Around the World in 80 Books

October 1, 2012 - September 30, 2017

I'm off on a voyage of discovery as I travel around the world through the books that I read. With this challenge I hope to broaden my literary horizons and learn more about the cultures and life in other countries. I'll relive my wonderful memories of past travel destinations and prepare for future adventures. If you'd like to join me just grab your passport and a great book and we'll take off for places unknown! Bon Voyage!
My rules for this challenge are:

• I have five years to complete my journey. My start date is October 1, 2012 {but you can join this challenge any time} and my end date will beSeptember 30, 2017. I want this to be fun and not become a burden so with my current average pace of about 50 books a year this should give me lots of time to read the books for this challenge but also other books that interest me during this time.
• I'm choosing my books that take place in a particular country {since one of my primary goals is to learn about other countries} therefor it does not matter to me what country the author is from. If a book takes place in multiple countries then I will count it towards the country that it is mostly set in. 
• In addition to reading a book set in a particular country, I will also do some research on that country and will include some "Fun Facts " about the country along with each book review.
• I will release 80 books "into the wild" via BookCrossing and watch them {hopefully} travel the world. 
• I will donate 80 books to my local library.

Yes, there is a little more to my challenge than most people's but my passions are both reading and traveling so I really wanted to include a little of both into my challenge. And hey, even if I don't get to travel the world in the next five years maybe my books will!
I'll log my progress through my journey with my book reviews and periodic updates on what I've donated and sent out via BookCrossing. I'm not going to preselect any books for the challenge nor am I going to pick countries in advance. I want to be free to travel in my reading as my interests {and hopefully my REAL travels} take me. I'm also going to attempt to do this on as small of a budget as possible. I'm truly a budget traveler at heart so this journey will follow my usual style. I really can't wait to get started!
My Book List:

Travel is best when it's shared with someone so please travel with me on this journey. You don't have to follow my rules to travel with me, please just post a link to your own "Around the World in 80 Books" type reading challenge so we can encourage each other as we go and share possible books to add to our ever-growing TBR pile!
Please also save my button and post it on your own blog to share this challenge if you'd like to. Thank you!
For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

Reading for a Cure

October 1-31, 2012

ABOUT THE READ-A-THON

Reading for a Cure was inspired by my mom's best friend's battle with breast cancer. Lisa was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001 and fought valiantly to the end, losing her battle on April 12, 2012.
Lisa was one of the strongest women I have ever known. Not only did she go through several surgeries and all kinds of chemo and radiation, but she did so with a brave face, hope in her heart, and the generosity to help mentor other women through their own battles with breast cancer.
In order to honor her memory, I started this read-a-thon. My goal is to raise money for cancer research as well as support and financial relief for cancer patients.


HOW TO PARTICIPATE

The goal of the read-a-thon is to get people to sponsor you. It is up to you  to decide how they sponsor you. Some examples include:
- the number of books you read,
- the number of pages you read, or
- how many minutes you spend reading. 
You are responsible for honestly recording your reading statistics. 
If you blog, other options for sponsorship include:
- how many reviews you post or
- how many comments you get on certain posts. 
Another option is to allow people to donate a flat amount of money so long as you reach whatever goal you set for yourself at the beginning of the read-a-thon.
If you would like an official printable sponsor form or reading log, please request one at readingforacure@gmail.com.
The fall read-a-thon will take place from October 1-31, 2012, and will benefit the American Cancer Society. The spring read-a-thon will take place from April  1-30, 2013, and will benefit CancerCare. I am not affiliated with any organizations, so please do not send any donations my way. Instead, send donations to the organization listed above and simply keep your sign-up post updated with your success!
To sign up, please add your sign-up post to the linky above. If you are participating offline, please feel free to email me, and I will add your information to a list of offline participants.


PRIZES
Participation in the read-a-thon qualifies you for some amazing prizes! Check out the list of prizes here!
Thank you!

For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

Thoughts on a Thursday

Perpetual Weekly

A new weekly meme asking for your thoughts. One of the reasons I started to blog was to start book discussions. That has fallen away. So here is my push to bring it back. Grab a cuppa. Read my ramble. Let me know what you are thinking this week. Not a review. Not a list. Not even necessarily a well thought-out essay on the merits of literature. Just your Thoughts on a Thursday.

For more information, please see this post.

Review Copy Wipeout

October 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012

Here we are... Day 1 of Review Copy Wipeout!

We are so excited that you could join us. Just in case you forgot, the details are as follows:

• Review Copy Wipeout!  runs October 1st through December 31st.
• To sign up, just fill in the Linky. Please link to your sign up post directly!
• You can sign up at anytime before October 15th.
• Any book that you have received for review in 2012 counts towards the challenge, regardless if the book is physical or ebook, all genres and lengths are welcome!

To start the event off on the right foot, let's think about our goals. Make a spreadsheet. Write them down. Whatever works best for you. Wanna share? Leave us a comment or link to your post in the linky below.

Finally, what is an event without a little friendly competition. To keep us motivated, I have created a spreadsheet that we all can use to keep track of our progress, and so that we can see how each other is doing. All you need to do is add your name, and get started.

Our first check-in will be October 15th.

Want more organization? Feel feel to create your own sheet to keep yourself better organized.

Access the spreadsheet.

We hope that you enjoy Review Copy Wipeout!

This reading challenge is hosted by The Book Monsters. For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.