2010 EW Summer Books Challenge

May 1 - September 6, 2010

Julie of Booking Mama is hosting the EW Summer Books Challenge.  Here's what she says:

I am a huge fan of the magazine Entertainment Weekly, and I especially enjoy their write-ups on books. When I receive my copy every Friday, the first thing I do flip to their book recommendations and see what they have to say about the new releases. I won't say that I agree with them 100% of the time, but I definitely find myself agreeing more often than not.

So a few days ago (thanks to a few fellow book bloggers), I saw their on-line slide show of EW's 18 Books We Can't Wait to Read This Summer. Of course, I immediately wanted to read many (if not most) of them. And then I thought "why not see who else wants to read some of them over the summer?" One thing led to another, and I decided to set up a very informal challenge!

I'm probably one of the worst people to be starting another challenge because I'm not doing a great job with the ones I've currently signed up for. And, I pretty much know that I'm not going to read all 18 of the books, but.....I just couldn't help myself.

Here's EW's list of the summer's must-reads:

THIS BODY OF DEATH by Elizabeth George (April 20)

HALF LIFE by Roopa Farooki (April 27)

GIRL IN TRANSLATION by Jean Kwok (April 29)

THE INVISIBLE BRIDGE by Julie Orringer (May 4)

THE LAST STAND by Nathaniel Philbrick (May 4)

SLOW LOVE: HOW I LOST MY JOB, PUT ON MY PAJAMAS AND FOUND HAPPINESS by Dominique Browning (May 9)

WAR by Sebastian Junger (May 11)

THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST by Stieg Larsson (May 25)

THE PARTICULAR SADNESS OF LEMON CAKE by Aimee Bender (June 1)

THE SHORT SECOND LIFE OF BREE TANNER by Stephenie Meyer (June 5)

THE PASSAGE by Justin Cronin (June 8)

SO COLD THE RIVER by Michael Koryta (June 9)

THE COOKBOOK COLLECTOR by Allegra Goodman (July 6)

LUCY by Laurence Gonzales (July 13)

RED HOOK ROAD by Ayelet Waldman (July 13)

I CURSE THE RIVER OF TIME by Per Pettersson (August 3)

YOU LOST ME THERE by Rosecrans Baldwin (August 12)

MOCKINGJAY by Suzanne Collins (August 24)

Since I want this to be fun and stress-free (just like a summer vacation!), I've decided to include lots of levels, and the first one only challenges you to read one book -- how easy is that? (And I know almost every one of you will be reading MOCKINGJAY before the summer ends.) The names of levels might look familiar to you. Remember those swimming lessons you took at the YMCA when you were a kid?

Levels:

1-3 Books: Polliwog
4-6 Books: Guppy
7-9 Books: Minnow
10-12 Books: Fish
13-15 Books: Flying Fish
16-18 Books: Shark

Details:

The 2010 EW Summer Books Challenge will run from May 1, 2010 through September 6, 2010 (Labor Day). I know summer doesn't officially start until June, but I figure it's always a good idea to get a jump-start on the fun! To join me in this challenge, all you need to do pick your level of participation (you can always go up levels, but not down.) Then after you read a book, just write a review to share your thoughts with others!

 To join, go to EW Summer Books Challenge.

Venice Challenge

May 1st, 2010-May 1st, 2011

heidenkind of Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and Books in hosting the Venice Challenge.  Here's what she says:

While doing some research for my Listed: Venice post the other day, I ran across a TON of books set in and about Venice at my library.  Even exercising some control over myself, I still wound up checking out about a dozen Venice-themed books I just couldn't pass up, plus buying two on EvilEmpire.com (aka Amazon--what can I say, there was a sale). 

With all the books about Venice out there, I started thinking it would be great to have a reading challenge about it!  Here are the deets:

Where: Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and Books (http://heidenkind.blogspot.com/)

When:   May 1st, 2010-May 1st, 2011

What:   Read 6 books set in the city of Venice, or about Venice.  I don't care if it's fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, YA, or whatever.

To join, go to Venice Challenge.

Around the World in 365 Days- Through Reading Challenge

April 23, 2010 - April 22, 2011

ThereSheDances is hosting the Around the World in 365 Days- Through Reading Challenge.  Here's what she says:

Welcome to readtheworld, a book challenge community, which aims to read books from as many countries as possible in 365 days.

If you like books, travelling, challenges or one or two of the either, then please join us in the fun.

The challenge runs between 23rd April 2010 - 22nd April 2011, so get your luggage packed, passport ready, comfortable shoes on and your mind opened for a literary world trip. It's bound to make you laugh, sigh and cry.

Are you a Curious Tourist (18 countries)? Or perhaps an Ambitious Adventurer (36 countries)? Or maybe one of those Impressive World-Traveller (+66 countries)? Whatever you are or aim to be, you're welcomed here!

If you'd like even a bigger challenge, then you can also decide to go backpacking and read books from country border to country border and give a spin to the "around the world in 365 days" phrase.

For the purpose of this challenge, the following two will be considered as a 'country visit':

A) A book set/taking place in the specific country (but not necessarily written by a native author).
or
B) A book written by an author from the specific country (but not necessarily set there).

To join, go to Around the World in 365 Days- Through Reading Challenge.

 

"Back in the Water" Mini-Challenge

May 1 -  August 31, 2010

 

Andrea of The Little Bookworm is hosting the Back in the Water Mini-Challenge.  Here's what she says:

I have a love of natural horror films which is weird because I don't like being scared and also I like animals.  But still, put on a movie with animals terrorizing small towns and/or people, well I'll watch it every time.  That being said, I'd like to introduce the Back in the Water Mini-Challenge.  Read 2 books in the "killer animal" genre.

To join, go to Back in the Water Mini-Challenge.

All Things Alcott Challenge

Margot of Joyfully Retired is host the All Things Alcott Challenge.  Here's what she says:

After reading The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O’Connor McNees, I have a strong desire for more of Louisa May Alcott.

I want to reread Little Women and Jo’s Boys. I’ve discovered her short stories and learned she has also written adult mysteries and thrillers, poetry, fairy tales, fantasy and even pulp fiction. And then there are the biographies of her, movies of her books. There is a documentary I want to see as well. I also saw that there is a new release coming entitled Little Women and the Werewolves. Ah, I’m not so sure about that one, but there seems to be a lot of interest in Louisa May Alcott lately.

Come and join me. I’m setting forth a challenge for myself and anyone else who would like to join in. It will be great fun to explore Louisa May’s world with others who call themselves fans and/or are interested in exploring her body of work.

If you accept this challenge, please follow these guidelines:

1. Between May 1^st and the end of the year (2010), choose one or more Alcott related things to do (see #2). In the spirit of Louisa May Alcott, each participant will set his/her own course in this challenge. You choose one or as many Alcott related items as you wish.
2. You will also determine the contents of your challenge. As long as it is Alcott related, you may choose books, audiobooks, DVDs, movies, TV shows, a play or live theater. Anything by or about Louisa May Alcott is the intention of the challenge.
3. It’s not necessary to compile a list at the beginning of the challenge. I’m hoping this will lead me to discover new items I haven’t even heard about.
4. It’s perfectly okay if this challenge overlaps with other challenges.

To join, go to All Things Alcott Challenge.

1930's Mini Challenge

April 18th – July 18th

Nymeth at Things Mean A Lot is inviting readers to join her in reading from the 1930s. She writes:

The fact that many of these novels deal with individuals responding to what we now know to be big historical events is part of what makes them so interesting. But there’s also the fact that the decade, especially its early years, has some of the same glamour that we associate with the 1920’s. All of this appeals to me, so I know that over the next few months I’ll be reading more books from, set in, or about the 1930’s.

Guidelines are few:

You’d only need to read a minimum of one book, though you’d of course be welcome to read more;

No need for a sign-up post or a reading list;

Just enter your name, read your book(s), and then visit Nymeth and leave a link to your post about what you’ve read.

Learn more and sign up by visiting the Sunday Salon post where the challenge is posted (there is a linky to sign up).

Daphne du Maurier Challenge

May 13, 2010 - April 19, 2011

Chris at Book-a-Rama is hosting the Daphne du Maurier Challenge. She writes:

I'm a huge fan of du Maurier. I can't get enough of her work. I decided to host the Daphne du Maurier Challenge. I really think this will be a fun one. If you've never read du Maurier, you're in for a treat. If you have, you probably want to read more of her!

Chris has links to websites and lists of du Maurier's work on the post about the challenge.

Participants can choose from several levels of participation:

1. Dreaming of Manderley (Novels)
Participants in this category will read 3 of Daphne du Maurier's larger works, her novels or non-fiction. You can also count a collection of her short stories as one book.

2. Don't Look Now (Short Stories)
Since this are smaller works, readers can choose 6 of her short stories to review.

3. Daphne du Maurier Presents (Film)
Although the most well known, Hitchcock was only one director to use du Maurier's work in film. Daphne's IMDb page is quite impressive. Besides The Birds and Rebecca, some of the books that made it to film include Frenchman's Creek and Don't Look Now. Participants in this category will watch 3 films based on du Maurier's work.

4. Inspired By... (Other works)
This category includes works not written by du Maurier. She used books like Jane Eyre (Rebecca) and Wuthering Heights (Jamaica Inn) to inspire her own writing. Participants in this category will read 3 of these works.

5. Dame Daphne (Combination)
Maybe you can't decide what to read or want to read a bit of everything. Participants in this category will read or view 3 from the categories above (2 short stories count as 1 book).

Want to learn more about the challenge or join? Go to the post about the challenge.

Once the challenge starts, reviews will be posted on the Daphne du Maurier Challenge blog

Week In Words - EVENT

Hosted by Melissa at Breath of Life

Melissa at Breath of Life is hosting the Week in Words event each Monday. She writes:

Although I'm not a wordsmith, I love words. Love them. (Just ask anyone who knows me. I've always got plenty to share.) One of the things I enjoy most is seeing how other people put them together. Think about it. A few carefully crafted words can make you laugh, cry, or dream. They can completely change your perspective and your life.

Anyone else?

Lately I've found an abundance of good words from many different sources. Words that have inspired and encouraged me. Words that have spoken to the depths of heart, and words that have made me laugh out loud. Words I want to share.

And I want you to share the words you've found.

The "Week in Words" carnival asks that you just write a post of the quote(s) that spoke to you during the week (attributed, of course) and link back to the weekly post at Melissa's blog each Monday. Quotes can be from any written source, i.e. magazine, newspaper, blog, book. The only requirement is that they be words you read.

Earth Day Fest:

April 11 - 22, 2010

Christina of Book-a-rama is hosting the Earth Day Fest Event.  Here's what she says:

Looks like we're having a real spring here! Not the rainy cold season we usually have until July. It's sunny! It's warm! It's record breaking! And we're probably going to pay for it come August with low water levels and high fire index. Hurray! Ah well... I'll take it.

I have my water barrel primed for the garden; I just got to figure out a way to make it self-watering. I even planted peas and lettuce already. I'm so anxious to start the growing season.

Since Earth Day is April 22, I thought I'd celebrate it with some Earth Day posts starting next week. Would you like to join me? Just write a post related to the earth in some way: gardening, ecological issues, book reviews... Go out and take pictures of nature... whatever. You can be as light or serious as you like. Then leave a link to your post on one of my Earth Day Fest posts. Write whenever you wish between April 11-22.

Hope you'll join me and have fun!

To join, go to  Earth Day Fest.

Discovering Our Roots

May 15-August 15

 

Veronika of Worth the Search is considering hosting the Discovering Our Roots. Here;s what she says:

I am considering hosting an all-Summer event. Roots by Alex Haley has been sitting on my shelf for several years now, and it’s been bugging me. What an amazing story has to be between those pages: it’s survived criticism, racial debates, Hollywood scripts, and reader’s critical eye. It’s a story of family, freedom, love, hatred, country, and inviduality. Apparently, it’s timeless.

So, my question: Is there any interest in joining me for a read-along through Haley’s classic novel?

Tentatively, I’d like to read it from May 15-August 15. Book discussions/chats, mini-events, etc. are part of the goody-bag.

Anyone want to join me?

Go let Veronika know if you are interested at Discovering Our Roots.

Into the wild Challenge

May 1, 2010 - May 1, 2011

Lydia of The Literary Lollipop is hosting her very first challenge, the Into the Wild Book Challenge.  Here's what she says:

I will be hosting my first Challenge this spring.  The “Into the Wild Bookcrossing Challenge” will be a little different from other Challenges because you are not required to read a specific genre or author. You will have to give some of your books away, releasing your recently reviewed novels “into the wild” for other readers to enjoy, for free! As I mentioned in one of my previous entries, Bookcrossing is a free resource for book lovers. When you sign up, the site allows you to assign Bookcrossing Identification Numbers (BCID) to a book you will be giving away in random public places (aka, releasing “into the wild”). The person who finds it has the option of “catching” the book on-line as well. It’s extremely fun to watch where your books end up over time. Of course, not everyone will “catch” your books. Perhaps they do not have access to internet. Regardless, it’s interesting to see what parts of the city, province or state your book ends up.

Rules:

1. Between May 1^st 2010 and May 1^st 2011, read any 3 novels (of any genre or author– although it must be fiction) and review it on your blog. Along with that review, post a picture of your recently reviewed book being “released into the wild”. Get creative! There are some fun ideas on the Bookcrossing website.
2. To sign up, use Mr Linky below. Be sure to link to your “Into the Wild” Challenge post.
3. Use the “Into the Wild” button on your blog to link your post to this Challenge Invitation.
4. When you have posted a review & picture, use Mr Linky below again to share your posts.

To join, go to Into the Wild Book Challenge.

The Guardian Challenge 2.0

March 1, 2010 - March 1, 2011

Jennie at Biblio File is hosting The Guardian Challenge 2.0 Jennie writes:

Even though I didn't finish it, I had a lot of fun with my Guardian Challenge last year, so I'm doing it again. I hope you'll join me! There are also a few changes...

So, for those who didn't play along last year, the British newspaper, The Guardian, came up with a list of 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read Before They Die.

There are 3 levels:

1. (This is the same as last year's challenge): Read 10 books. You must read one book from each of the 7 categories. If possible, at least 1 title should be a book you hadn't heard of before seeing it on the list.

2. Read 7 books, one from each category.

3. Read any 5 books from the list.

Every month I'll have a round-up post for you to leave your links. There will probably be prizes of some sort, but I don't have any trips scheduled to England this year (I don't go for 6 years and then went back twice in a year! It was crazy. CRAZY AWESOME.) So they might not be British.

To join, go to The Guardian Challenge 2.0.

1% Well Read III Challenge

April 1, 2010 - April 30, 2011

Michelle at 1MoreChapter is hosting part III of the 1% Well Read Challenge. She writes:

Are you ready to try it again? This time, since the editors have a 2010 edition out and have added even more titles to the list, the challenge only has one option: read 13 books from the 1294 titles that have ever been on any list (2006, 2008, or 2010).

To read more about the challenge (and get links to the new list), as well as to sign up...visit the post about the challenge.

Read, Remember, Recommend Teen Reading Challenge

April 1, 2010 - April 1, 2011

Bibliobabe is hosting the Read, Remember, Recommend Teen Reading Challenge to celebrate the April 1st release of her new book.

Details:

• Check out all the amazing books mentioned in Read, Remember, Recommend for Teens and plan your attack. Books do not need to be decided upon in advance. All books must be mentioned in the journal lists.
• Write a challenge sign-up post on your blog. In that post provide a link to the Read, Remember, Recommend Teen Reading Challenge post. If you do not have a blog, introduce yourself in a comment on that post.
• Each time you read and review a book as part of this challenge, share this with other challenge participants by adding a direct link to your book review to the list in a comment at this post. If you do not have a blog, leave your review as a comment.

Rules:

• Read as many books from the Read, Remember, Recommend for Teens reading journal as you can in one year.
• Books read before April 1st, 2010 do not count.
• Overlaps with other challenges are acceptable – and encouraged!
• Rereading doesn’t count – have fun exploring new authors, awards and books!
• Audio, print, and e-books are all acceptable.
• You can change your commitment level at anytime.

Levels:

1. NE2N – Not Even to Newbery – 5 books
2. CYA – Covering Your Assignments – 10 books
3. LOL – Literature Over Love – 20 books
4. BFF – Book Fiend Forever – 30 books

There are also some AWESOME prizes. To sign up and see the list of prizes, visit the post about the challenge.

Read, Remember, Recommend Fiction Challenge

April 1, 2010 - April 1, 2011

Bibliobabe is hosting the Read, Remember, Recommend Fiction Challenge in honor of the April 1st release of her book.

Details:

• Check out all the amazing books mentioned in Read, Remember, Recommend and plan your attack. Books do not need to be decided upon in advance. All books must be mentioned in the journal lists.
• Write a challenge sign-up post on your blog. In that post provide a link to the Read, Remember, Recommend Fiction Reading Challenge post. If you do not have a blog, introduce yourself in a comment on that post.
  
• Each time you read and review a book as part of this challenge, share this with other challenge participants by adding a direct link to your book review to the list in a comment at this post. If you do not have a blog, leave your review as a comment.

Rules:

• Read as many books from the Read, Remember, Recommend reading journal as you can in one year.
• Books read before April 1st, 2010 do not count.
• Overlaps with other challenges are acceptable – and encouraged!
• Rereading doesn’t count – have fun exploring new authors, awards and books!
• Audio, print, and e-books are all acceptable.
• You can change your commitment level at anytime.

Levels:

1. Notable Newbie – 5 books
2. Armchair Librarian – 10 books
3. The Library of Congress Calls Me Daddy – 20 books
4. A Book Intervention is Needed – 30 books

There are also some AWESOME prizes. To sign up and see the list of prizes, visit the post about the challenge.

The Stand Read-A-Long - EVENT

April 1 - April 30, 2010

Tiff at Tiff Talks Books is hosting a Read-A-Long of Stephen King's novel The Stand. She writes:

The Stand is a LONG book (my personal copy has 1153 pages!), so we will be taking the entire month of April to read this book! I will be posting discussion questions throughout the month, the first being at the beginning of the month to kick off the read-a-long. Each time, Mr. Linky will be provided to post your own personal link, to share your thoughts, and for others to stop by and contribute to discussions centered around this book.

If you are interested in participating, write an introduction and post the permalink on Mr. Linky on the post about the Read-A-Long.

Around the World In 80 Books

Shelby is the latest blogger who has decided to read around the world in 80 Books. She writes:

[...]since I am choosing only one book per country AND only 80 countries, that leaves lots of countries unread and lots of books overlooked. I can’t, in any way, provide an exhaustive list of books for you for your own reading journey (should you try this on your own sometime), but I thought I could try to get some sort of list started.

To see what's on her list, check out this post.

Although this is a personal reading challenge for Shelby, my guess is she wouldn't mind a little company in completing it!

Tudor Mania Challenge 2010

May 1 - July 31, 2010

The Tudor Mania Challenge is being hosted by The Burton Review.

This Challenge is for new Tudor reviews for any new or old Tudor books you have reviewed in May, June and July, and not for older reviews you have previously posted.

The Tudor Mania Challenge includes both non-fiction and fictional books set between 1485 and 1603, in England. Reviews must be around 300 words or more in length (to make sure everyone is playing fair).

Audio books/E-Books are welcome. The fun part of this is to see everyone's reviews and find new books and blogs to read.

Open to all participants worldwide.

At the end of the challenge, a member of the challenge who reviewed the most Tudor books in the Challenge Period (May through July) will be chosen and offered any book prize of their choice up to $15 in value from The Book Depository since that is FREE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE. That way, International Readers can join in the LinkFest and compete for the prize. There will also be a second and third prize of lesser value, to be determined.

To learn more or join, visit the post about the challenge.

National Poetry Month - EVENT

April 1 - April 30, 2010

Serena at Savvy Verse and Wit is hosting a National Poetry Month Blog tour. To see tour dates with links to participating blog, visit the page about the tour.