2013 Sarah Dessen Read/Reread Challenge

January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Sarah Dessen. In fact, I think all of us girls here on I Eat Words are enormous fans. I know I'm super excited that we get a new book from Sarah Dessen this June! Anyway, I was looking at my book case the other day and was examining my Sarah Dessen books when I thought, I really want to reread these! Then I thought, how cool would it be to make it a challenge?

I know some people shy away from reading challenges, and I don't want you to be put off by that term. There's really no rules or nothing that you'll win at the end. If you participate, you'll get to experience (or experience again) the awesome that is Sarah Dessen's work. And I figure, hey, maybe we can read one book a month and chat about it?

So here's the schedule I've come up with :)

February - Just Listen

March - This Lullaby

April - Dreamland

May - The Truth About Forever

June - The Moon and More

July - That Summer

August - Along for the Ride

September -Someone like You

October - Keeping the Moon

November - What Happened to Goodbye

December - Lock and Key

I know it's not in order of release, but hey! Whatever. Haha :)

This reading challenge is hosted by I Eat Words. For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

2013 Books About Books Challenge

January 1st, 2013 – December 31st, 2013

 
Introducing the 2013 Books About Books Challenge!
I wanted to come up with a good challenge to host in 2013, but I wasn’t sufficiently inspired until late January. I finished Start Here: Read Your Way Into 25 Amazing Authors and realized that I love reading about…well, reading. I enjoy essays on authors and literature. I have a few books on my shelves that I haven’t picked up yet, and I really should. In addition, I have tons of books about writing books that I really need to divide and conquer (I think my desk shelf would really appreciate it). And don’t think fiction will be left out – just read the details below!
Reading Challenge Details

• The challenge will run from January 1st, 2013 – December 31st, 2013
• Sign up throughout the year – no cut-offs here (Obligatory: I am not a Never Nude, although there are dozens of them! Dozens!)
• Book can be in any format – bound, audiobook, ebook
• All books read during 2013 count – even if you started before January 1st
• Rereads absolutely count
• Read any of the following:
  • Compilations of essays on authors/literature or reading pathways
  • Books about writing books
  • Fiction in which books play a big role
  • Check out these Book Riot posts (including comments) for ideas:
    • What to Read When You Don’t Know What to Read: A List of Books About Reading
    • Riot Recommendation: Books About Reading
    • A Great Big, Huge, Not Very Small at All List of Books About Books
    • Got some must-read suggestions? Throw ‘em down in the comments!

Levels

• Flash fiction: 1-5 books
• Short story: 6-10 books
• Novella: 11-15 books
• Novel: 16-20 books
• Doorstopper: 21+ books

I’ll host a discussion at the end of every month for participants (and lurkers). So, sign up below (you can post a Goodreads/Twitter link if you don’t have your own blog) and let’s get started!
For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

Vintage Children’s Literature Reading Challenge 2013

January 31st, 2013 – December 31st, 2013

Finally I decided to bite the bullet and enter the blog world of challenge hosting.   I have a bit of an interest in classic or vintage children's literature, so I have decided to host a vintage children's literature reading challenge.  I realise this is a little late to start but better late than never.  I must confess that this is a bit of a learning experience for me, for while I have participated in challenges I have never hosted one.  This is really about adding to reading enjoyment by starting a conversation and by refining some of my blogging skills.  Even if there are only a couple of people interested in participating I am interested to see if from the challenge we generate a list of must read children's books, whether or not some old classics are worthy of a re-visit and whether they stand the test of time.  Are classic books still accessible to a current generation of readers or are they best left to nostalgic adults?
Rules
1. Only titles published before the year 2000 count.  So that means only the first three Harry Potter novels would qualify for this challenge.
2.  The challenge focuses mainly on novels but you can choose picture books or collections of short stories or non-fiction,  if you desire .
3.  Challenge runs from 31st of January to the 31st of December 2013 and you can sign up at any time.
4. You don't need a blog to participate, you can just sign up and for each book read just leave a comment on the monthly post for the challenge or you could link to your goodreads page, facebook, twitter, whatever you can think of.
5. Choose a level
6.  If you blog, write an introduction post with the badge and a link back here.  Maybe outline some of the titles you plan to read.
7. Any format counts, including e-books and audio books, re-reads count as do double ups with other challenges.
Levels:
Gumnut baby - four books.  (the gumnunt babies are the most famous characters by Australian children's author illustrator May Gibbs.)
Alice - six books - you are entering into the wonderland of childhood.
Mary Poppins - ten books - you have a serious interest in the world of the young.
Peter Pan - twelve books or more - you clearly are still in touch with your inner child.
I will post monthly on subjects related to children's literature and sporadically I will organise some giveaways, they will mostly be for simple fun things like cool bookmarks, however I will organise something special towards the end of the year.
This challenge is about reading fun and my learning some new skills with blogging so comments and suggestions welcome.  I have added a linky, which I hope works, ( I have never used one before except as a participant).   If you sign up please leave a comment.  I will set up a separate tab for the challenge and as a place to link to posts.  I will post details of an initial giveaway open to anyone who reads a vintage children's title between now and the end of March and leaves a comment and or link.
For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

2013 Gothic Reading Challenge

January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013

CHALLENGE GUIDELINES

Any book considered "Gothic" - examples include the 60's and 70's Mystery Suspense Romance like Barbara Michaels, Victoria Holt, Beverly C. Warren, books like VC Andrews, Dracula, Frankenstein, Victorian Age Suspense and Horror or Drama, Edgar Allan Poe, etc. If it's Gothic, it counts!

Please look HERE for a list of all the elements in a Gothic Novel.

I wanted to keep this one super simple, but most of all FUN. Re-reads are allowed. Cross challenges allowed. Story in any form (Book, eBook, graphic novel).  Anthologies of short stories are allowed.

Setting Four Challenge Levels:

1-7:     A Dark and Stormy Night
8-14:   A Wicked Web
15-21: Booked By Betrayal
22-28: The Crumbling Castle

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

2013 ARC Reading Challenge

January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013

This is the original ARC Challenge That I created in 2010,I hope all of you ARC Readers will join me again in 2013 for the ARC Reading Challenge.  I welcome old and new participants.  I don't know about you, but my ARC pile is way too big.

Note:  I use the term "ARC" loosely, any book a publisher or author gives you with the expectation that you review it, counts for this challenge.

The Levels

Level Bronze:

a. All of us who have or will have less than 12 ARCS must read all of the ARCS we have. Note, that if you have 11 ARC's and then receive a 12th one you will be bumped up to category b.

b. All of us who have or will have 12 or more than 12 ARCS  must read and review at least 12.

Level Silver: Read 24 ARCS
Level Gold: Read 30 ARCS
Level Platinum: Read 35 or more ARCS

Rules:

To sign up, leave a direct link to your blog post about this challenge.  Please leave a comment as well.

• You Can join this challenge at anytime throughout the year.
  

• You don't have to make a list of which ARC's you plan to read, but you can if you want.

• If you choose a lower level, you can always change it to a higher level if you like.  However, you cannot go from a higher level back down to a lower level.

• Crossovers with other challenges are allowed and Audio-books and ebooks are allowed as long as they are ARC's.

• Read the books and review them on your blog. If you don't have a blog, you can post your review on sites like Powells, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc.

• Please subscribe to my blog, as I will be doing a monthly post with MR Linky.  Please add your reviews for each month in MR Linky in the monthly post. For your Name, please use this format Name: (Your Name, Book Title and Author's Name) for example: (Teddy, Obsessive Reading by Helen Reader).  Please be sure to use the direct link to your review, not just to your blog. Then please leave a comment.

• HAVE FUN!

This reading challenge is hosted by So Many Precious Books, So Little Time. For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.

2013 In the Middle Reading Challenge

January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013

The in the Middle Reading Challenge hosted by Rachael Turns Pages. Let's put it this way most of the books I read are in the middle books they aren't overly short and they aren't overly long so when I feel like in order to complete the big and small book challenge I would leave out the in the middle books. So I created this challenge so I would continue to read the in the middle books.

Challenge Guidelines:

• This challenge will run from January 1st 2013 to December 31st 2013
• All books read during 2013 count
• All books must be from 300 to 400 pages in length
• The books can be in any format (bound, ebook, audiobook)
• Note for audiobooks: look up the number of pages on Amazon and use that number
• You don't have to be a blogger to participate. However, leave a comment and tell me what level  you're aiming for. You can also record with a shelf on goodreads or shelfari
• For bloggers, post up a challenge sign up post saying what level you've signed up for. Be sure to sign-up with your sign-up post in the linky.
• You don't have to review the books you read however if you do, you will be able to post your links to your reviews here. (I'll have a post up for reviews up in January.)
• Crossovers with other challenges count and are encouraged
• Have Fun! (reading is about having fun and enjoying the story the author has crafted)

 

Levels:

Leafing through the pages: 1-5 books
Cruising through the pages: 5-10 books
Finishing these novels: 10-15 books
Never stop reading: 15 + books

This reading challenge is hosted by Rachel Turns Pages. For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.