Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Back to the Classics Challenge 2019


Host: Karen K @ Books and Chocolate
Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2019

How the challenge works:
  • Complete six categories, and you'll get one entry in the drawing; 
  • Complete nine categories, and you'll get two entries in the drawing; 
  • Complete all twelve categories, and you'll get three entries in the drawing

The Categories:
  1. 19th Century Classic. Any classic book originally published between 1800 and 1899.
  2. 20th Century Classic. Any classic book originally published between 1900 and 1969. All books in this category must have been published at least 50 years ago. The only exceptions are books that were published posthumously but were written at least 50 years ago. 
  3. Classic by a Female Author.
  4. Classic in Translation. Any classic originally written in a novel other than your native language. You may read the book in your native language, or its original language (or a third language for all you polyglots!) Modern translations are acceptable, as long as the book was originally published at least 50 years ago. Books in translation are acceptable in all other categories as well.
  5. Classic Comedy. Any comedy or humorous work. Humor is very subjective, so if you think Crime and Punishment is hilarious, go ahead and use it, but if it's a work that's traditionally not considered humorous, please tell us why in your post. 
  6. Classic Tragedy. Tragedies traditionally have a sad ending, but just like the comedies, this is up for the reader to interpret. 
  7. Very Long Classic. Any classic single work 500 pages or longer, not including introductions or end notes. Omnibus editions of multiple works do not count. Since page counts can vary depending on the edition, average the page count of various editions to determine the length.
  8. Classic Novella. Any work of narrative fiction shorter than 250 pages. 
  9. Classic From the Americas (includes the Caribbean). Includes classic set in either continent or the Caribbean, or by an author originally from one of those countries. Examples include Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (United States); Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (Jamaica); or One Hundred Years of Solitude (Columbia/South America). 
  10. Classic From Africa, Asia, or Oceania (includes Australia). Any classic set in one of those contents or islands, or by an author from these countries. Examples include Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz (Egypt); The Makioka Sisters by Junichiro Tanizaki (Japan); On the Beach by Nevile Shute (Australia); Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (Nigeria). 
  11. Classic From a Place You've Lived. Read locally! Any classic set in a city, county, state or country in which you've lived. Choices for me include Giant by Edna Ferber (Texas); Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser (Chicago); and Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann (Germany). 
  12. Classic Play. Any play written or performed at least 50 years ago. Plays are eligible for this category only.

The Rules (quoted from the challenge announcement post):
  • All books must be read from January 1 through December 31, 2019. Books started before January 1 do not qualify. All reviews must be linked to this challenge by 11:59 p.m. on December 31, 2019. 
  • Participants must post a wrap-up and link it to the challenge, and it must include links to all the books they've read for this challenge, specifying which books for each category. It is fine to rearrange books for the challenge, since many books can fit multiple categories — just be sure to explain that in the final wrap-up.
  • The wrap-up post MUST include contact information so that the winner can be contacted privately. 
  • If you do NOT have a blog and wish to enter, you need to link to individual reviews on a publicly accessible site like Goodreads. You can specify which categories in the comments section of the link to the Final Wrap-Up Post. Do not simply link to your Goodreads account.
  • All books must have been written at least 50 years ago to qualify; therefore, books must have been published no later than 1969 for this challenge. The only exceptions to this rule are books which published posthumously but written before 1969. Recent translations of classic novels are acceptable. 
  • E-books and audiobooks are acceptable! You may also count books for this challenge that you've read for other challenges. 
  • Books may NOT cross over within this challenge — that is, you may not count the same book multiple times within this challenge. You MUST read a different book for each category in this challenge, or it doesn't count. 
  • Multiple books by the same author are acceptable. 
  • Children's classics are acceptable, but no more than three total for the challenge! And please, no picture books.
  • Single short stories and short poetry collections do not count, but you may use full-length narrative poems (like The Odyssey) and short story collections such as The Canterbury Tales, as long as you read the entire book.
  • You do NOT have to list all the books you intend to read in your sign-up post, but it's more fun if you do! You may certainly rearrange or change the books for this challenge, and books may be read in any order. 
  • The deadline to sign up for the challenge is March 1, 2019. After that, the link will be closed and you'll have to wait until 2020 for the next year's challenge. Please include a link to your actual sign-up post, not your blog URL/home page. Make sure you sign up in the Linky on the announcement page, not the comments section. If your name doesn't appear in the sign-ups, you are not eligible. If you've made a mistake with your link, just add a new one and explain in the comments. 
  • The winner will be announced the first week of January, 2020. All qualifying participants will receive one or more entries, depending upon the number of categories they complete as stated above. One winner will be randomly selected from all qualifying entries. The winner will be contacted privately before the announcement is posted on the blog. 
  • The winner will receive a gift certificate in the amount of $30 (US) from Amazon.com (US) OR $30 in books from The Book Depository. Winners must live in a country that receives shipment from one of these online retailers.

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See the challenge announcement/sign-up post HERE.
● Link up reviews HERE.
● Link up challenge wrap-ups HERE.


MY READING LIST (books I've read, with links to reviews):
  • Category 1:
  • Category 2:
  • Category 3: O Pioneers! Willa Cather (first published 1913)
  • Category 4:
  • Category 5:
  • Category 6:
  • Category 7: 
  • Category 8: Who Goes There? John W. Campbell, Jr. (first published 1938)
  • Category 9:
  • Category 10: 
  • Category 11:
  • Category 12:

POSSIBLE  READS:

This is my list of TBR classics that match up with one or more of the categories in the challenge.

All Passion Spent. Vita Sackville-West  (1931)
The Ambassadors. Henry James  (1903)
The American. Henry James  (1877)
Anna Karenina. Leo Tolstoy  (1877)
Appointment in Samarra. John O'Hara (1934)
Barchester Towers (Barsetshire #2). Anthony Trollope (1857)
Barry Lyndon. William Makepeace Thackeray (1844)
The Beckoning Fair One. Oliver Onions (1911)
The Bell Jar. Sylvia Plath (1963)
The Bostonians. Henry James (1886)
The Code of the Woosters. P.G. Wodehouse (1938)
Cranford. Elizabeth Gaskell (1853)
Cry, the Beloved Country. Alan Paton (1948)
The Custom of the Country. Edith Wharton (1913)
Delta Wedding. Eudora Welty (1946)
Demian. Hermann Hesse (1919)
The Edwardians. Vita Sackville-West (1930)
Eight Cousins. Louisa May Alcott (1874)
The Enchanted April. Elizabeth von Arnim (1922)
The Europeans. Henry James (1878)
Far from the Madding Crowd. Thomas Hardy (1874)
Fathers and Sons. Ivan Turgenev (1862)
The 42nd Parallel (USA Trilogy #1). John Dos Passos (1930)
Foundation. Isaac Asimov (1951)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Anita Loos (1924)
The Go-Between. L.P. Hartley (1953)
The Golden Bowl. Henry James (1904)
Grand Hotel. Vicki Baum (1929)
The Heart of the Matter. Graham Greene (1948)
High Rising (Barsetshire #1). Angela Thirkell (1933)
Horseman, Pass By. Larry McMurtry (1961)
The House of Mirth. Edith Wharton (1905)
In Chancery (Forsyte Sage #2). John Galsworthy (1920)
The Invention of Morel. Adolfo Bioy Casares (1940)
Invitation to the Waltz. Rosamond Lehmann (1932)
Jane Eyre. Charlotte Brontë (1847)
King, Queen, Knave. Vladimir Nabokov (1928)
Lady Windermere's Fan. Oscar Wilde (1893)
The Magnificent Ambersons. Booth Tarkington (1918)
The Man in the Queue. Josephine Tey (1929)
The Marble Faun. Nathaniel Hawthorne (1860)
Medea. Euripides (431 BC)
The Metamorphosis. Franz Kafka (1915)
Misty of Chincoteague. Marguerite Henry (1947)
The Moonstone. Wilkie Collins (1868)
The Mousetrap. Agatha Christie (1952)
The Murder at the Vicarage (Miss Marple #1). Agatha Christie (1930)
The Old Wives' Tale. Arnold Bennett (1908)
One Hundred Years of Solitude. Gabriel Garcia Marquez (1967)
O Pioneers! Willa Cather (1913)
Our Man in Havana. Graham Greene (1959)
Persuasion. Jane Austen (1818)
Pinocchio. Carlo Collodi (1883)
The Ponder Heart. Eudora Welty (1954)
A Raisin in the Sun. Lorraine Hansberry (1959)
Sense and Sensibility. Jane Austen (1811)
The Sheltering Sky. Paul Bowles (1949)
She Stoops to Conquer. Oliver Goldsmith (1773)
Sister Carrie. Theodore Dreiser (1900)
Six Characters in Search of an Author. Luigi Pirandello (1921)
Something Fresh (Blandings Castle #1). P.G. Wodehouse (1915)
The Spoils of Poynton. Henry James (1896)
Things Fall Apart. Chinua Achebe (1958)
Where Angels Fear to Tread. E.M. Forster (1905)
Wide Sargasso Sea. Jean Rhys (1966)
Winesburg, Ohio. Sherwood Anderson (1919)
The Wings of the Dove. Henry James (1902)
A Wreath of Roses. Elizabeth Taylor (1949)


Thursday, December 13, 2018

Print Only 2019 Reading Challenge


Host: As Told By Tina
Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2019

Goal: Read as many physical books as you can. These can be books you’ve purchased, been sent, or borrowed! As long as it is a physical book, then it counts.

Guidelines (quoted from announcement/sign-up page):
  • Challenge runs from January 1st to December 31st and you can sign up at anytime.
  • Every book must be a physical book. Hardback, paperbacks, soft board books all count.
  • All genres count.
  • Re-reads are OK, and books can be crossovers with other challenges.
  • You don’t have to be a blogger to join; sign up if you are just a reader, only on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
  • If you are a blogger, you can do a sign up post (you can also include all the other challenges you are in, it doesn’t have to be just for this challenge) to announcing your commitment.
  • Use the hash tag #PrintOnlyRC19 to share your progress.
  • There will be a link on the last Friday of every month to link up reviews. 

Levels:
  1. 1-10Out Of Print
  2. 11-20 1st Edition
  3. 21-302nd Printing
  4. 31- 40Signed Edition
  5. 41+Collector’s Edition

I'll be signing up at Level 1 (Out of Print) and definitely hope to read more than one book!

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See the challenge announcement/sign-up post HERE.
● See the Monthly Link-Up pages: JAN, FEB, MAR, APR, MAY, JUN, JUL, AUG, SEP, OCT, NOV, DEC.


MY  READING  LIST (books I've read for the challenge, with links to reviews):
  1. The Last Romantics. Tara Conklin (2019, William Morrow) 
  2. The Body in the Wake (Faith Fairchild #25). Katherine Hall Page (2019, William Morrow)



Sunday, December 9, 2018

2019 European Reading Challenge


Hosted by: Rose City Reader
Dates: January 1, 2019 - January 31, 2020

Guidelines (quoted from the announcement page):
The idea is to read books by European authors or books set in European countries (no matter where the author comes from). The books can be anything – novels, short stories, memoirs, travel guides, cookbooks, biography, poetry, or any other genre. You can participate at different levels, but each book must be by a different author and set in a different country – it's supposed to be a tour. 
  • Books should be read between January 1, 2019 and January 31, 2020.  If you participated in the 2018 European Reading Challenge, you can only count books read in January 2018 for one year -- either the end of the 2018 challenge or the start of the 2019 challenge -- you don't get to count one book for both challenges. 
  • You do not have to commit to your choices now; and you can change your mind about books at any time. 
  • Overlap with other challenges is allowed -- and encouraged! 
  • Re-reads count. 
  • Audiobooks count. 
  • E-books count. 
  • Self-published books count. 
  • There will be a page for linking your reviews. Reviews are not necessary, unless you are going for the prize, in which case only books reviewed count.
  • If you do not have a blog, put your reviews or reports in a comment on the review list page. 
  • There will be a page for posting links to wrap-up posts. 
Levels of participation:
  1. Five Star (Deluxe Entourage): Read at least five books by different European authors or books set in different European countries.
  2. Four Star (Honeymooner): Read four qualifying books.
  3. Three Star (Business Traveler): Read three qualifying books.
  4. Two Star (Adventurer): Read two qualifying books.
  5. One Star (Pensione Weekender): Read just one qualifying book.
List of Countries:
Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Vatican City.

✹ I'm signing up for the Four Star ("Honeymooner") level.

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See my wrap-up post HERE.
● See the challenge announcement page HERE.
● See the review page HERE.
● See the page for challenge wrap-ups HERE.


MY READING LIST (books I've read, with links to reviews):
1. The Quiche of Death (Agatha Raisin #1). M.C. Beaton (set in UK)
2. 

Thursday, December 6, 2018

Cloak and Dagger 2019 Reading Challenge


Hosted by: Stormi @ Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My! and Barb @ Booker T's Farm
Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2019

Rules and Guidelines:
  • Any book from the mystery/suspense/thriller/crime genres qualifies. Any sub-genres are welcome as long as they incorporate one of those genres.
  • A blog isn't necessary to participate, but you do need a place to post your reviews to link up. (A blog, Goodreads, booklikes, etc.)
  • Sign-up until March 15, 2019. Post your goal for the challenge and link it back to the sign-up page.
  • Books should be novellas or novels (no short stories), and should be over 100 pages. 
  • Books can crossover with other challenges.
  • There will be quarterly link-ups to check your progress and show everyone your reviews. At the halfway mark and at the end there will be a giveaway for those participating.
  • If you tweet about your progress or reviews, use the hashtag #CloakDaggerChal so others can find it.

Levels:
  1. Amateur sleuth  (5-15 books)
  2. Detective  (16-25 books)
  3. Inspector  (26-35 books)
  4. Special agent  (36-55 books)
  5. Sherlock Holmes  (56+ books)

I'm signing up at the "Detective" level, and will try for 25 books.

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See the challenge announcement/signup page HERE.
● See the quarterly review linkups: January-March, April-June, July-September, October-December.
● See my challenge wrap-up post HERE.


MY READING LIST (books I've read, with links to reviews):
  1. The Quiche of Death (Agatha Raisin #1). M.C. Beaton (1992; mystery / cozy mystery) [review linked 1/23/2019]
  2. The Janus Stone (Ruth Galloway #2). Elly Griffiths (2010; mystery / cold case, forensics) 
  3. Murder Theory (The Naturalist #3). Andrew Mayne (2019; thriller) 
  4. The Stranger Diaries. Elly Griffiths (2018/2019; mystery / psychological suspense) 
  5. Run Away. Harlan Coben (2019; thriller)
  6. The Appleton Case (Markham Sisters #1). Diana Xarissa (2015; mystery / cozy mystery)
  7. The Vicious Vet (Agatha Raisin #2). M.C. Beaton (1993; mystery / cozy mystery)
  8. Little Darlings. Melanie Golding (2019; thriller) 
  9. The Lady in the Lake. Laura Lippman (2019; mystery / historical mystery)
  10. The Potted Gardener (Agatha Raisin #3). M.C. Beaton (1994; mystery / cozy mystery)
  11. The Man in the White Linen Suit (Stewart Hoag #11). David Handler (2019; mystery)
  12. Fake Like Me. Barbara Bourland (2019; mystery)
  13. The Shape of Night. Tess Gerritsen (2019; mystery/romantic suspense)
  14. We Were Killers Once (Brigid Quinn #4). Becky Masterman (2019; mystery / thriller) 
  15. Sorry for the Dead (Josephine Tey #8). Nicola Upson (2019; mystery / historical mystery)
  16. The Walkers of Dembley (Agatha Raisin #4). M.C. Beaton (1995; cozy mystery)

POSSIBILITIES (books I'd like to knock off my TBR pile):
  • The Book of the Dead  (Pendergast #7). Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
  • The Bookwoman's Last Fling  (Cliff Janeway #5). John Dunning 
  • The Cabinet of Curiosities  (Pendergast #3). Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child 
  • The Case of the Gilded Fly  (Gervase Fen #1). Edmund Crispin 
  • Cast, in Order of Disappearance  (Charles Paris #1). Simon Brett 
  • Cutwork  (Needlecraft Mysteries #7). Monica Ferris 
  • Death at the President's Lodging  (Sir John Appleby #1). Michael Innes 
  • Death in Disguise  (Inspector Barnaby #3). Caroline Graham 
  • Death is a Word  (Sheila Malory #21). Hazel Holt 
  • Death of a Hollow Man  (Inspector Barnaby #2). Caroline Graham 
  • Dumb Witness  (Hercule Poirot #16). Agatha Christie 
  • Faithful Unto Death  (Inspector Barnaby #5). Caroline Graham 
  • Final Curtain  (Roderick Alleyn #14). Ngaio Marsh 
  • Five Red Herrings  (Lord Peter Wimsey #7). Dorothy L. Sayers 
  • Framed in Lace  (Needlecraft Mysteries #2). Monica Ferris 
  • Gallows View  (Inspector Alan Banks #1). Peter Robinson 
  • Hanging By a Thread  (Needlecraft Mysteries #6). Monica Ferris 
  • In the Best Families  (Nero Wolfe #13). Rex Stout
  • The League of Frightened Men  (Nero Wolfe #2). Rex Stout 
  • Let the Devil Sleep  (Dave Gurney #3). John Verdon 
  • The Little Sister  (Philip Marlow #5). Raymond Chandler 
  • Los Alamos. Joseph Kanon 
  • The Man in the Queue  (Inspector Alan Grant #1). Josephine Tey 
  • The Man Who Died Laughing  (Stewart Hoag #1). David Handler 
  • The Moving Finger  (Miss Marple #4). Agatha Christie 
  • Mrs. Malory and a Death in the Family  (Sheila Malory #17). Hazel Holt 
  • Mrs. Malory and a Necessary End  (Sheila Malory #20). Hazel Holt 
  • Murder Must Advertise  (Lord Peter Wimsey #10). Dorothy L. Sayers
  • The Murder on the Links  (Hercule Poirot #2). Agatha Christie
  • Murder, She Meowed  (Mrs. Murphy #5). Rita Mae Brown 
  • Murder with Mirrors  (Miss Marple #8). Agatha Christie 
  • Nemesis  (Miss Marple #12). Agatha Christie 
  • Origin  (Robert Langdon #5). Dan Brown 
  • Pay Dirt  (Mrs. Murphy #4). Rita Mae Brown 
  • Reliquary  (Pendergast #2). Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child 
  • Say It with Poison  (Mitchell & Markby #1). Ann Granger 
  • The Second Confession  (Nero Wolfe #12). Rex Stout 
  • The Sign of the Book  (Cliff Janeway #4). John Dunning 
  • The Singing Sands  (Inspector Alan Grant #6). Josephine Tey 
  • Still Life  (Chief Inspector Gamache #1). Louise Penny 
  • Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd  (Flavia de Luce #8). Alan Bradley
  • Too Many Clients  (Nero Wolfe #23). Rex Stout 
  • The Wheel of Darkness  (Pendergast #8). Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child 
...

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

2019 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge


Host: Amy @ Passages to the Past
Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2019

Guidelines:
  • Choose your level.
  • Read any sub-genre of historical fiction (Historical Romance, Historical Mystery, Historical Fantasy, Young Adult, etc.)
  • You don't need a blog to participate.
  • There will be a monthly link for reviews.

Levels:
  1. 20th Century Reader - 2 books
  2. Victorian Reader - 5 books
  3. Renaissance Reader - 10 books
  4. Medieval - 15 books
  5. Ancient History - 25 books
  6. Prehistoric - 50+ books

My goal: "Victorian Reader" (5 books).

● See my original post about the challenge HERE
● See the challenge announcement/sign-up post HERE.
● See the pages for linking reviews: JAN, FEB, MAR, APR, MAY, JUN, JUL, AUG, SEP, OCT, NOV, DEC .
● See the page for linking wrap-ups and recaps HERE.


MY READING LIST (books I've read, with links to reviews):
  1. O Pioneers! Willa Cather (published 1913; set in late 19th/early 20th Centuries)
  2. Mrs. Everything. Jennifer Weiner (published 2019; set primarily in mid-20th Century)
  3. Lady in the Lake. Laura Lippman (published 2019; set in 1960s) 
  4. Sorry for the Dead (Josephine Tey #8). Nicola Upson (published 2019; set between WWI and 1950s)
  5. Old Baggage. Lissa Evans (published 2018/2019; set in 1920s)

POSSIBILITIES (some books I'd like to knock off my TBR pile):
  • Alias Grace. Margaret Atwood 
  • The Alienist. Caleb Carr 
  • The Children's Book. A.S. Byatt 
  • The Conjurer's Bird. Martin Davies 
  • The Crystal Cave (Arthurian Saga #1). Mary Stewart 
  • The English Patient. Michael Ondaatje 
  • Flora. Gail Godwin 
  • The Fountain Overflows. Rebecca West 
  • A Gentleman in Moscow. Amor Towles 
  • Girl in Hyacinth Blue. Susan Vreeland 
  • The Glass Room. Simon Mawer 
  • The House of the Spirits. Isabel Allende 
  • I Am Madam X. Gioia Diliberto 
  • The Last Painting of Sara de Vos. Dominic Smith
  • Los Alamos. Joseph Kanon 
  • Lydia Cassatt Reading the Morning Paper. Harriet Scott Chessman 
  • A Mercy. Toni Morrison 
  • The Mists of Avalon. Marion Zimmer Bradley 
  • Number the Stars. Lois Lowry 
  • Remarkable Creatures. Tracy Chevalier 
  • Rules of Civility. Amor Towles 
  • The Secret Keeper. Kate Morton 
  • The Summer Before the War. Helen Simonson 
  • The Virgin in the Garden. A.S. Byatt 
  • When We Were Orphans. Kazuo Ishiguro 
  • Wide Sargasso Sea. Jean Rhys 
  • The Women in the Castle. Jessica Shattuck 
...

Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2019


Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2019
Host: Bev @ My Reader's Block

Guidelines
  • Sign-up anytime before November 1, 2019.
  • Choose a level of participation. Once you choose, you're locked in for at least that many books. You can increase your level; all books counted for lower levels carry over towards the new level.
  • Books must be owned by you prior to January 1, 2019. No library books.
  • Books can be counted for other challenges.
  • Reviews aren't required, and a blog isn't necessary.
  • Rereads may count (see challenge announcement page for details).
  • Audiobooks and E-books may count if they are yours and they are one of your primary sources of backlogged books.
  • You may count any "currently reading" book that you begin prior to January 1– provided that you had 50% or more of the book left to finish in 2019.
  • "Did Not Finish" books can be counted, under some circumstances (see challenge announcement page for details).
  • You can submit a list in advance, or add your books as you read them.
  • There will be a year-end check-in.
  • There will be a GoodReads group for the challenge.
  • There will be a challenge headquarters page which will offer links to monthly review pages, and the final wrap-up.

Challenge Levels:
  1. Pike's Peak: Read 12 books from your TBR pile/s
  2. Mount Blanc: Read 24 books from your TBR pile/s
  3. Mt. Vancouver: Read 36 books from your TBR pile/s
  4. Mt. Ararat: Read 48 books from your TBR piles/s
  5. Mt. Kilimanjaro: Read 60 books from your TBR pile/s
  6. El Toro: Read 75 books from your TBR pile/s
  7. Mt. Everest: Read 100 books from your TBR pile/s
  8. Mount Olympus (Mars): Read 150+ books from your TBR pile/s

✸ I'm signing up at the first level (Pike's Peak), so I'll be trying for at least 12 books from my TBR pile.

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See my wrap-up post HERE.
● See the challenge announcement page HERE.
● See the challenge headquarters page HERE.
● See the review pages:
JAN, FEB, MAR, APR, MAY, JUN, JUL, AUG, SEP, OCT, NOV, DEC.
● See the year-end check-in page HERE.


MY READING LIST (Books I've read, with links to reviews):
  1. The Quiche of Death (Agatha Raisin #1). M.C. Beaton (1992) [Review linked 1/23/2019] 
  2. The Vicious Vet (Agatha Raisin #2). M.C. Beaton (1993) 
  3. The Potted Gardener (Agatha Raisin #3). M.C. Beaton (1994) 
  4. The Walkers of Dembley (Agatha Raisin #4). M.C. Beaton (1995)
  5. O Pioneers! Willa Cather (1913)
  6. The Magic Bedknob. Mary Norton (1943)
  7. The Uninvited. Dorothy Macardle (1942) 
  8. The Appleton Case (Markham Sisters #1). Diana Xarissa (2015)
  9. Who Goes There? John W. Campbell, Jr. (1938)

Books I'd Like to Read in 2019 (many of these have been on the shelves for a LONG time):
  • Afternoon Men. Anthony Powell 
  • American Eve. Paula Uruburu 
  • The Art of Mending. Elizabeth Berg 
  • The Bell. Iris Murdoch 
  • The Bell Jar. Sylvia Plath 
  • The Berlin Stories. Christopher Isherwood 
  • The Black Prince. Iris Murdoch 
  • Black Sun. Geoffrey Wolff 
  • The Book of the Dead. Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child 
  • Busman's Honeymoon. Dorothy L. Sayers 
  • The Cabinet of Curiosities. Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child 
  • Cast, In Order of Disappearance (Charles Paris #1). Simon Brett 
  • The Children's Book. A.S. Byatt 
  • Cutwork (Needlecraft Mysteries #7). Monica Ferris 
  • Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Philip K. Dick 
  • The Enchanted April. Elizabeth von Arnim 
  • The Europeans. Henry James 
  • Family Album. Penelope Lively 
  • The Fencing Master. Arturo Pérez-Reverte 
  • Five Red Herrings. Dorothy L. Sayers 
  • Flaubert's Parrot. Julian Barnes 
  • Foundation. Isaac Asimov 
  • Framed in Lace (Needlecraft Mysteries #2). Monica Ferris 
  • The Ghost Writer. Philip Roth 
  • The Glass Room. Simon Mawer 
  • Hanging By a Thread (Needlecraft Mysteries #6). Monica Ferris
  • The Haunted Bookshop. Christopher Morley 
  • High Rising (Barsetshire #1). Angela Thirkell 
  • How It All Began. Penelope Lively 
  • Identity. Milan Kundera 
  • Invitation to the Waltz. Rosamond Lehmann 
  • Istanbul Passage. Joseph Kanon 
  • Jane Eyre. Charlotte Bronte 
  • July and August. Nancy Clark 
  • Jumping the Queue. Mary Wesley 
  • The Lake House. Kate Morton 
  • Let the Devil Sleep (Dave Gurney #3). John Verdon 
  • Los Alamos. Joseph Kanon 
  • Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House. Eric Hodgins 
  • Mrs. Malory and a Death in the Family. Hazel Holt
  • Mrs. Malory and a Necessary End. Hazel Holt
  • The Moonstone. Wilkie Collins 
  • Murder At the Vicarage (Miss Marple #1). Agatha Christie 
  • Murder Must Advertise. Dorothy L. Sayers 
  • The Mystery of Lewis Carroll. Jenny Woolf 
  • The Nine Tailors. Dorothy L. Sayers  
  • Oracle Night. Paul Auster 
  • The Pale Horse. Agatha Christie 
  • Prater Violet. Christopher Isherwood 
  • Prophecy. S.J. Parris 
  • Providence. Anita Brookner 
  • Relic. Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child 
  • The Road to Lichfield. Penelope Lively 
  • The Secret Keeper. Kate Morton 
  • The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn (Inspector Morse, #3). Colin Dexter
  • Silver on the Tree (The Dark Is Rising series, final book). Susan Cooper 
  • The Sisters: The Lives and Times of the Fabulous Cushing Sisters. David Grafton 
  • The Talented Mr. Ripley. Patricia Highsmith 
  • The Takeover. Muriel Spark
  • Time and Again. Clifford D. Simak 
  • Two Serious Ladies. Jane Bowles 
  • The Spoils of Poynton. Henry James 
  • The Unicorn. Iris Murdoch 
  • Unnatural Death. Dorothy L. Sayers 
  • When the Music's Over (DCI Banks #23). Peter Robinson
  • A Wreath of Roses. Elizabeth Taylor 
  • The Year of Magical Thinking. Joan Didion 

2019 Calendar of Crime Challenge


Host: Bev @ My Reader's Block
Dates: 1 January - 31 December 2019

Guidelines (quoted from announcement page):
  • Challenge runs from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019. all books should be read during this time period. Sign up any time between now and November 1, 2019. 
  • All books must be mysteries. Humor, romance, supernatural elements (etc.) are welcome, but the books must be mysteries/crime/detective novels first.
  • Twelve books, one representing each month, are required for a completed challenge and to be eligible for the end-of-year prize drawing. Each month comes with several categories that may be selected to fulfill the month's reading. 
  • To claim a book, it must fit one of the categories for the month you wish to fulfill. Unless otherwise specified, the category is fulfilled within the actual story. For instance, if you are claiming a book for December and you want to use "Christmas" as the category, then Christmas must figure in some way in the plot. Did someone poison the plum pudding? Did Great-Uncle Whozit invite all the family home for Christmas so he could tell them he plans to change his will? 
  • The "wild card" book is exactly that. If July is your birth month, then for category #9, you may read any mystery book you want. It does not have to connect with July in any way — other than a July baby chose it. The other eleven months, you must do the alternate category #9 if you want to fulfill that slot. 
  • For the category that says "Book title contains a word that starts with the letter A," the following do not count: "A" and "An."  
  • Books may only count for one month and one category, but they may count for other challenges. If it could fulfill more than one category or month, then you are welcome to change the category/month at any time prior to the final wrap-up.
  • Books do not have to be read during the month for which they qualify. So if you're feeling like a little "Christmas in July" (or May or...), then feel free to read your book for December whenever the mood strikes.
  • A wrap-up post/comment/email will be requested that should include a calendar of books read and what category they fulfilled. [Example: January: The House of Sudden Sleep by John Hawk (original pub date January 1930)].
  • All participants who complete the challenge will be eligible for an end-of-year prize drawing. There will also be a "My Calendar's Booked" prize for the challenger who fills their calendar with the most books, so challengers are encouraged to read more than one/all category/ies for each month. In case of a tie, there will be a prize drawing among the the folks who booked-up their year so fully.

Monthly Categories:



See my original post about the challenge HERE.
See the challenge announcement/sign-up page HERE.
See the challenge Headquarters page HERE.

MY  READING  LIST:

JANUARY:
The Janus Stone (Ruth Galloway Mysteries #2). Elly Griffiths (Category #7: Title has word starting with "J") [See Review]

FEBRUARY:
Murder Theory (The Naturalist #3). Andrew Mayne (Category #6: Original publication month)

MARCH:


APRIL:
The Appleton Case (Markham Sisters #1). Diana Xarissa (Category #7: Title has word starting with "A")

MAY:
• The Man in the White Linen Suit (Stewart Hoag #11). David Handler (Category #7: Title has word starting with "M")

JUNE:
Run Away. Harlan Coben (Category #9: Father figures prominently)

JULY:
Lady in the Lake. Laura Lippman (Category #6: Original publication month)

AUGUST:
Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet (Agatha Raisin #2). M.C. Beaton (Category #7: Title has word starting with "A"; would also fit Category 6: Original publication month)

SEPTEMBER:
Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener (Agatha Raisin #3). M.C. Beaton (Category #9: Birth Month / Wild Card)

OCTOBER:
We Were Killers Once (Brigid Quinn #4). Becky Masterman (Category #7: Title has word starting with "O")

NOVEMBER:
Sorry for the Dead (Josephine Tey #8). Nicola Upson (Category #9: Family relationships play a major role)

DECEMBER:
Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley (Agatha Raisin #4). M.C. Beaton (Category #7: Title has word starting with "D")



Wednesday, August 29, 2018

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril XIII



Dates: September 1 through October 31, 2018
Hosted by: Heather (of My Capricious Life)

Guidelines:

✸ There are several different levels of participation:
  • Peril the First: Read four books of any length, from any of the challenge categories.
  • Peril the Second: Read two books of any length, from any category.
  • Peril the Third: Read one book of any length, from any category.
  • Peril of the Short Story: An extra option, for those who want to read shorter works.
  • Peril on the Screen: Another extra option, for those who like to watch scary or suspenseful fare on the large or small screen.
  • Peril of the Review: Submit a review for possible inclusion on the blog website.
✸ Choose books from the following categories:
  • Mystery
  • Suspense
  • Thriller
  • Gothic
  • Horror
  • Dark Fantasy
  • Supernatural

✷ I'm signing up at the Peril the First level (four books), and I'll be combining that with Peril on the Screen and possibly Peril of the Short Story.

See my original post about the challenge HERE.
See the challenge announcement page HERE.
See the review site HERE.

MY BOOK LIST (books read, with links to any reviews/notes):
  1.  Call for the Dead (George Smiley #1). John le Carré (1961; murder mystery / espionage thriller)
  2.  A Morbid Taste for Bones (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #1). Ellis Peters (1977; mystery / historical mystery)
  3.  The Night She Died (Inspector Thanet #1). Dorothy Simpson (1980; mystery / police procedural) 
  4.  A Shadow on the Wall. Jonathan Aycliffe (2000; horror / supernatural) 
  5. The Man Who Couldn't Miss (Stewart Hoag #10). David Handler (2018; mystery / amateur sleuth)
  6. Last Bus to Woodstock (Inspector Morse #1). Colin Dexter (1975; mystery / police procedural) 

MY SCREEN PERIL LIST, Part 1 (Movies):
  1. Nocturnal Animals (2016 film; suspense) 
  2. The Horror of Dracula (1958 film; horror) 
  3. The Shape of Water (2017 film; dark fantasy) 
  4. The Snowman (2017 film; mystery) 


MY SCREEN PERIL LIST, Part 2 (TV Shows):
  1. Death in Paradise: "The Complex Murder" (2016 / Season 5, Episode 1) 
  2. Death in Paradise: "One For the Road" (2016 / 05:02)
  3. Death in Paradise: "Posing in Murder" (2016 / 05:03) 
  4. Death in Paradise: "A Personal Murder" (2016 / 05:04) 
  5. Death in Paradise: "Lost Identity" (2016 / 05:05) 
  6. Death in Paradise: "Dishing Up Murder" (2016 / 05:06) 
  7. Death in Paradise: "The Blood Red Sea" (2016 / 05:07)
    ...
  8. Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries: "Murder in Montparnasse" (2012 / Season 1, Episode 7)
  9. Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries: "Away with the Fairies" (2012 / 01:08) 
  10. Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries: "Queen of the Flowers" (2012 / 01:09)
  11. Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries: "Death By Miss Adventure" (2012 / 01:10) 
  12. Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries: "Blood and Circuses" (2012 / 01:11)
  13. Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries: "King Memses' Curse" (2012 / 01:13)
    ...
  14. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Vagabond Vixen” (Nov 1957 / Season 1, Episode 9)
  15. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Crooked Candle" (Nov 1957 / 01:11) 
  16. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Negligent Nymph" (Dec 1957 / 01:12)
  17. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Moth-Eaten Mink" (Dec 1957 / 01:13) 
  18. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Baited Hook" (Dec 1957 / 01:14) 
  19. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Fan Dancer’s Horse" (Dec 1957 / 01:15) 
  20. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Sun Bather’s Diary" (Jan 1958 / 01:17) 
  21. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Cautious Coquette" (Jan 1958 / 01:18)
  22. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Haunted Husband" (Jan 1958 / 01:19) 
  23. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Lonely Heiress" (Feb 1958 / 01:20) 
  24. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Green-Eyed Sister" (Feb 1958 / 01:21) 
  25. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Fugitive Nurse" (Feb 1958 / 01:22) 
  26. Perry Mason: "The Case of the One-Eyed Witness" (Feb 1958 / 01:23) 
  27. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Empty Tin" (Mar 1958 / 01:25) 
  28. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Half-Wakened Wife" (Mar 1958 / 01:26) 
  29. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Desperate Daughter" (Mar 1958 / 01:27) 
  30. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Daring Decoy" (Mar 1958 / 01:28) 
  31. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Hesitant Hostess" (Apr 1958 / 01:29) 
  32. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Screaming Woman" (Apr 1958 / 01:30) 
  33. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Fiery Fingers" (May 1958 / 01:31) 
  34. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Substitute Face" (May 1958 / 01:32) 
  35. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Long-Legged Models" (May 1958 / 01:33) 
  36. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Gilded Lily" (May 1958 / 01:34) 
  37. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Lazy Lover" (May 1958 / 01:35) 
  38. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Prodigal Parent" (June 1958 / 01:36) 
  39. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Black-Eyed Blonde" (June 1958 / 01:37)
  40. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Terrified Typist" (June 1958 / 01:38) 
  41. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Rolling Bones" (June 1958 / 01:39) 
  42. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Corresponding Corpse" (September 1958 / 02:01)
  43. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Blind Man’s Bluff" (Mar 1961 / 04:19)
  44. Perry Mason: "The Case of the Difficult Detour" (Mar 1961 / 04:21)


❖❖❖❖❖❖

Perilous Reading Possibilities:
  • Beyond the Ice Limit. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child 
  • The Big Sleep (Philip Marlowe #1). Raymond Chandler
  • Blue Labyrinth. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
  • The Book of Lost Things. John Connolly 
  • Cast, in Order of Disappearance (Charles Paris #1). Simon Brett 
  • The Colony. F.G. Cottam 
  • The Complete Wandering Ghosts (Stories). Marion Crawford 
  • Dark Entries (Stories). Robert Aickman 
  • The Dead of Winter. Chris Priestley 
  • Doll Bones. Holly Black; illus. by Eliza Wheeler 
  • Faceless Killers (Kurt Wallander #1). Henning Mankell 
  • Full Dark, No Stars (Stories). Stephen King 
  • Gallows View (Inspector Banks #1). Peter Robinson 
  • A Garden Lost in Time. Jonathan Aycliffe 
  • Haunted (David Ash #1). James Herbert
  • The Haunted Hotel. Wilkie Collins 
  • Last Bus to Woodstock (Inspector Morse #1). Colin Dexter 
  • The Laughing Policeman (Martin Beck Police Mystery #4). Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö
  • Let the Devil Sleep (Dave Gurney #3). John Verdon
  • Lovecraft Unbound (Stories). Ellen Datlow, ed.
  • The Midnight Side. Natasha Mostert 
  • A Morbid Taste for Bones (Brother Cadfael #1). Ellis Peters 
  • A New Lease of Death (Inspector Wexford #2). Ruth Rendell
  • The Night She Died (Inspector Thanet #1). Dorothy Simpson 
  • Origin. Dan Brown 
  • Roseanna (Martin Beck Police Mystery #1). Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö
  • A Shadow on the Wall. Jonathan Aycliffe
  • Shadow Ritual. Eric Giacometti and Jacques Ravenne
  • A Song of Shadows. John Connolly 
  • A Stitch in Time. Penelope Lively 
  • Strangers on a Train. Patricia Highsmith 
  • The Talisman. Jonathan Aycliffe 
  • This House Is Haunted. John Boyne
  • When the Music's Over (Inspector Banks #23). Peter Robinson 

Screen Peril Possibilities:
  • The Conjuring 2 (2016 film)
  • The Gift (2015 film)
  • The Haunting (1963 film; I watch this every year) 
  • Heavenly Creatures (1994 film)
  • I Confess (1953 film; Alfred Hitchcock)
  • Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013 film) 
  • The Invisible Ray (1936 film) 
  • The Maze (1953 film)
  • Murder! (1930 film; Alfred Hitchcock)
  • Perception (TV series, 2012-15) 
  • Person of Interest (TV series, 2011-2016)
  • The Uninvited (1944 film; another one I watch every time RIP comes around) 
  • The Watcher in the Woods (1980 film)



Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Monthly Key Word Challenge 2018



***Challenge Complete. See my wrap-up post HERE.***

Host: Bev @ My Reader's Block
Dates: Throughout 2018

Guidelines (quoted from announcement/sign-up page):
  • Read at least one book each month whose title includes one or more of the key words for that month.
  • The title you choose can be a variation on one of the key words. For example: Your title could include the word 'icicle' or 'icing' even though the key word is 'ice.'
  • Key words can be tweaked. For example: You could read a book with "Bowler" or "Bonnet" for the key word 'Hat' and that would be just fine. If the key word is 'Family' then your title could include the word 'Sister' or 'Father.' If the key word is 'Food' then your title could include the word 'Cake.' 
  • You may sign up any time from now until November 1, 2018. But to complete the challenge you will need to read (or have already read) books with keywords from any months missed by the time of sign-up.
  • There will be a headquarters site with links for monthly reviews.
  • You don't need a blog to participate. 
  • Key word books should be read in the month with which they are associated. 

List of Monthly Key Words:



• See my original post about the challenge HERE.
• See my challenge wrap-up post HERE.
• See the challenge announcement/sign-up post HERE.
• See the Challenge Headquarters page HERE.

MY READING LIST:

JANUARY:
• If Morning Ever Comes. Anne Tyler (See Review)

FEBRUARY:
• Miss Zukas and the Library Murders (Miss Zukas #1). Jo Dereske (See Review)

MARCH:
Give the Boys a Great Big Hand (87th Precinct #11). Ed McBain (See Review)

APRIL:
Time Out of Joint. Philip K. Dick (See Review)

MAY:
At the Mountains of Madness. H.P. Lovecraft (See Review)
Pale Horse, Pale Rider: Three Short Novels. Katherine Anne Porter (See Review)

JUNE:
When You Reach Me. Rebecca Stead (See Review)

JULY:
The Mystery of the Blue Train (Hercule Poirot #6). Agatha Christie (See Review)

AUGUST:
The Dead House. Billy O'Callaghan (See Review)

SEPTEMBER:
Call for the Dead (George Smiley #1). John le Carré (See Review)

OCTOBER:
The Night She Died (Inspector Thanet #1). Dorothy Simpson (review to come)

NOVEMBER:
Broomsticks Over Flaxborough (Flaxborough Chronicles #7). Colin Watson (review to come)

DECEMBER:
The Red Book of Primrose House (Potting Shed Mystery #2). Marty Wingate (review to come)


POSSIBLE  CHOICES  FOR  DECEMBER:
  1. The Bell. Iris Murdoch  (1958; 322 pages)
  2. The Bell at Sealey Head. Patricia McKillip  (2008; 288 pages) 
  3. The Bell Jar. Sylvia Plath  (1963; 244 pages)
  4. Five Red Herrings (Lord Peter Wimsey #7). Dorothy L. Sayers (1931; 297 pages)
  5. Gently in Trees (Inspector Gently #21). Alan Hunter  (1974; 240 pages) 
  6. The Giver. Lois Lowry  (1993; 204 pages)  
  7. The Red Book of Primrose House (Potting Shed Mystery #2). Marty Wingate (2014; 274 pages)
  8. The Red Box (Nero Wolfe #4). Rex Stout (1937; 189 pages) 
  9. Red Harvest. Dashiell Hammett  (1929; 226 pages) 
  10. A Red Herring Without Mustard (Flavia de Luce #3). Alan Bradley (2011; 417 pages) 
  11. The Singing Sands (Inspector Alan Grant #6). Josephine Tey  (1952; 231 pages)
  12. The Red Notebook. Antoine Laurain  (2014; 240 pages) 
  13. Silver on the Tree (The Dark Is Rising #5). Susan Cooper  (1977; 288 pages) 
...

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

2018 Picture Book Challenge

***Challenge complete. See my challenge wrap-up post HERE.***

Host: Becky @ Becky's Book Reviews
Dates: January - December 2018


Guidelines:
  • Goal: To have adults read more picture books. 
  • Minimum number of books = 6.

Choose an Option:
  • Option 1: Read six picture books of your choice.
  • Option 2: Choose one author to focus on. Perhaps read through an entire author's work. 
  • Option 3: Read as few as six, or as many as you like, from the checklist below. (I'll probably be going with this option.)

Becky's Checklist:
_ 1. Title beginning with A
_ 2. Author beginning with A
_ 3. Title beginning with B
_ 4. Author beginning with B
_ 5. Title beginning with C
_ 6. Author beginning with C
_ 7. Title beginning with D
_ 8. Author beginning with D
_ 9. Title beginning with E
10. Author beginning with E: Feathers for Lunch, by Lois Ehlert (1996; illus. by author)
_ 11. Title beginning with F
_ 12. Author beginning with F
_ 13. Title beginning with G
_ 14. Author beginning with G
_ 15. Title beginning with H
_ 16. Author beginning with H
_ 17. Title beginning with I
_ 18. Author beginning with I
_ 19. Title beginning with J
_ 20. Author beginning with J
_ 21. Title beginning with K
_ 22. Author beginning with K
_ 23. Title beginning with L
_ 24. Author beginning with L
_ 25. Title beginning with M
_ 26. Author beginning with M
_ 27. Title beginning with N
_ 28. Author beginning with N
_ 29. Title beginning with O
_ 30. Author beginning with O
_ 31. Title beginning with P
_ 32. Author beginning with P
_ 33. Title or Author beginning with Q
34. Title beginning with R: The Rabbit and the Shadow, by Mélanie Rutten (2013; illus. by author)
_ 35. Author beginning with R
_ 36. Title beginning with S
_ 37. Author beginning with S
_ 38. Title beginning with T
_ 39. Author beginning with T
40. Title or Author beginning with U: Umbrella, by Taro Yashima (1958; illus. by author)
_ 41. Title or Author beginning with V or W
_ 42. Title or Author beginning with X or “Ex”
_ 43. Title beginning with Y
_ 44. Author beginning with Y
_ 45. Title or Author beginning with Z
_ 46. An alphabet book
_47. A counting book
_ 48. A color word in the title
_ 49. A number word in the title
_ 50. Concept book of your choice – picture book
_ 51. Concept book of your choice – board book
_ 52. bedtime book – board book
_ 53. bedtime book – picture book
_ 54. book that rhymes – picture book
_ 55. book that rhymes – early reader OR board book
_ 56. holiday of your choice – board book or early reader
_ 57. holiday of your choice – picture book
_ 58. wordless picture book
_ 59. new to you author
_ 60. new to you illustrator
_ 61. favorite author
_ 62. favorite illustrator
_ 63. free choice
_ 64. fairy or folk tale adaptation
_ 65. fairy or folk tale traditional
_ 66. a title with the word “first” in it
_ 67. a book set in the state you live
_ 68. a book set in a place you’d like to visit
_ 69. a book set in an imaginary place
70. a book set in the past – fiction or nonfiction: The Gardener, by Sarah Stewart; illus. by David Small (set in 1930s, during the Great Depression)
_ 71. a book set in the present
_ 72. picture book for older readers – fiction
_ 73. picture book for older readers – nonfiction
_ 74. early reader – fiction
_ 75. early reader – nonfiction
_ 76. picture book with photographs
77. one word title: Golem, by David Wisniewski (1996; illus. by author)
_ 78. long title (four or more words)
_ 79. oversized book
_ 80. tiny book
_ 81. a book about playing (hide and seek, tag, or peekaboo, etc.)
_ 82. a book about school
_ 83. a book about hobbies (art, dance, music, crafts, sports)
_ 84. a title that is a question
_ 85. a title that is an exclamation
_ 86. an award winner or an honor book
_ 87. a collection (of poems OR stories)
_ 88. a book with animals (fiction)
_ 89. a book with animals (nonfiction)
_ 90. a book about books or reading
_ 91. a book celebrating family
_ 92. first book in a series
_ 93. any book in a series
_ 94. book with an adventure or misadventure
_ 95. a book about a pet
_ 96. A title with the word “yes” or “no” in it
_ 97. A title with the word “big” or “little” in it
_ 98. a classic published before 1968
_ 99. a book you think should be considered a classic
_100. Out of print
_101. Library book
_102. Impulse Pick
_103. Board book published in 2018
104. Picture book published in 2018: Outside My Window, by Linda Ashman; illus. by Jamey Christoph


Monday, January 1, 2018

2018 Reading Challenge Announcements

As of January 1, 2018, this list is no longer being updated.
For a more recent version, see the list at A Little Reading.

*******************
This is just a list of reading challenges announced (or in some cases, planned though not yet announced) for 2018, with links to blogs and sign-up pages.

Please NOTE: This list is NOT meant to be a complete list of ALL the reading challenges available for 2018. It's mainly just challenges that seem attractive to me. But I'm not necessarily recommending any of these — just keeping track.

Two more things. In general I'm not a fan of the "check list" type of reading challenge with a bunch of set categories — so I'll list a few, but maybe not every one of them. Also, I don't do a lot of social media hanging out, so if a challenge is being hosted primarily on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram, you probably won't find it on this list.

For more comprehensive, up-to-date lists of 2018 Reading Challenges, you can check the A Novel Challenge website or the Reading Challenge Addict website.

Challenges in red are ones I've signed up for.
  1. 2018 All About the Trope Challenge | Host: The Herd Presents
  2. 2018 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge | Host: Escape with Dollycas
  3. 2018 A to Z Reading Challenge | Host: Megan and Crystal @ Ginger Mom
  4. Aussie Author Challenge 2018 | Host: Booklover Book Reviews
  5. Author Love Challenge 2018 | Host: Because Reading Is Better Than Real Life
  6. Back to the Classics Challenge 2018 | Host: Books and Chocolate
  7. Beat the Backlist 2018 | Host: Novel Knight
  8. Birth Year Reading Challenge 2018 | Host: Hotchpot Cafe
  9. British Books Challenge 2018 | Host: Chelle @ Tales of Yesterday
  10. Charity Reading Challenge 2018 | Host: Becky's Book Reviews
  11. 2018 Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge | Host: Host: Stormi @ Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My!.
  12. 2018 Color Coded Reading Challenge | Host: Bev @ My Reader's Block
  13. 2018 Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge | Host: Andi's ABCs
  14. COYER Winter Switch | Hosts: Berls @ Fantasy Is More Fun; Michelle @ Because Reading; Stormi @ Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My!.
  15. Craving For Cozies 2018 | Host: Escape With Dollycas
  16. Creativity Reading Challenge 2018 | Host: Jamie @ Whatever I Think Of!
  17. Cruisin' Thru the Cozies Reading Challenge 2018 | Host: Yvonne @ Socrates' Book Reviews
  18. 2018 Debut Author Reading Challenge | Host: Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl
  19. Epistolary Reading Challenge 2018 | Host: Jamie @ Whatever I Think Of!
  20. 2018 European Reading Challenge | Host: Rose City Reader
  21. Family Tree Reading Challenge | Host: Becky @ Becky's Book Reviews
  22. 2018 Finishing the Series Reading Challenge | Host: Celebrity Readers
  23. Follow the Clues Mystery Challenge 2018 | Host: Bev @ My Reader's Block
  24. Foodies Read 2018 | Host: Heather @ Based On a True Story
  25. Full House Reading Challenge 2018 | Host: Kathryn T @ The Book Date
  26. 2018 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge | Host: Passages to the Past
  27. Humor Reading Challenge 2018 | Host: Jamie @ Whatever I Think Of!.
  28. Kitty Lit Reading Challenge 2018 | Host: Becky's Book Reviews
  29. Let's Read Indie 2018 Reading Challenge | Host: As Told By Tina
  30. LGBTQIA Reading Challenge 2018 | Host: Moyas Buchgewimmel
  31. 2018 Literary Escapes Reading Challenge | Host: Escape With Dollycas
  32. Literary Loners Reading Challenge 2018 | Host: Jamie @ Whatever I Think Of!
  33. Literary Voyage Around the World Reading Challenge 2018 | Host: Gathering Books.
  34. 2018 Memoir Reading Challenge | Host: Jamie @ Whatever I Think Of!.
  35. 2018 Middle Grade Reading Challenge | Host: Becky's Book Reviews
  36. Monthly Key Word Reading Challenge 2018 | Host: Bev @ My Reader's Block
  37. 2018 Monthly Motif Reading Challenge | Host: Kimberly Lynne @ girlxoxo.com
  38. Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2018 | Host: Bev @ My Reader's Block
  39. 2018 Netgalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge | Host: Bookish Things & More
  40. 2018 Newbery Reading Challenge | Host: Julie @ Smiling Shelves
  41. 2018 New Release Reading Challenge | Host: Lexxie @(un)Conventional Book Views. 
  42. 2018 Nonfiction Reading Challenge | Host: Doing Dewey
  43. The Official 2018 TBR Pile Reading Challenge | Host: Roof Beam Reader
  44. Old School Kidlit Reading Challenge 2018 | Host: Katie Fitzgerald @ Read-at-Home Mom.
  45. 2018 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge | Host: Everyday Gyaan
  46. 2018 Paranormal Reading Challenge | Host: Whole Latte Ideas
  47. 2018 Picture Book Reading Challenge | Host: Becky's Book Reviews
  48. 2018 Popsugar Reading Challenge | Host: Popsugar.com.
  49. The Purrfect Reading Challenge 2018 | Host: Yvonne @ Socrates' Book Reviews
  50. Reading Challenge Addicts 2018 | Host: Bev (of My Reader's Block) @ Reading Challenge Addict blog
  51. Reading Naturally Challenge 2018 | Host: Hotchpot Cafe
  52. 2018 Reading the Bible as Literature Event | Host: Roof Beam Reader
  53. 2018 Read It Again, Sam Reading Challenge | Host: Bev @ My Reader's Block
  54. 2018 Read the Rainbow Reading Challenge | Host: Mia Sutton
  55. 2018 Reformation Reading Challenge | Host: Becky @ Operation Actually Read the Bible.
  56. 2018 Share-a-Tea Reading Challenge | Host: Becky's Book Reviews
  57. Strictly Print Reading Challenge | Host: Book Dragon's Lair
  58. 2018 Try Something New Challenge | Host: The Herd Presents
  59. Twelve Months of Books - A 2018 Reading Challenge | Host: Book Fifty
  60. 2018 Victorian Reading Challenge | Host: Becky's Book Reviews
  61. 2018 Victorian Reading Challenge | Host: Belle's Library
  62. Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge 2018: Just the Facts | Host: Bev @ My Reader's Block.
  63. 2018 What An Animal Reading Challenge | Host: Yvonne @ Socrates' Book Reviews
  64. What's In A Name 2018 | Host: Charlie @ The Worm Hole
  65. 2018 When Are You Reading? Challenge | Host: Sam @ Taking On a World of Words
  66. While I Was Reading 2018 Reading Challenge | Host: Ramona Mead @ While I Was Reading
  67. Wild Wild West Reading Challenge 2018 | Host: Nick Senger @ One Catholic Life
  68. 2018 Wish List Reading Challenge | Host: Elsa @ La Cercatrice di Storie
  69. 2018 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge | Host: Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf
  70. 2018 YA Reading Challenge | Host: Whole Latte Ideas