POC Reading Challenge

The 2012 POC Reading Challenge

Hi everyone!

I know we've kind of been quiet over the last couple of months about this challenge and whether it would continue or not. The three of us have seen this year become quite busy, and we questioned whether we would be able to continue hosting this challenge or not.

In order to keep the challenge alive, we've decided to scale it back a bit. We will no longer be giving away book prizes every month. We might give away a book every so often, but it won't be a regular thing here.

We'll continue to have book link-ups every month, and encourage everyone to visit each other's reviews of the books they've read that feature a person of color as a main character or that have been written by authors of color.

I (Katy) am going to try to continue doing what I've been doing here from the beginning--posting the link-ups and visiting reviews when I can. If you have any questions, please email or tweet me (my contact information is in the sidebar).

If anyone is interested in contributing a guest post here, I would absolutely welcome it! Guest posts should be related to the reading challenge--for example, reviews of books that qualify for the POC Reading Challenge and posts about issues that challenge participants would be interested in (cover whitewashing, challenges faced by authors of color, etc).

Here are the challenge details:

Any book (by any author) with a main character that is a person of color qualifies for this reading challenge, as well as any book written by an author of color. The goal is to encourage readers have a more diverse reading experience and to support diversity in the publishing industry by reading and reviewing books by or about persons of color.

Choose how many POC books you would like to read in 2012:

Level 1: Read 1-3 POC books
Level 2. Read 4-6 POC books
Level 3. Read 7-9 POC books
Level 4. Read 10-15 POC books
Level 5. Read 16-25 POC books

So if you'd like to participate in the 2012 POC Reading Challenge, please do sign up, and if you have a blog please spread the word by grabbing the button from the sidebar and posting about your participation. I'll start a new link-up for reviews on February 1.

Read-to-Me Picture Book Reading Challenge

It’s back! This is the second annual Read to Me – A Picture Book Reading Challenge! During it’s initial year the Picture Book Reading Challenge was my most visited page and I’m thrilled to say it had nearly 100 participants. I’m hoping that 2012 will bring just as many eager participants to share their love of picture books with the little ones we all know and love. Below is a bit more info about the challenge, be sure to read it over and don’t be afraid to ask questions! Good luck and thanks so much for joining in!

• The objective of the Read to Me Challenge is to read with the kiddos in your life and/or enjoy picture books in general.
• Books must be ones written expressly for children ages 9 and under. Board books, early readers, picture books, etc.
• Print or eBook format is acceptable.
• Anyone can join. You don’t have to be a blogger, and you don’t have to live in the United States. Open worldwide.
• You do not have to have an blog to participate.
• You can join at anytime. Deadline to join is November 20, 2012. (Not 2011, so you still have PLENTY of time to sign up!) The challenge runs from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012.

How To Participate:

1. Decide which challenge level you’ll be doing (see below).
2. Decide if you intend to read them with a child or on your own. Sorry, but those who read with a child get twice as many entries each month. Although those that do read with a child need to share their experience with the them in their review.
3. Grab a button.
4. Create your own post to let all your readers know you’re taking part in the challenge and at what level. Make sure to link back to this page with either one of the buttons or a text link.
5. Use the link form below to enter into the challenge by sharing your challenge post url and your name (either your name, blog name, or both). Please only use the comment section to participate if you do not have a blog. All other participants should use Mr. Linky below with a direct link to your challenge post.
6. Submit your reviews as you complete them on the designated monthly post to be qualified for monthly prize drawings.
7. There will be a “wrap-up” completion link-up at the end of the year to sign up for to share in your successes.

Challenge Levels:

Reading with a Child:

• “Planting” – Read 12 picture books with a child during the year.
• “Watering” – Read 36 picture books with a child during the year.
• “Feeding” – Read 72 picture books with a child during the year.
• “Growing” – Read 120 picture books with a child during the year.
• “Harvesting” – Read 200 picture books with a child during the year.

Reading on Your Own:

• “Board Book” – Read 12 picture books on your own during the year.
• “Unjacketed” – Read 36 picture books on your own during the year.
• “Jacketed“ – Read 72 picture books on your own during the year.
• “Early Reader” – Read 120 picture books on your own during the year.
• “Chapter Reader” – Read 200 picture books on your own during the year.

Reading with a Child or on your own – with only a wrap up post each month:
(This is a new category for 2012. Last year I had numerous requests for a category for non-reviewers, but I wanted to make sure the books were actually recorded on a blog. This is the only category where a blog is required and a monthly “wrap-up” post detailing the book titles & authors you read throughout the month.)

• “Strolling” – Read 200 picture books during the year.
• “Observing” – Read 400 picture books during the year.
• “Plowing” – Read 600 picture books during the year.
• “Saturating” – Read 700 picture books during the year.
• “Blooming” – Read 1,000 picture books during the year. (I’d love to see someone reach this goal! I may even try myself!)

Read more: http://www.theresabook.com/2012-picture-book-reading-challenge/#ixzz1l5ZhDIom

Project Downton

Project Downton is a Downton Abbey Inspired Book Scavenger Hunt! Come help us find more awesome Downton inspired books!

I am on a Downton Abbey scavenger hunt and I need your help!
If you want to see what prompted this concept see my original post. 

Project Downton Begins! 

I am calling on all my fellow historical fiction and Downton Abbey fans….help me with Project Downton! I am hoping to compile a book list of Edwardian era inspired fiction books, not just for my own TBR list, but for everyone enjoyment.
Edwardian era lit seems to be a rather obscure time period for most literary buffs….for me personally I love the Edwardian era historically but sadly I know little of the literature in this period save classics like A Room with a View and Mrs Dalloway….I feel fairly certain I am NOT the only one out there dying for more Downton Abbey and Edwardian inspired books. Since I couldn’t find a good list, I decided to take matters into my own hands
Heres how you can help…I will create a page and Linky so you can link book titles and reviews. They can be any genre: YA, sci-fi, romance, mystery, fantasy, historic fiction, classics…anything. It would be great to see as many fiction books as possible but non-fiction will do was well–give us a variety at least .
This is NOT a ‘reading challenge’ by any means….we are simply scavenging to find Downton-inspired books. If you don’t know what to look for here are some suggested criteria:

• Book must be set in the Edwardian era.
• Edwardian era  usually  begins with the reign of King Edward VII (1901 to 1910)  but for the purposes of this Project we will extend the end of the period through the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, that way it includes the Titanic sinking etc.
• What books can you think of that were previously published or are new that serve as good companion pieces to the popular show?

This is a very casual and fun Project…..if you see interesting articles, video clips, discussions, or news about Downton you please post them in the comments field…we want to save the Linky for book recommendations only.

The Hunger Games Read Along

Credit

February 12, 2012-March 23, 2012

We've all heard that Suzanne Collins novel The Hunger Games is coming out in movie form on March 23, 2012 right?  I've heard that there are people out there who haven't read the first book yet, which got me to thinking.  I LOVE this series and I'm going to read it again before the movie is released so why don't I offer to do a Read Along for those bloggers who either haven't read the first book and want to before the movie is released or just want to re-read the first book before the movie is released?!   So here we have The Hunger Games Read Along...

Here's the information that you need to know:

1. The reading officially begins February 12 and the Read Along will conclude on March 23, 2012.  To sign up please create a sign up post and link to that post in the linky provided below (links to homepages will be deleted, only links to the Read Along post). Sign ups conclude on February 11, 2012 at 11:59 pm CST.

2. Each week on Sunday please post a discussion post of what you have read so far (your thoughts, feelings, etc. about what you've read of the book so far), there will be a  couple of discussion questions posted on each Sunday to provide some inspiration if you need it. NOTE: If you read ahead please do NOT post your discussion post early to prevent spoilers.

3. Come back on Sunday and link up your discussion post in the linky that will be provided.

4. At the end of the Read Along I will be giving away some Hunger Games merchandise to 1 lucky Read Along winner.

5. If you have any questions you can email me at notyourmothersbookblog@yahoo.com.  Please put "The Hunger Games Read Along" in the subject line.

The Reading Schedule:

Part 1 "Tributes"

Chapters 1-4 (1, 2, 3 & 4).....February 12-19

Chapters 5-9 ......February 19-26

Part 2 "The Games"

Chapters 10-14.....February 26-March 4

Chapters 15-18.....March 4-March 11

Part 3 "The Victor"

Chapter 19-22....March 11-March 18

Chapters 23-27.....March 18-March 23

Karen Kingsbury Reading Challenge

 

January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012

 

I love Karen Kingsbury and the inspiring books she writes. I searched for a reading challenge about her and I couldn't find one. So I decided to host one myself.

Rules:

• -Sign up by making a comment to this post.
• -Read at least 1 Karen Kingsbury book in the year of 2012.
• -If you have a blog, make a review post and link the post to this blog in a comment.

Or:

-If you don't have a blog, tell what you think about the book in a comment on this blog.

I will make a post every month for you to add comments to with the links to your reviews or with what you think about the book.

Note: Books you have already read, as long as you started them after the first day of 2012, do count.

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

The Stephen King Challenge!

 

February 1, 2012 – No End Date

 

As far as I could determine, there are no other Stephen King challenges (yearly or perpetual) going on now. I know that Book Geek blog was hosting a perpetual challenge at one time, but I checked her blog and she has not been active since January of 2011 (hope everything is okay with her). I'm assuming that the challenge is no longer active. If I'm mistaken, feel free to let me know.

So...my friend Kate and I (Read 2 Review) were talking about doing a project together and we decided to host a Stephen King reading challenge! Since Stephen King has such a huge list of books, we decided to make this a perpetual challenge. I know, I know...you're thinking "perpetual? I never get motivated to complete perpetual challenges." Well, don't worry. We are going to have mini-challenges throughout the year with prizes and we will also have read-a-longs during the year as well. Kate had the idea for our first read-a-long...to read Carrie during prom season. Clever, right?! As far as the mini-challenges go, the first one will begin at the official start of this challenge, which is February 1, 2012, and the prize will be a brand new hard cover copy of Stephen King's newest novel, 11/22/63! The mini-challenge schedule will work as follows:

Feb | March | April -- mini-challenge
May | June | July -- mini-challenge
Aug | Sept | Oct -- mini-challenge
Nov | Dec -- free months

*November and December are free/non-mini-challenge months due to most of us being so busy during the holiday season.

The first mini-challenge will be to read books within certain themes. You will choose three themes and read three books that will fit each of the themes during the three month mini-challenge period. If you complete the three themed reads, you will be entered in the giveaway for the book, 11/22/63. A bonus entry will be given to any person who reads a fourth book that fits within the fourth left over theme.

Examples:
Fantasy/Post-Apocalyptic
i.e. The Stand, any book from the Gunslinger series, Under the Dome, The Eyes of the Dragon, The Talisman (with Peter Straub), Black House (with Peter Straub), 11/22/63
Ghosts/Hauntings
i.e. The Shining, Bag of Bones, Duma Key, It, Insomnia
Creatures--supernatural (werewolves, vampires, demons/devils, zombies, etc.) or other type (animals, aliens, etc.)
i.e. Salem's Lot, Needful Things, Cycle of the Werewolf, The Eyes of the Dragon, Dreamcatcher, Pet Sematary, Cell, Cujo, It, The Tommyknockers
the mind--psychic, psychological, possession, abuse, etc.
i.e. Misery, The Green Mile, Dolores Claiborne, Rose Madder, Carrie, Gerald's Game, The Dark Half, The Dead Zone, Desperation, The Regulators

You can also earn a bonus entry if you read a book of King short stories. The books of short stories are clearly marked in the list of King works listed below in the footer of the blog.

To summarize:

• Official start date is February 1, 2012 and lasts...forever! LOL! Stop when you've read all of King's books, could be two years from now, could be five years. Take a break any time or stop when you've had enough (although I'll never have enough of SK).
• Choose three themes from the list and read one book within each theme during the three month mini-challenge period (Feb., March, April) to receive one entry in the giveaway.
• For a bonus entry, choose one book in the left over theme and read it during the three month period.
• You can also receive a bonus entry if you read a book of SK short stories (you do not have to read the fourth themed book to get this entry).
• There will be a mini-challenge review page for you to link up your reviews. This will be the method we use to keep track of who completes the mini-challenge (and who earns the bonus entries). If you don't have a blog that you review books on, you can link to your reviews on Goodreads or leave your thoughts about the books in the comments (I will allow comments on the review page).

Giveaway rules: The winner will be chosen via random.org and must be a resident of the U.S. If the winner is not a U.S. resident, we will purchase the Stephen King book of your choice (under $10) from Better World Books (they ship free internationally) and have it shipped to you. This book will quite possibly be a gently used book.

The goal of this challenge is to, ultimately, read all of Stephen King's books. I have posted the complete list of his works in the footer section below. If you would like to embark on this journey with us, please sign-up in the linky below. If you have any questions, feel free to contact myself or Kate. Contact information can be found in the 'About' page.

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

Read & Resist Tucson

 

 

January 1, 2012 – January 31, 2013

Read! Resist!

By now, most people have heard about the 80+ (mostly Chicana/o) books and speeches that are forbidden from being taught in Tuscon, Arizona. The Mexican-American studies program has been effectively shut down after an ugly, racist, classist battle.

The list contains works by civil rights leaders, noted historians, Pulitzer Prize winners, National Book Award winners...even Shakespeare!

It's outrageous, and it's completely out of touch with the makeup of the Tucson student population, where minority students comprise up to 95% of the student body in some schools.

We can't just turn a blind eye to what's happening in Tucson.

Read & Resist Tucson is a yearlong reading challenge taking place from now until the end of January 2013. It's very informal: the only rule is that you read and review at least one book from the banned list, then add your link to the review database. You can read as many or as few as you want.
We need to get people talking about and celebrating these banned books.

Interested in reading/resisting? You can officially sign up for the reading challenge here. If you don't have a website to link back to, feel free to link to Twitter, Facebook, etc.

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

Read-A-Phrase Challenge

 

 

 

January 1, 2012 – December 1, 2012

Rules (such as they are):

--As the name of the challenge implies, your choice must be a phrase.(Phrase=A sequence of words intended to have meaning.)

I’m going to use the title of this challenge as my phrase this time. That makes 20 books for me to read.

--Any genre of fiction is allowed. Either print or ebooks. Any release date. The only two conditions are that you haven’t read the book before(this will help that TBR mountain I know you all have), and it should be at least 100 pages.

--You don’t have to select your books ahead of time. Even if you do, you can change your books as you go. Your books can crossover with other challenges.

--To join in, sign up with Mr. Linky below. (still trying to figure out how to do that one). For bloggers, please use a link to the post where you will be keeping track of the challenge. If you aren't a blogger, just add a comment with the phrase you plan to use.(finally figured out how to enable comments on this page)
--Reviews are not required, but if you want to do one and share the link with us, go for it.

--Challenge runs from January 1, 2012 - December 1, 2012

The reason I’m ending the challenge on Dec. 1^st is so that I have time to send out the prize in time for the winner to receive it by Christmas.

Yes, I said prize. Anyone who signs up for the challenge by June 25, 2012(my birthday), chooses a phrase that is at least 10 letters long(not counting any spaces), and completes the challenge by Dec. 1^st, will go into a drawing. The winner will be allowed to pick five books off a list I will be providing. I will get them shipped in time for the winner to have them as a Christmas gift. Sorry, US addresses only for this prize. I’m also thinking about a prize for the longest phrase completed.

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

Africa Reading Challenge

January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012

Welcome to the Africa Reading Challenge.

I have absolutely no reason for hosting nor urging you to participate in this challenge save for the joy of discovering and reading African literature!
Here are the details:

Challenge Period

January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012

Region

The entire African continent, including its island-states, which are often overlooked. Please refer to this Wikipedia “list of sovereign states and dependent territories in Africa”. Pre-colonial empires and regions are also included.

Reading Goal

5 books.  That’s it.  There will be no other levels.  Of course, participants are encouraged to read more than 5 books.  Eligible books include those which are written by African writers, or take place in Africa, or are concerned with Africans and with historical and contemporary African issues. Note that at least 3 books must be written by African writers.

Genres

• Fiction – novels, short stories, poetry, drama, children’s books.  Note: You can choose to read a number of individual and uncollected short stories.  In this case, 12 such stories would constitute 1 book.  Individual poems do not count but books of poetry do.
• Non-fiction – memoirs, autobiographies, history and current events

Reading Suggestions

• Cover at least two regions, pick from North Africa, Southern Africa, East Africa, West Africa and Central Africa
• Include translated fiction from Arabic, Francophone and Lusophone literature
• You can mix classic and contemporary fiction
• If you are intend to read mostly non-fiction, then please include at least one book (out of the five) of fiction

I’m not inclined to push any reading philosophy, I would however like to encourage participants to broaden their knowledge of African literature. Broadly then:
For the novice, if you have not read any African lit or if you’ve read one book (E.g. Achebe’sThings Fall Apart):  I would advise a mix of at least two regions, two languages, classic and contemporary, with both male and female writers.  A sample reading list could be:

• Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih (North Africa, Arabic, classic)
• Maps by Nuruddin Farah (East Africa)
• Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga (Southern Africa, contemporary)
• So Long a Letter by Mariama Ba (West Africa, classic, Francophone)
• Zoo City by Lauren Beukes (Southern Africa, contemporary, modern fantasy)

For the advanced reader of African literature:  perhaps there is some gap (country, region, language, theme, gender)  you want to fill or author(s) whose works you want to explore further?
You could also, for example:

• Read only collection/anthologies of short stories
• Stick to the literary tradition of one country
• Read only Lusophone literature
• Explore the literature of contemporary South Africa
• Read the books of North African countries of the Arab Spring
• Read wherever the urge takes you!

My suggestions notwithstanding, the most important thing is to have fun and to explore Africa through books.

Other Details

1. Overlap with other challenges is allowed.
2. E-books and audio books are allowed.
3. There is no need to make a list beforehand.  Although most of us love lists, don’t we?

To Sign up:

For those with blogs:  write a post on your blog about the challenge (with or without your list) and sign-up with the Mr Linky below using the direct URL of your sign-up post.
For those without blogs:  you can sign-up with your social media profile (Twitter, YouTube, Goodreads, Facebook or Shelfari).  Please make sure to use the URL of your profile page.  Alternatively, you can leave a comment  indicating  your intention to participate.

Reviews and Completion of Challenge

Reviews of books read are not required but are encouraged especially for those with blogs.  Please share your reviews with the rest of community the on Reviews Page.  If you do not have a blog and would like to guest review on this blog, then please feel free to contact me.
Likewise, completion posts are encouraged and you can share those on the Completion Page.

On Books and Reading Lists

Some classic African literature can be hard to find.  Please check your libraries and use inter-library loans if you have access to such services.  You will be able to do this challenge with the books currently available on the market.
I will publish lists of reading materials under various themes every Friday until I tire of the process.  Please contact me at kinnareadsATgmailDOTcom if you need any help.

Events

1. Ghanaian Literature Week – I have hosted this event for the past two years.  This year, I will move it up from November to probably August (pending an announcement). So you could save your GhanaLit reads for then.
2. Nigerian Literature Event – Amy will host this even again this year.  She will provide more details in due course
3. A new reading event – I’m toying with the idea of a South African Lit week or month.  I will decide soonest and let everyone know.  Or if anyone is interested in hosting this or any event, please do!

You can subscribe to this blog (see top of the right sidebar) to stay updated on this challenge.
That’s it.  Let’s enjoy reading for the 2012 Africa Reading Challenge.


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

Birth Year Reading Challenge

Now through January 31st, 2013

Birth Year Reading Challenge 2012 - Honors
What books were published the year you were born, or the birth year of someone special to you? This challenge encourages you to find out, and then read some of them. You might even draw a few conclusions about social and literary trends that year. If nothing else, you'll have an incentive to explore books you might otherwise not have considered.
Wikipedia has lists of books by year published. You can also check literary prize lists for high-quality choices. Using Google to locate “best books of _____” also provides some interesting choices. There is also a cool feature at BibliOZ where you can check the New York Times bestseller list for the week you were born. (Special thanks to 3m at 1morechapter for pointing this out.)
If you already participated in this challenge, or if you discover you were born in a year of unattractive books, the Honors option gives you the chance to sample another year instead. So read on!
Ready to join? Leave a comment and a link to your post, and I'll sign you right up.
RULES
1. Join anytime between now and November 30, 2012. The challenge ends at midnight EST on January 31, 2013.
2. a. Choose books from your birth year.
AND/OR
2.b. Choose someone you want to honor, then choose books from their birth year. Your sign-up post should include who they are (not necessarily by name) and the reason you want to honor them.
3. Books may come from your TBR pile or list, but they don’t have to.
4. Overlaps with other challenges are allowed and encouraged.
5. Change your list at any time.
6. Reviews and reactions are encouraged, but not required. You don’t need to have a blog to participate. But you do need to let me know of your progress, so I can bestow your virtual candles. (Here's the progress and reviews page from BYRC 2011, so you can see how it works.)
7. All genres and formats are eligible. If it’s a book, you can count it.
8. One candle is awarded for each qualifying book you read. There is no limit on how few or how many candles you can earn.
ACHIEVER PRIZES
When you meet your reading goal, you can select a book from my library – most likely a gently used trade paperback – and I'll mail it to you. But keep reading because . . .
OVERACHIEVER PRIZE
The person who reads the most books for the challenge will receive a fun little surprise package with a bookish theme.
GRAND PRIZE

On February 1, 2013, the three readers who’ve earned the most candles will be entered into a drawing for a $25.00 gift card from Barnes & Noble. Nothing like a little no-cost book shopping to start a new year off right!


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

Amazon Best Books of 2011 Reading Challenge

1 January 2012 - 31 December 2012

I saw this challenge hosted last year. I cannot remember who hosted it though. I don't see anyone hosting it this year, so I thought I'd try it. If someone is aware of it being hosted already, then let me know.

Objective:

* Read books from Amazon's Best Books of 2011 list chosen by their editors. This challenges you to read a variety of genres. I've listed the books below, but you can also access it through Amazon HERE.

Levels:

Novice - 5 books
Competent - 10 books
Proficient - 15 books
Expert - 20+ books

Rules:

1) Challenge will run from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2012.
2) I would recommend listing the books ahead of time, but this is not required. If you list your books ahead of time, then you are free to change them later.
3) Choose a level. You can move up levels anytime, but you cannot move down.
4) All book formats are accepted.
5) Challenge can crossover to other challenges.
6) Books must be read between the challenge dates.
7) You do not need a blog to join. You can use Goodreads, Amazon, or something similar to share your reviews and books read.
8) You can join anytime between now and 30 November 2012.
9) Add the link to your challenge post in Mr. Linky below.
10) Posts will be up at the beginning of each month for you to add your reviews to.


January Review Link Up - will post 1/12
February Review Link Up - will post 2/1
March Review Link Up - will post 3/1
April Review Link Up - will post 4/1
May Review Link Up - will post 5/1
June Review Link Up - will post 6/1
July Review Link Up - will post 7/1
August Review Link Up - will post 8/1
September Review Link Up - will post 9/1
October Review Link Up - will post 10/1
November Review Link Up - will post 11/1
December Review Link Up - will post 12/1

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

Chunky Book Club

January 1 - December 31, 2012

The votes have been cast. The poll is now closed...and we have FOUR clear winners for the books we will be reading and discussing this year.

The four books for the year are:

1. The Fall of Giants by Ken Follett (52.1% of the vote)
2. 11/22/63 by Stephen King (47.9% of the vote)
3. The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer (37.5% of the vote)
4. The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna (31.3% of the vote)

 Below is the schedule for our 2012 Chunky Book Club:

March 2012: 11/22/63 by Stephen King

  
June 2012: The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna

September 2012: Fall of Giants by Ken Follett

December 2012: The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer
 

If you are planning to participate in these book club reads, I hope you will consider subscribing to the blog. Posts about the selected books will begin appearing at the beginning of the month for each book and discussion will begin on the 15th of each month EXCEPT for December when questions will begin posting on the 5th (due to the holidays).

Vasilly and I are REALLY excited about the book club and we hope you will consider joining us for one, two, three or all four discussions! Remember, you do NOT need to join the challenge to participate in the book club (although, of course, you are welcome to do both!).

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

Edgar Awards Reading Challenge

January 1 - December 31, 2012

I'm continuing the Edgar Awards Reading Challenge in 2012. If you are considering joining me, here are the details to help you decide.

What books are eligible for the Edgar Awards Reading Challenge?
Any Edgar Award winning books counts. Check out the possibilities here. You can leave the search box blank to bring up all winners for a particular category.

Do I have to choose what books to read before I sign up?
No, you can choose as you go.

What are the levels of participation?
Patrolman = 1-3 books
Sergeant = 4-6 books
Detective = 7-9 books
Lieutenant = 10+ books

What are the dates of the challenge?

January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012

When can I sign up to participate?

Feel free to enter anytime during the course of the year.

How do I sign up?

If you are interested in joining me...

• grab the button code below for your blog,
• enter your blog link in the Mr. Linky below,
• and leave a comment telling me your participation level.

If you don't have a blog of your own, just leave me a comment to let me know you're participating and at what level.

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

Gone with the Wind Read-A-Long

Discussion 1 will take place on February 14th, Valentine's Day. (Each consecutive discussion date will be announced on the current discussion post.)

The Gone With the Wind Read-A-Long will be done in 5 parts. Official start date is January 16th. Discussion 1 will take place on February 14th, Valentine's Day, here at my blog. We will be discussing Chapters 1-7.
Each consecutive discussion date will be announced on the current discussion post. i.e...on the February 14th post, we will announce the next discussion date and so on and so forth.

Anyone is welcome to join us! Read-a-long with us and have some fun discussing this epic novel.

If you'd like to join us, just leave a comment here and grab the button above. Make sure to come back here on Valentine's Day to discuss Chapters 1-7.

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

Books in Translation Reading Challenge

January 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012

I've decided to host one more challenge, the Books in Translation Reading Challenge. I think this one's pretty self-explanatory. The goal is to read translations of books. They don't have to be in English; whatever language(s) you're comfortable reading in is good.

You can read any genre and any age range. Crossovers with other challenges are fine. Any format that you choose is also acceptable. The challenge will run from today, January 7, through December 31, 2012.

Looking for suggestions? I have a shelf on GoodReads you can check out. There's also a Listopia list on GoodReads.

Levels:
Beginner: Read 1-3 books in translation
Conversationalist: 4-6
Bilingual: 7-9
Linguist: 10-12

I am not limiting the challenge to bloggers. You can also link to a review you wrote on another site, such as GoodReads or LibraryThing.

I hope you'll join me!

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

Soul Screamers Reading Challenge

January 15, 2012 – June 14, 2012

Well, it’s a brand new year and I thought I’d do something new. Start a reading challenge of my very own. And I don’t think there is a more perfect series that I can pick than author Rachel Vincent’s Soul Screamers series.

Why? Do I really need to ask that? This series is AMAZING.

If you need another reason, well… the timing couldn’t be more perfect. With five full-length books in print in the U.S. and If I Die coming out shortly in the U.K., it works out so that if one book is read each month, the series can be completely read (or re-read) just before the U.S. release date of Before I Wake, book six in the series.

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The Challenge

To READ (or re-read) and REVIEW (or post about) all five full-length books in the Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent between January 15 and June 14, 2012.

THE BOOKS

My Soul to Take

January 15-February 14, 2012

My Soul to Save

February 15-March 14, 2012

My Soul to Keep

March 15-April 14-2012

My Soul to Steal

April 15-May14, 2012

If I Die

May 15-June 14, 2012

The Deets

The Soul Screamers Challenge will begin on January 15, 2012 and end on June 14, 2012.

You can join the challenge at any time during the above dates by signing up in THIS POST.

You do not have to be a book blogger to join. You just need somewhere to post your review and/or talk about the books you’ve read (i.e., Facebook, Goodreads, personal blog). If you do not have any of those outlets, and your review is positive, I will be happy to post your review as a guest post on my blog Soul Screamers Reading Challenge.

Books must be read and reviewed between January 15th and June 14th. You can read and review them at any time during the challenge, but each book you read and review during the scheduled month will give you an extra entry into the Before I Wake giveaway at the end of the challenge.

You can read the books in any format or edition you’d like – eBook, audiobook or even in print!

Each month, on the 15th, there will be a post in which you can link up your reviews or posts for THAT MONTH ONLY. You can leave more than one link if you’ve read and reviewed more than one of the books that month.

If you choose to do a participation post, you can leave your participation post link on my SSRC page. At the end of the challenge, those who have added their links will automatically be entered into a giveaway for either a $50 Amazon or Barnes & Noble giftcard or $50 in books of their choice from Amazon or The Book Depository.

If you’ve already read and reviewed all the books in this series, do not fear. Re-reads count as long as you are re-reading them during this challenge! You don’t have to do a new review unless you want to. Just create a post talking about the re-read experience – Was it better the second time around? Did you discover something new that you missed the first time? Did you love Tod just a bit more? There’s plenty to talk about!

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The Incentives

Before I Wake pre-order giveaway. For every ten people that actively participate in this challenge, I will be giving away one pre-order of Before I Wake. So, that’s a one in ten chance. (To be counted as an active participant you must sign up through the linky in this post and you will need to have read and reviewed at least one of the full-length books during one of the five months of this challenge.) The winners will be chosen at the end of the challenge.

At the end of each month, to those who have left their links on that month’s post, I will be giving away one of Rachel Vincent’s books to two winners.

Reading each book during the corresponding month will get you an additional entry into the Before I Wake giveaway.

Reading and reviewing (or posting about) one of the Extra Credit Reads (listed below) will give you an additional entry into the Before I Wake giveaway.

New incentives may be added as the challenge progresses. Stay tuned….

UPDATE: As of 1/6/12 at various stages of the challenge there will be giveaways for SIGNED copies of My Soul to Keep, My Soul to Steal and If I Die, as well as T-Shirts and something really special that will be revealed later in the event.

Thanks to the amazing author for donating quite a few of these awesome prizes and for signing all of the rest!

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Extra Credit Reads

In addition to the five books for the challenge, there will be extra entries for each of the three Soul Screamers novellas you read. Links to reviews or posts for the extra entry reads should be left on the challenge post during the month you’ve read and posted about it.

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

Poetry: Read More/Blog More–A Monthly Event

January 2012 – December 2012

In December I posted about my desire to read more poetry in 2012. I even shared a couple lists that were favourite poems of Lu and Jason. In the comments people expressed an interest in also reading more poetry in 2012 and, after some discussion, a meme was born.

Now that the New Year has come and gone and you’ve started on all your challenges and readalongs, Lu and I would like to jump in and add just one more. Instead of a readalong or a reading challenge, though, this is a blog-along with one goal: blog about poetry once a month.

If you regularly read poetry, if you’re just starting to explore the form, if you want a reason to read more, but most of all, if you want a place to talk, gripe, or wax poetic about poetry, this is your blog-along. If you want a place where you can ask questions about poetry, share your favorite poem, discuss how poetry makes you feel, this is just your kind of event.

Most of all, this is a laid-back way to get the book blogging community posting about poetry. This isn’t necessarily a challenge to read more poetry, though we hope you will! (Check out Serena at Saavy, Verse & Wit’s awesome poetry challenge!) There is only one rule: post about poetry once a month, on the last Tuesday of the month. Then Lu and I will write a wrap-up post the following Friday to keep the discussion going.

Poetry: Read More/Blog More – A Monthly Event!

1) Post about poetry on your blog on the following dates:

January 30th

February 28th

March 27th

April 23rd

May 29th

June 26th

July 31st

August 28th

September 25th

October 30th

November 27th

December 18th

2) Sign up with Mr. Linky! (Please link to a post specifically about this event if possible! You will find the Linky on Lu's Blog here.)

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

2012 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012

After 3 years organizing the Historical Fiction Challenge, the girls of The Royal Reviews gracefully passed over this exciting event to our team at Historical Tapestry last year and we are very excited that the challenge is going to be returning in 2012!  During 2011 there were hundreds of books read by the participants and we hope that we continue to create a wonderful place to share and discuss our favourite (and maybe not quite so favourite) historical fiction books for the next year.

Each month, a new post dedicated to the HF Challenge will be created. To participate, you only have to follow the rules:

• everyone can participate, even those who don't have a blog (you can add your book title and thoughts in the comment section if you wish)

• add the link(s) of your review(s) including your name and book title to the Mister Linky we’ll be adding to our monthly post (please, do not add your blog link, but the correct address that will guide us directly to your review)

• any kind of historical fiction is accepted (HF fantasy, HF young adult,...)

• During these following 12 months you can choose one of the different reading levels:

1. Severe Bookaholism: 20 books

2. Undoubtedly Obsessed: 15 books

3. Struggling the Addiction: 10 books

4. Daring & Curious: 5 books

5. Out of My Comfort Zone: 2 books

To join the challenge you only need to make a post about it, grab the button below if you like and leave your link in Mr Linky below.  If you don't have a blog you can just leave a comment for this post saying that you are joining.

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

The Books That Made Me Love Reading

January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012

How to Participate

♥  Write an introductory challenge post, discussing why you love reading and what some of your favorite books of all time are (especially those you loved when you were younger).

♥  Leave a comment below and link to your challenge post or GoodReads list.

♥  Add the challenge badge to your blog and link it back to this post. You can grab the code below.

♥  Re-read one old favorite per month and write a review that discusses why you loved the book back then and why you love it now (or why you don’t love it quite as much now). Remember:  You can read anything from children’s books to classic literature—whatever turned you onto this beloved hobby is A-OK with us.

♥  Whenever you read a new book for the challenge, visit this website and add the links to your reviews on the corresponding month’s post.

♥  I’ll tweet out links to challenge entries as I receive them. I have over 12,000 Twitter followers and would love to help drive traffic to your blogs!

 

Additional Info

♥  Each month will be co-sponsored by one of my indie author friends. These awesome YA, Middle Great, and Children’s Lit authors will be donating copies of their books for challenge winners. We will also interview them about their favorite books. It’s gonna be super fun!

♥  You do not need a blog to participate. Reviews on GoodReads or other book-loving sites are fine as long as you can link them back here.

♥  Books read for this challenge can be used in other challenges too. We’re not jealous

♥  You can start the challenge as late as December 1. You won’t be eligible for our month-to-month prizes, but if you review at least 12 old favorites by December 31, 2012 and follow the other contest rules, you will be eligible for the year-end grand prize.

 

The Prizes

The Grand Prize:  At the end of the year, if you’ve entered a post every month for the challenge, you will be eligible for the grand prize—a basket including 13 autographed books (Farsighted plus one from each month’s sponsor) and a $100 Amazon gift card.

The Monthly Prize: Each month, one challenge participant will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card, an autographed copy of my YA novel Farsighted, and an additional autographed book from our current month’s sponsor (either YA, Middle Grade, or Children’s Lit).

The Bonus Prize:  We’d love to have you review our sponsor’s books. This is not part of the challenge but rather an extra opportunity. For each sponsor book that you review and link here, you will receive one entry for the bonus prize—there are 13 possible entries in all. This prize basket consists of a $50 Amazon gift card and 13 autographed books (Farsighted plus one from each of our monthly sponsors).

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

2012 Rainbow Reading Challenge

January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012

For this year’s reading challenge I thought we’d have a little fun with colors. Each month has been assigned a color (along with some common alternate words to add variety). You just have to find a book with that color in the title. That’s it! As you read, come post the title and author of the book for that month below. At the end of the year… anyone who has post EACH MONTH, and completed ALL COLORS, will receive a handmade (by me) bracelet with a bead for each color, and a book charm to finish it off. I’m working on a grand prize (one random winner, only) basket of lovely, color themed books as well, but that will be a WIP during the year. In order to qualify for the bracelet, or be entered into the grand prize drawing for the basket, you MUST post each month with your title/author. If you post any reviews about the books you’ve read for this challenge, please post the link in your comment and I’ll send it out on Books Make Me Happy Twitter and Facebook streams. *All books must be at least 200 pages, or the ebook equivalent.*

Colors for each month are:

• January – Red (burgundy, claret, crimson, fuchsia, garnet, magenta, maroon, ruby, scarlet, rose, cherry)
• February – Purple (violet, lavender, amethyst, lilac, plum, periwinkle)
• March – Aquamarine (teal, turquoise)
• April – Clear (transparent, translucent, crystal, diamond)
• May – Green (emerald, jade, malachite, lime, pine, sage)
• June – Black
• July – Pink (blush, carnation, mauve)
• August - Brown (chocolate, tan, bronze)
• September – Blue (cobalt, cerulean, navy, indigo, sapphire)
• October – White (snowy)
• November – Orange (peach, salmon, coral, tangerine, copper)
• December – Silver (sterling, platinum, chrome, gray)

If you think you’ll have trouble finding books with the correct colors… check places like GoodReads.com and Google Books. Just search for the color and see what pops up!! (If you find a book with a color-type word you want to use, but it’s not on the list, email me or @ me on twitter to check.) Hopefully this will encourage all of us to look outside of our “tried and true” and find some fantastic new books. I’ll be posting my book/author each month below, can’t wait to see what YOU all find!!

Good Luck, and Happy Reading!!!

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

2012 Color Coded Reading Challenge

January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012

Last year I found that I had quite the color-theme going on with my reading and I decided to put together a challenge based on colors in the title to tempt all those Reading Challenge Addicts out there. I had only 5 or 6 folks join me, so I thought I might shelve it for a year or so and try again later. But I've had a couple of the participants tell me how much they enjoyed it and I'm game for another go round. So, for your challenge reading pleasure, I will once again host The Color Coded Reading

Challenge:

Here are the rules:

*Read nine books in the following categories.

1. A book with "Blue" in the title.
2. A book with "Red" in the title.
3. A book with "Yellow" in the title.
4. A book with "Green" in the title.
5. A book with "Brown" in the title.
6. A book with "Black" in the title.
7. A book with "White" in the title.
8. A book with any other color in the title (Purple, Orange, Turquoise, Pink, Magenta, etc.).
9. A book with a word that implies color (Rainbow, Polka-dot, Plaid, Paisley, Stripe, etc.).

 

* Any book read from January 1 through December 31, 2012 will count.

*Crossovers with other challenges are fine.

*Everyone who completes all nine categories will be entered in a year-end drawing for a book-related prize package.

*Please post about the challenge on your blog. Sign ups accepted until Nov 30, 2012.

*Please sign up using the Linky below. Give your name & blog (Example: Bev @ My Reader's Block) and use a direct link to your challenge post as your url. Please don't connect to just your home page.

*Please use the Review Page to post review links and a final wrap-up post when you finish the challenge.

*No blog? That's okay. Post a comment here to announce your entry into the challenge and when you have completed the challenge just post a comment at the review site with a list of your books.

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

Those Book I Should Have Read 2012 Reading Challenge

January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012

Ah, yes. We all have them. That pesky list of books that we “should” have read. This list could consist of “classics” that we somehow managed to miss in high school and/or college (David Copperfield, Madame Bovary, To Kill a Mockingbird), books that we want to read but their size is daunting (The Outlander series, The Game of Thrones series, Anna Karenina, War and Peace), it could be books that just somehow passed us by (The Harry Potter series, The Hunger Game trilogy, The Earth’s Children series), or it could simply be books that have been languishing on our bookshelves forever.

These books may induce reading guilt every time we pick up a different book.

If you have a “should have read” list, then this challenge is for you! So what are the rules?

Challenge Rules

1. Timeline : This challenge runs from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012
2. You may join the challenge at any time during the year as long as the books were read in 2012
3. Levels: There are 4 participation levels to this challenge. You can change levels at any time.
   • Level 1 – 6 books
   • Level 2 – 12 books
   • Level 3 – 18 books
   • Level 4 – 24 books
4. Physical books and e-books count. Audio books DO NOT COUNT
5. You must display the challenge graphic in your blog’s sidebar, if you have a blog
6. You do not have to have a blog to participate. You can make a goodreads list or some other tracking method that can be linked to
7. You do not have to select your books ahead of time
8. If you do make an initial list of books for this challenge, you may change that list at any time during the challenge
9. Books read for this challenge may also count for other challenges
10. You must fill out the linky form below and link to your challenge post or goodreads list
11. Each month I will post a link up post where you can link any reviews you have written for books for this challenge

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

Read the Bible 2012

January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012

I was planning to do this challenge completely solo, but figured I might as well open it up for public consumption.  It’s been a while since I’ve read the Bible and I’ve been wanting to read the beautiful edition that was given to Jaime and me as a wedding present.

For anyone who might be considering doing this challenge with me, please continue reading.

Rules…

1. You must read every book of the Bible – Old and New Testament.  (lists below)
   • For those a bit intimidated, feel free to choose just New or Old Testament, but let us know in the comments!
2. You are not required to read the supplemental additions included in most bibles.
3. All reading must be done between January 1st, 2012 and December 31st, 2012.
4. Keep track of your reading.  A blog isn’t necessary, just keep track of it however you feel.
   I would normally suggest Goodreads, but from the looks of it, they don’t list the books of the Bible individually.
5. If you want to participate, drop a comment below and sign up with Mr. Linky at the end of the post.

Mini-challenges, I guess…

1. Post a favorite verse from each book.
2. Read the supplemental information included in your Bible.
3. Find a study guide (online, in your Bible, in another book, anywhere) and answer a few questions about the book that you are currently on.

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

The Doctor Reading Challenge

January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012

I've lately (surprisingly enough) found myself completely engrossed in the new series of Doctor Who, beginning with the 9th Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) and continuing to the 10th (David Tennant).  I have yet to see the 11th (and have resisted peeking ahead!), as I'm (slowly) watching the episodes on DVD.

Naturally, my interest has expanded to include the new series of books that have been released in conjuction with the television show.  Initially, I was thinking of presenting it as a perpetual challenge, but I find I work better with a goal in sight, and thus, The Doctor Reading Challenge 2012 was born.

If you'd like to join me, you're more than welcome to read any of the published Doctor Who books, graphic novels, non-fiction, or other material.  And like most challenges, there are a few (ahem) levels to choose from:

First Doctor - read 2 Doctor Who books
Second Doctor - read 5 Doctor Who books
Third Doctor - read 10 Doctor Who books
Fourth Doctor - read 15 Doctor Who books
Fifth Doctor - read 20 Doctor Who books
Sixth Doctor - read 25 Doctor Who books
Seventh Doctor - read 30 Doctor Who books
Eighth Doctor - read 40 Doctor Who books
Ninth Doctor - read 50 Doctor Who books
Tenth Doctor - read 75 Doctor Who books
Eleventh Doctor - read 100+ Doctor Who books

All the usual rules apply...
*challenge runs 1 January to 31 December 2012 - any books must be read in the 2012 calendar year to count
*any format is allowed
*cross-overs between challenges allowed
*link your post/reviews from your blog, goodreads, shelfari, librarything or the comments section (no blog necessary!)
*no list is needed beforehand - you can choose as you go (or change your choices!)

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

2012 Immortals After Dark Reading Challenge

January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012

Welcome to the Immortals After Dark Reading Challenge hosted by Darlene's Book Nook!

I have always wanted to read this series. Since I could not find anyone else hosting this challenge, I thought I would give it a whirl!

The books in the Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole are:

1. The Warlord Wants Forever (Book #1)
2. A Hunger Like No Other (Book #2)
3. No Rest for the Wicked (Book #3)
4. Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night (Book #4)
5. Dark Needs at Night's Edge (Book #5)
6. Dark Desires After Dusk (Book #6)
7. Kiss of a Demon King (Book #7)
8. Deep Kiss of Winter (Book #8)
9. Pleasure of a Dark Prince (Book #9)
10. Demon from the Dark (Book #10)
11. Dreams of a Dark Warrior (Book #11)
12. Lothaire (Book #12) - expected publication January 2012

Please read below for the challenge guidelines.

Immortals After Dark Reading Challenge

Here are the challenge details:

1. The challenge will run from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012. You can join the challenge at any time, whether you haven't yet started the series or are already halfway through. As the challenge host, I reserve the right to extend the challenge period!
2. This challenge can cross-over to your other reading challenges.
3. You do not need a blog to participate! If you are not a blogger, you can post your reviews at Goodreads, Shelfari, or LibraryThing and link them up here.
4. All formats of books are acceptable: Bound copies, e-books, and audiobooks (as long as they are unabridged).
5. There will be link-ups for your reviews on a quarterly basis, which will be posted on THIS page.
6. There will be a link for your wrap-up post at the end of the year.
7. Create a sign-up post and link back to this post. Sign up with Mister Linky below! Be sure to use the direct url to your sign-up post and not the url to your blog.
8. Grab the challenge button and post it in your sidebar.

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

2012 Dewey Decimal Reading Challenge

January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012

The Challenge:  Read any non-fiction book(s), adult or young adult. That's it. You can choose anything. Poetry? Yes. Memoirs? Yes. History? Yes. Travel? Yes. You get the idea? Absolutely anything that is classified as non-fiction counts for this challenge.

I always like levels in my challenges, so here are mine:

Dilettante--Read 1-5 non-fiction books
Explorer--Read 6-10
Seeker--Read 11-15
Master--Read 16-20

This challenge will last from January 1 to December 31, 2012. You can sign up anytime throughout the year.

I am not limiting the challenge to bloggers. You can also link to a review you wrote on another site, such as GoodReads or LibraryThing.

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

2012 Judy Blume Reading Challenge

January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012

How many of us grew up on Judy Blume books? I know I did. One of my all-time favorite books as a child was Blume’s Just As Long As We’re Together. Let’s take a trip down memory lane together and revisit Blume’s body of work. We are pretty laid-back over here at QGR. To participate all you need to do is read one book. Hopefully, you write a review and share the link with us.

The particulars:

The When: January 12, 2012 through March 20, 2012 (because we like short seasonal challenges.)

The Fun: Read any books written by Judy Blume, whether they be her YA or adult books. Read at least one but don’t let that stop you.

The Extras: We will be hosting a readalong of Forever. That might be the one book many of us haven’t read. (This could also count as your one Blume book.)

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

2012 A to Z Reading Challenge

January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012

 

Hello Fellow Bookworms! So 2012 is getting closer and closer and it's around the time to start thinking about Reading Challenges for the coming year. This year, I've decided it might be fun to host one so I am. So without further ado, I present to you the A to Z Reading Challenge!

I think it is time for a little Q&A don't you think?

So what does this A to Z Reading Challenge entail?
The A to Z Reading Challenge, which shall henceforth be known as AZRC, challenges you to read and review one book starting with every letter of the alphabet. There are three possible challenges you can partake in.

1. Author - A to Z by authors last name, 26 books.
2. Title - A to Z by book title, 26 books.
3. Double Whammy - Do both Challenge 1 and 2 for a total 52 books.

Note: There is no option to do some by author and some by title and read only 26 books.

Deadlines?
The deadline to register is May 31, 2012

What books count towards this challenge?
Anything you want. Well not anything. It has to be a book. You can count books you are reading for other challenges if you would like and rereads are perfectly fine. The only thing is you have to have read the book between January 1,2012 and December 31, 2012. Part of this challenge is also reviewing the books and if you finished a book on December 31, you probably aren't going to review it that night. So the deadline for reviews is January 31, 2013.
And to reiterate, for books read, it only counts through the December 31.

Why should I partake in this?
Because you love me? Shouldn't that be enough. Just kidding. It should be really fun. The plan is to have fun fun activities every other week. (52 weeks in the year, 52/2 = 26, 26 letters in the alphabet. you get it). I'm going to start planning these really soon. THERE COULD BE MINI CHALLENGES INVOLVED! THERE COULD BE GIVEAWAYS! THERE COULD BE DISCUSSIONS! THERE COULD BE ALL THREE! I'll keep you posted I promise. And the best part for the giveaways that will happen, you are automatically get one entry JUST for participating.

I have an idea! Can I contribute?
YES! ABSOLUTELY YES! 26 events over the year is a lot to wrap my brain around and I definitely can't do it alone. So if you have any ideas at all, for now just email me at strawberryAvalancheReviews(at)gmail(dot)com and we'll talk. Later on, I'll have forms up for more specific things I need from you guys.
Oh and if you an author and have a book coming out in 2012 and you want to represent its first letter or the first letter of your last name, email me!!

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

Armchair Theologian Reading Challenge

January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012

Westminster John Knox Press has published a series of books for 'Armchair Theologians.' Here they are in alphabetical order:

• Aquinas for Armchair Theologians by Timothy M. Renick
• Augustine for Armchair Theologians by Stephen A. Cooper
• Barth for Armchair Theologians by John R. Franke
• Bonhoeffer for Armchair Theologians by Stephen Haynes
• Calvin for Armchair Theologians by Christopher Elwood
• Heretics for Armchair Theologians by Justo L. Gonzalez and Catherine Gunsalus Gonzalez
• Jonathan Edwards for Armchair Theologians by James P. Byrd
• Luther for Armchair Theologians by Steven Paulson
• Martin Luther King Jr. for Armchair Theologians by Rufus Burrow Jr.
• Reformation for Armchair Theologians by Glenn Sunshine
• Wesley for Armchair Theologians by William J. Abraham

The goal of this mini-challenge--which lasts all year long, to give you plenty of time to join in--is to read just ONE of these books. I'm not asking you to read them all. (I certainly don't plan on reading them all.)

Christianbook.com has many of these in paperback and on audiobook. Quite a handful--at least for the moment--are available for just $3.69!

Martin Luther King, Jr -- $3.69
Jonathan Edwards -- $3.69
Heretics for Armchair Theologians -- $3.69
Barth for Armchair Theologians -- $3.69
Reformation for Armchair Theologians -- $3.69
Augustine for Armchair Theologians -- $3.69
Aquinas for Amrchair Theologians -- $3.69

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

New Testament in a Week Reading Event

April 1, 2012 – April 8, 2012

In April, I'll be hosting a special event. I'm asking you to join me in reading the New Testament the week before Easter. I'm asking you to set aside time during the week of April 1-8 to read the New Testament.

Does it have to be the whole New Testament?

My goal is to read the entire New Testament this week. But that does NOT have to be your goal. You can set your own goals. Your goal might be to read one gospel and a letter or two. Read 27 books, read 3 books. Just read something.

• You may read from any translation of the Bible.
• You may switch translations throughout the week, if you want.
• You may use a text-only Bible, or a study Bible.
• You may use an audio bible, an e-Bible, or an online Bible.
• You may read the books in ANY order.
• If you would like to follow an exact plan, you may. Here is one I found to do the New Testament in a week.
• You may reread certain books if you would like to take some time to meditate on what you're reading.
• If you finish reading the New Testament early, consider reading Psalm 119, Psalm 22, Psalms 113-118, Exodus 12, Isaiah 40-66.
• No blog is required, but you may blog your progress if you like.

I wanted to announce this early so you'd have time to think about it, to plan for it. If you are interested leave a comment. You can sign up now if you like. But you don't have to commit just yet.

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

The 2012 Short Story Challenge

January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012

This year, I've decided to dedicate more time to a wonderful way of telling tales: the short story. To do this, I thought "oh, I should sign up to a challenge" but alas, the only short story challenge I've found counts stories by anthologies (click here to sign-up for that challenge). So, I've decided to run one myself!

What is a short story?
Short stories are works of fiction, often written in prose. They tend to be more pointed, focused, and contained than novels.

Why do short stories matter?
The short story is one of the most exciting and important literary forms, and that it can, and should, reach the widest possible readership.

Where can I find short stories?
Anywhere and everywhere. Anthologies, magazines, newspapers, and even on-line.
Still interested? Then take a look at the must-read details:

• The 2012 Short Story Challenge runs January 1st, 2012 to December 31st, 2012.
• You can sign up at any time.
• You do NOT need a blog to sign up - just somewhere online to monitor your progress (personal blog, goodreads, facebook, twitter, etc.) But please post something that shows you are participating in the challenge - it doesn't have to be a full post, a link/tweet/sidebar listing is enough!
• You need to read at least 12 short stories. Ain't that easy? Easy peasy. That's one short story a month. Of course, you can choose to read more than 12. Why would you want to? Well, because short stories are brilliant.
• There will a giveaways! I'll be giving away two anthologies over the course of the year for challenge participants.

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

2012 Fairy Tale Challenge

January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012

I am so excited to announce that the Fairy Tale Challenge is returning for 2012!  For all those who love fairy tales, both in writing and on the screen, this is your opportunity to share your love with other fans.  Just as last year, we will have four different levels:

• Fairy (Level 1):  Read 1 original tale.  Read 1 modern tale.  Watch 1 film.  (Total of 3 selections.)
• Dwarf (Level 2):  Read/watch any combination of original tales, modern tales, or films, resulting in a total of 6 selections.
• Royal Prince or Princess (Level 3):  Read/watch any combination of original tales, modern tales, or films, resulting in 9 total selections.
• Happily Ever After (Level 4):  Read/watch any combination of original tales, modern tales, or films, resulting in 12 total selections. 

Here are a few other notes of importance:

• The challenge will run from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012.
• Selections can include any age level or genre, from picture books and classics to young adult and even graphic novels.  Creativity is completely acceptable here!
• You do not need to determine your list of fairy tales.  Go with what moves you at the time!
• A blog is not required, but it is encouraged.  You are also welcome to keep track of your selections via GoodReads, LibraryThing, Shelfari, or simply the comment section.
• Reviews are not required, but are encouraged.  Other participants enjoy receiving recommendations!
• A Mr. Linky is below for sign-ups.  Another post will be made for adding your reviews.  Both direct links can be found on the left sidebar.
• You can overlap your choices with other challenges.

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