on a social network or forum that's fine. Just post a comment with your challenge level on the post about the challenge).
3. Create your own post to let all your readers know you’re taking part in the challenge and at what level (if you're really proficient you can list your comics!). Make sure to link back to the post about the challenge with either one of the buttons or a text link.
4. Submit your reviews (if you choose to review them, but that is optional).
5. When you’ve completed you’re challenge create a completion post on your blog

Challenge Levels

1. Pow! – Choose 5 comics to read
2. Zoink! – Choose 10 comics to read
3. Kerplunk! – Choose 15 comics to read
4. Ka-Boom! – Choose 25 comics to read
5. Holy Smokes! – Choose 35 comics to read
6. Pow! - Choose 50 comics to read
7. Bam! - Choose 75 comics to read

For non mix and match

1. Graphics – Choose 40 graphic novels only to read
2. Comics – Choose 40 comics only to read

Learn more and sign up for the challenge, by visiting the post about the challenge.

Cinco By Mayo Challenge

September 15, 2010 - May 5, 2011

Melissa from The Feminist Texican [Reads] is hosting the Cinco By Mayo Reading Challenge (on a dedicated blog) which celebrates Latin authors.

The rules are simple: Read 5 books by Latin authors. One of the books must be by a Mexican or Mexican-American author.* Other than that, feel free to choose whichever Latin authors you want!

• Ebooks and audiobooks are allowed.
• Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
  

To learn more and for sign ups, visit the dedicated blog.

Steampunk Challenge

October 1, 2010 - October 1, 2011

The Bookkeeper is hosting the Steampunk Challenge.

What is Steampunk? According to the New Oxford American Dictionary:
the sub-genre Steampunk is a genre of science fiction that typically features steam-powered machinery rather than advanced technology.

There are no obligations other than to have fun discovering a genre and let other participants know about what you find.

To learn more and to sign up by leaving a comment, visit the post about the challenge.

Read A Myth Reading Challenge

January 1, 2011 - December 31, 2011

Bibliojunkie is already looking ahead to 2011 and is planning to host the Read A Myth Reading Challenge.

Myths and folklores are how story-telling started for many generations ago. I remember my grandmother used to tell me loads of folk tales, one about the chinese princess, named Chang Er who drink the elixir of life and flew up to the moon and became an immortal. I also collected volumes of Monkey God graphic novels when I was younger. I don’t always know what the moral of the story is, but I suspect there isn’t always one. Myths were just a manifestation of our inherent human needs to let our imaginations run wild and express that to willing listening ears, to stories that will sustain us through the dark nights, cold and hunger. So, with this challenge we want you to come along and re-discover the classic myths and folklore tales and explore how they are represented and re-invented in contemporary literature.

There is a suggested reading list to help readers select books. Participants are welcome to cross-post with other challenges, rereads are welcome, and you do not need to have a list ready to sign up. There is a dedicated blog for the challenge.

There are several levels of participation:

Level 1 Athena: That’s a Myth!
Read any two (2) books about myths.

Level 2 Erlang Chen: Demystify the Myth!
Read any four (4) books about myths.

Level 3 Mimir: World Myth!
Read any six (6) books from the myth series must covers 2 different countries, including any one from the following list:

non-fiction book on the study of mythology (figure), or

Karen Armstrong’s A short history of myth, or

The original text of myth (many to choose from the Greek Mythology)

Level 4 Ogma: The God of all Myths!
Mix and match of any 8 books from the myth series or any mythology books, with the following conditions:

Must cover more than 3 countries.

Must contain at least 1 non-fiction book on mythology study.

There are also going to be prize drawings...so be sure to subscribe to Bibliojunkie's blog to keep up to date.

For all the latest information and to sign up, visit the Read A Myth blog.

My Most Sincere Apologies

Today I realized that almost 30 of your comments had been shuffled into a "moderation" folder here...and Google failed to notify me that there were comments to be moderated. Many of these comments were to let us know you had a challenge going - and because we didn't see the comment, we failed to post your challenge.

I am so sorry about that! I hopefully have now corrected the problem. Those challenges which are still going will be posted soon...for those I missed, please give us another chance!