Harry Potter Read-A-Long - EVENT

Starts August 1, 2011

Bekka from Pretty Deadly Reviews is hosting a read-along of Harry Potter. And there is a giveaway connected with this one.

The Rules:

1. Start reading on Monday, August 1st.
2. Read each of the seven books in order. One book per two weeks.
3. Every second Monday Bekka will be putting up a discussion post, with questions and mini challenges. For every response post, you gain one more entry into the giveaway. So minimum entry-1; max-8. One entry for entering, one entry per discussion.
4. To enter put your information into the Linky tool at the bottom of the post about the event.
   

Learn more by visiting the post about the event.

Sense and Sensibility Read-A-Long - EVENT

August 1 - 31, 2011

Risa at Bread Crumb Reads is hosting a read-along for Sense and Sensibility. She writes:

Coming up in August 2011 is a Group Read or Read-along of Jane Austen's Sense & Sensibility. I've been meaning to read this novel for awhile - Austen's first published novel. It would be lovely to have other people to read it and discuss it with!

There have already been quite a few who have expressed interest in this read-along. I hope there might be others who would like to join us and make the experience even more delightful than it promises to be.:)

How this Works
The novel is divided into four parts. For each part there will be an update/discussion post every Thursday on Risa's blog. Those who intend blogging, are welcome to. On the other hand, no one has to blog. There are no obligations of any kind. Simply read and have fun with others like you!

Discussion Schedule (every Thursday):

• 11 August - discussion of Volume I
• 18 August - discussion of Volume II
• 25 August - discussion of Volume III

To Sign-up

• Please state your interest in the comments section on the post about the readalong.
• If you have a blog and intend writing posts on your progress through the novel, give Risa me a link to your blog. She will add your name and link in the main post.

You do not have to be a blogger to take part in this read-along. You do not have to make posts either. All are welcome to read-along together and comment on the discussion posts.

Learn more by visiting the post about the event.

Short Stories on Wednesdays - EVENT

Hosted by Risa at Bread Crumb Reads

Risa at Bread Crumb Reads is hosting a weekly meme called Short Stories on Wednesdays. She writes:

The purpose of this event is to encourage people to read at least one short story a week. There are no limits, of course! If you have made a post on the short stories you've read this week, please do leave a link in the comments section. If you haven't made a post, it does not matter. I'd still love to know what you've been reading. Just put the titles down in the comments section.

To play along, visit Risa each week on Wednesday on her blog.

Christmas in July 2011

July 1-31, 2011

The True Book Addict is hosting Christmas in July.  She writes:

Welcome to the second annual Christmas in July celebration! I'm lining up some great stuff for you to read, to listen to, to add to your wishlists, and even some festive crafts for you to do, if you're so inclined.  I have some guest posts lined up from some authors and bloggers who were very generous to share their time with us.  And there will even be a giveaway or two (or more?)!

For more information, go to the Christmas in July website.

High Summer Read-A-Thon

July 25-31, 2011

The True Book Addict is hosting the High Summer Read-A-Thon.  She writes:

The High Summer Read-a-thon is one month away, July 25th through July 31st! It will start at 12:00am Monday and end at 11:59pm on Sunday.  Times are central standard time so adjust your times accordingly.  I plan to host a mini-challenge and there will be a giveaway for every one who signs in at the starting line and completes a wrap up post at the end.  Of course, like most read-a-thons, the books read must be novels or novellas, adult or young adult are fine, but no children's books.  As with my previous read-a-thons, it will be a week of relaxed reading during which we can personally challenge ourselves and whittle away those ever looming TBR piles/shelves/libraries.  I hope you will join me!

To join, go to the High Summer Read-A-Thon.

Paris in July 2011 -EVENT

July 1 - July 31, 2011

For the second year Karen from Book Bath and Tamara from Thyme For Tea are hosting Paris in July - a month long blogging experience to celebrate our love of all things French and Parisian. They write:

For those of you who participated last year the guidelines for the event will be pretty much the same (Tamara and I reserve the right to throw in some surprises here and there). Paris in July will run from the 1st - 31st July 2011 and the aim of the month is to celebrate our French experiences through reading, watching, listening to, observing, cooking and eating all things French.

The idea is to blog about anything French. Some ideas for the month might include:

• Reading a French book - fiction or non-fictionWatching a French movie
• Listening to French musicCooking French food
• Experiencing French art, architecture or travel (lucky Tamara!)

If you are interested in being a part of this experience leave a comment on the introductory post. There will be weekly French themed prizes during the month for random winners from all the French themed posts of that week that link back to the event. There will be weekly wrap up posts for you to link your posts to.

Learn more by visiting the introductory post.

Crime Fiction on a Euro Pass Challenge

August 1 - October 31, 2011

Kerrie at Mysteries in Paradise is hosting the Crime Fiction on a Euro Pass Challenge. She writes:

The idea of this challenge is to embark on a 12 stage European Journey in Eurail Pass style.

I am your travel agent and I have chosen 12 destinations for your journey over 12 weeks starting on Monday 1 August.

The challenge:
Connect readers to a blog post on your site that relates to crime fiction in the country the challenge is visiting. The meme will enable readers to share knowledge and perhaps point out new reading opportunities to each other.

You can choose one of the following (or something more imaginative)

• a book review (create a new one or revive an old one)
• an author profile
• a reading syllabus for crime fiction either set in this country, or written by authors from this country.

You may vary your choice from week to week, or set your own limitations.
It is ok to miss a week if life intervenes.

Sign up for the challenge now with Mr Linky on the challenge post.

Please advertise the challenge with a post on your own site after you've joined up on Mr Linky.
Feel free to use the logo.

The stops on our journey will be

1. Monday 1 August - England - this is our starting point, and as with all the countries we visit, you can choose exactly where your post takes us.
2. Monday 8 August - Spain/Portugal
3. Monday 15 August - France
4. Monday 22 August - Holland/Belgium
5. Monday 29 August - Denmark
6. Monday 5 September - Germany
7. Monday 12 September Austria
8. Monday 19 September - Switzerland
9. Monday 26 September - the Czech republic
10. Monday 3 October - Italy
11. Monday 10 October - Greece
12. Monday 17 October - Turkey

Each week, please come back to MYSTERIES in PARADISE and use Mr Linky to connect to your post for that country.

Diversify Your Reading Challenge - Summer 2011

Summer 2011

Diversity in YA Fiction is hosting a fabulous challenge this summer to encourage diversity in reading. They write:

Our challenge will have two components: one for libraries, one for readers and book bloggers. At the end of the summer we’ll be giving away some wonderful book prizes donated by publishers. Check out all the book prizes right here!

Here are the details:
Libraries: Librarians are encouraged to incorporate diverse middle grade and young adult novels into their summer reading programs, whether it’s as a book display, a book club event, or a book list created to share with patrons. Please take photos or shoot video of the display or event and share them with Diversity in YA Fiction. Photos or videos may be posted on Diversity in YA in the future.
Readers and Book Bloggers: Readers and book bloggers are encouraged to read diverse MG and YA books throughout the summer (you choose the books!) and write an essay (at least 500 words) about your experience. You can post it on your website, Blogger, LiveJournal, Tumblr, or on Facebook; but your post must be publicly readable. Blog posts may be re-posted on www.diversityinya.com later this year.
What to read: You can read whichever diverse books you like! By diverse we mean: (1) main characters or major secondary characters (e.g., a love interest or best friend kind of character) who are of color or are LGBT; or (2) written by a person of color or LGBT author. If you need some suggestions, check out monthly lists of new books, and these book lists at Black Teens Read.
Judging: DiYA founders Cindy Pon and Malinda Lo will select one grand prize winner in each category, and that winner will receive a giant collection of fabulous MG and YA books.
Prizes: Many major publishers have generously donated books to serve as prizes for our challenge. You can check out the preliminary list of prizes here, and we will update the page as more donations come in.
Fine Print: This challenge is open to US libraries only, and prizes can only be sent to a US mailing address.
How to enter: Fill out the form on the challenge post.

Deadline: The deadline for all entries is September 1, 2011.

Europa Challenge

July 1, 2011 - December 31, 2011
OR
PERPETUAL

Liberty and Marie are hosting The Europa Challenge which is designed to encourage readers to pick up books published by Europa Editions. This challenge actually has many parts - there is a time limited option, a perpetual option, and also a meme.

Here is the information about the main challenge:

Choose a level of participation:

1. Europa Ami (friend in French): Read 4 Europa titles by the end of 2011
2. Europa Haver (friend in Hebrew): Read 7 books by the end of 2011 (one per month)
3. Europa Amante (lover in Italian): Read 14 books by the end of 2011 (2 per month).

At any level, you can qualify as:

• A Connoisseur, by accepting the Perpetual Challenge
• Expatriate, by choosing books from a single country or original language
• A Passport Holder,by choosing books from different countries or original languages.

There are also two specialty challenges:

Love Challenge

• Sélim Nassib, I Loved You for Your Voice
• Edna Mazya, Love Burns
• Elena Ferrante, Troubling Love
• Massimo Carlotto, Bandit Love

Creature Challenge

• Benjamin Tammuz, Minotaur
• Alicia Giménez, Bartlett, Dog Day
• Wolf Erlbruch, The Miracle of the Bears
• Edwin M. Yoder Jr., Lions at Lamb House
• Roma Tearne, Mosquito
• Muriel Barbery, The Elegance of the Hedgehog

You can do the specialty challenges towards any of the Ami/Haver/Amante levels.

• Participants are encouraged to cross-post your reviews and posts to your own blog and link back to the challenge blog.
• To participate, you must be a contributor to The Europa Challenge blog. To become a contributor, please email the moderator (an email address is required, so comments to this post won't work).
• You can also be a contributor to The Europa Challenge blog without doing a challenge.
• You can overlap your selections with other challenges as long as the books are published by Europa Editions.
• Post to The Europa Challenge blog listing your books and your anticipated level of participation.
• Post your book list whenever you want, and change your reading list at any time.
• Read, review, and post your reviews on The Europa Challenge blog.
  

See the Participant Guidelines for more information.

Check out the Europa Meme on this post.

Orange July 2011-Event

July 1-31, 2011

The Magic Lasso is hosting Orange in July.  She writes:

What is Orange July?

Orange July is a personal reading challenge. You make the rules. The only requirement is to read at least one book that has won or been nominated for the Orange Prize for Fiction. Some participants read just one book; others devote the whole month to reading Orange books. Some people write reviews; others do not. It’s up to you on how you want to celebrate Orange July.

Is there a list of Orange Prize books?

Rest assured, if you’ve never focused on the Orange Prize before, you’re in for a treat. There are hundreds of books to choose from by many great female authors, including Margaret Atwood, Barbara Kingsolver, Zadie Smith, Amy Tan and Anne Tyler. Here are some links to help you out:
Orange Prize Winners
Orange Prize Short List
Orange Prize Long List
  
Orange July prizes!
Throughout July, I will be hosting book giveaways. A complete list of books will be posted as we get closer to July, but here are a few titles to whet your appetite:
The Siege by Helen Dunmore
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
The Summer Without Men by Siri Hustvedt
The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
The Tiger’s Wife by Tea Obreht
….and more!

To join, go to Orange in July.

Follow the Blurb Reading Challenge

July 1, 2011- June 30, 2012

Reading With Tequila is hosting a unique challenge,the Follow the Blurb Reading Challenge.  She writes:

The importance of blurbs on book covers is often debated. A blurb on the cover of a book is usually written by an author who writes in the same genre, but occasionally you find a quote from a high-profile, but seemingly random author. After noticing a few of these peculiar choices, I started wondering - if I followed the blurbers, where would they lead me?

The plan is simple. I'm going to chose a book to read. Once I finish that book, I'll chose a blurb from the front or back cover and read a book written by the quoted author. I'll read 10 books in this fashion, just to see where I end up. Will all the books have a common theme? Will they be in the same genre? Will all of the authors be the same gender or ethnicity? Will they all have the same publisher? Are they all equally well known? Or will the books appear to be nothing more than a completely random list?

I will begin with the very next book I read that has a blurb on the cover. For the challenge, I will only read books that have blurbs, so given the choice between a few authors blurbing the same book, I will make sure to choice to move onto an author that have cover blurbs next.


To join the challenge, go to the Follow the Blurb Reading Challenge.