TBR Lite Challenge 2011

**Challenge completed.**

Dates: 1 January - 31 December 2011
Host: MizB

Guidelines:

• Choose from three reading options (quoted from the announcement page):
  Option A: read 6 books in 12 months ~ your list of books CANNOT be changed, but you are allowed to have an “Alternates” list to choose from (like in the Original TBR Challenge).
  Option B: read 6 books in 12 months ~ you CAN change your reading list throughout the year
  Option C: make up a list of however many books you think you could get read in 12 months, as long as they are from your TBR stack/list, and then read them between January 1st and December 31st. You must have at least 3 books on your list.
  
  
• Overlapping with other challenges is allowed.
• Audiobooks are allowed, and e-Books are allowed, but they must still be books that you’ve wanted to read for three months or more.
• You should have a list of books posted somewhere for other participants to see.
• You don’t have to read your books in the order you put them on your list.

✸ I signed up for Option B, and ended up reading seventeen books from my TBR list.

See my original post about the challenge here.
See my wrap-up post here.
See the challenge announcement page here.
See the challenge Yahoo group here.

MY READING LIST (with links to reviews):

1. Knight's Castle. Edward Eager
2. The Time Garden. Edward Eager
   
3. A Shilling for Candles. Josephine Tey
4. Picnic at Hanging Rock. Joan Lindsay
   
5. Whisker of Evil. Rita Mae Brown
6. Along Came a Spider. James Patterson
7. Mrs. Malory and the Fatal Legacy. Hazel Holt
8. Quiet As a Nun. Antonia Fraser
9. Mrs. Malory and A Time to Die. Hazel Holt
   
10. The Man in Lower Ten. Mary Roberts Rinehart
    
11. Episode of the Wandering Knife. Mary Roberts Rinehart
12. Third Girl. Agatha Christie
13. Hallowe'en Party. Agatha Christie
14. Mrs. McGinty's Dead. Agatha Christie
    
15. The Killings at Badger's Drift. Caroline Graham
    
16. My Brilliant Career. Miles Franklin
17. Staying On. Paul Scott
    

2nds Challenge 2011

***Challenge complete. See my wrap-up post here.***

Dates: 1 January - 31 December 2011
Host: Katy @ A Few More Pages

Guidelines:

• Read books that are either the second book in a series you've started, or just the second book you've read by any author.
  
• Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate. You can sign up anytime before December 31, 2011.
• You don't need to make a list of books, but if you do, the list can be changed at any time.
• Any genre is allowed.
• Choose from one of four reading levels:
  1) Just a spoonful - Read 3 books that are 2nd in a series or the second time you've read the author.
  2) A few more bites - Read 6 books that are 2nd in a series or the second time you've read the author.
  3) A full plate - Read 12 books that are 2nd in a series or the second time you've read the author.
  4) All you can eat - Read 20 books (or more) that are 2nd in a series or the second time you've read the author.

✸ I'm signing up at the first level ("Just a spoonful"), so I'll be reading at least three books.

See my original post about the challenge here.
See my wrap-up post here.
See the challenge announcement page here.

MY READING LIST (Books Read):

1. A Shilling for Candles. Josephine Tey
2. Shut Your Eyes Tight. John Verdon
3. Malice in Miniature. Jeanne M. Dams
   

POSSIBLE CHOICES:

Death of a Hollow Man. Caroline Graham (2nd Inspector Barnaby novel)
Framed in Lace. Monica Ferris (2nd Needlecraft series novel)
The Inn at Lake Devine. Elinor Lipman
Iron House. John Hart
July and August. Nancy Clark
Last Seen Wearing. Colin Dexter (2nd Inspector Morse novel)
Los Alamos. Joseph Kanon
Miss Zukas and the Library Murders. Jo Dereske
Morality Play. Barry Unsworth
Murder on the Links. Agatha Christie (2nd Poirot novel)
Mystery Mile. Margery Allingham (2nd Campion novel)
Outer Banks. Anne Rivers Siddons
The Players Come Again. Amanda Cross
Prophecy. S.J. Parris
The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag. Alan Bradley

1st in a Series Challenge 2011

***Challenge Completed. See my wrap-up post here.***

Dates: 1 January - 31 December 2011
Host: Katy @ A Few More Pages

Guidelines:

• Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate. You can sign up anytime before December 31, 2011.
• You don't need to make a list of books, but if you do, the list can be changed at any time.
• Any genre is allowed.
• Choose from one of four reading levels:
  1) Series Novice: Read 3 books that are the first in any series.
  2) Series Lover: Read 6 books that are the first in any series.
  3) Series Expert: Read 12 books that are the first in any series.
  4) Series Fanatic: Read 20 books that are the first in any series.
  

✸ I'm signing up at the "Series Novice" level, but hope to read more than three books.

See my original post about the challenge here.
See my challenge wrap-up post here.
See the challenge announcement page here.

MY READING LIST (Books Read):

1. Along Came a Spider (Alex Cross mystery series). James Patterson
   
2. Quiet As a Nun (Jemima Shore mystery series). Antonia Fraser
   
3. The Killings at Badger's Drift (Inspector Barnaby mystery series). Caroline Graham
   

LIST OF POSSIBILITIES:

A Great Deliverance (Inspector Lynley series). Elizabeth George
Along Came a Spider (Alex Cross series). James Patterson
A Man Lay Dead (Inspector Alleyn series). Ngaio Marsh
At Home in Mitford (Mitford Years series). Jan Karon
The Big Sleep (Philip Marlowe novels). Raymond Chandler
Death of a Gossip (Hamish Macbeth mysteries). M.C. Beaton
The Deep Blue Good-by (Travis McGee series). John D. MacDonald
Dolled Up for Murder (Dolls to Die For series). Deb Baker
Fer-de-Lance (Nero Wolfe series). Rex Stout
Fortune Like the Moon (Hawkenlye Mysteries). Alys Clare
The Ghost and Mrs. McClure (Haunted Bookshop series). Alice Kimberly
The Godwulf Manuscript (Spenser series). Robert B. Parker
Grey Mask (Miss Silver series). Patricia Wentworth
The Inimitable Jeeves (first Jeeves/Wooster novel). P.G. Wodehouse
In the Last Analysis (Kate Fansler series). Amanda Cross
The Killings at Badger's Drift. (Inspector Barnaby series). Caroline Graham
Last Bus to Woodstock (Inspector Morse series). Colin Dexter
Maisie Dobbs (Maisie Dobbs series). Jacqueline Winspear
Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind (Miss Julia series). Ann B. Ross
Miss Zukas and the Library Murders (Miss Zukas series). Jo Dereske
The Moving Target (Lew Archer series). Ross Macdonald
Murder Is Binding (Booktown series). Lorna Barrett
The Quiche of Death (Agatha Raisin series). M.C. Beaton
Quiet As a Nun (Jemima Shore series). Antonia Fraser
The Quilter's Apprentice (Elm Creek Quilts series). Jennifer Chiaverini
Relic (Pendergast series). Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
Say It With Poison (Mitchell & Markby series). Ann Granger
The Secret Adversary (Tommy & Tuppence series). Agatha Christie
The Sunday Philosophy Club (Sunday Philosophy Club series). Alexander McCall Smith
The Talented Mr. Ripley (Ripley novels). Patricia Highsmith
The Warden (Barsetshire novels). Anthony Trollope

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2011

**Challenge completed. See my wrap-up post here.**

Dates: 1 January - 31 December 2011
Host: Historical Tapestry

Guidelines:

• The challenge is open to everyone. You don't need a blog to participate.
• If you do have a blog, there will be a monthly link for reviews.
• Any kind of historical fiction is acceptable.
• Overlapping with other challenges is allowed.
• Choose from one of five Levels:
  1. Severe Bookaholism: 20 books
  2. Undoubtedly Obsessed: 15 books
  3. Struggling (with) the Addiction: 10 books
  4. Daring & Curious: 5 books
  5. Out of My Comfort Zone: 2 books
  

✸ I'm signing up at level four ("Daring & Curious"), so I'll be reading five books.

See my original post about the challenge here.
See my wrap-up post here.
See the challenge announcement page here.

MY READING LIST (Books Read):

1. The Anatomy of Ghosts. Andrew Taylor (Review to come)
2. The Girl Who Would Speak for the Dead. Paul Elwork
   
3. Mr. Chartwell. Rebecca Hunt
   
4. Picnic at Hanging Rock. Joan Lindsay
   
5. The Winter Ghosts. Kate Mosse (Review to come)
   
6. The Seance. John Harwood
7. Alice I Have Been. Melanie Benjamin (Review to come)
   

POSSIBLE CHOICES:

A Morbid Taste for Bones. Ellis Peters
Alice I Have Been. Melanie Benjamin
The Children's Book. A.S. Byatt
The Dante Club. Matthew Pearl
The Glass Room. Simon Mawer
The Heretic's Daughter. Kathleen Kent
The House at Riverton. Kate Morton
The Lady and the Unicorn. Tracy Chevalier
The Little Stranger. Sarah Waters
Los Alamos. Joseph Kanon
Loving Frank. Nancy Horan
The Mercury Visions of Louis Daguerre: A Novel. Dominic Smith
The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag. Alan Bradley
World's Fair. E.L. Doctorow

Cruisin' thru the Cozies Challenge 2011

**Challenge completed. See my wrap-up post here.**

Dates: 1 January - 31 December 2011
Host: Yvonne of Socrates' Book Reviews Blog

Guidelines (quoted from the announcement/sign-up page):

• Choose the level you wish to participate:
  Level 1 - Snoop - Read 1-6 books
  Level 2 - Investigator - Reading 7-12 books
  Level 3 - Super Sleuth - Read 13 or more books
  
  
• The challenge runs from January 1, 2011 and ends December 31, 2011.
• You don't have to choose your books in advance. If you do, you can change your list at any time during the year. Books can overlap with other challenges.
• Books can be in any format - paper, audio, ebooks...it all counts!
• You don't have to post a review, but I'm sure others would love to know about the books you are reading and may even want to add it to their reading lists.

✸ I'm signing up at the first level ("Snoop"), and will be reading 1-6 books.

See my original post about the challenge here.
See my wrap-up post here.
See the challenge announcement page here.

MY READING LIST (Books Read):

1. Whisker of Evil. Rita Mae Brown
   
2. Malice in Miniature. Jeanne M. Dams
3. Mrs. Malory and the Fatal Legacy. Hazel Holt
   
4. Mrs. Malory and a Time to Die. Hazel Holt
5. Quiet As a Nun. Antonia Fraser
6. The Killings at Badger's Drift. Caroline Graham
   

ARC Reading Challenge 2011

**Challenge ended.**

Dates: 1 January - 31 December 2011
Host: Teddy Rose of So Many Precious Books, So Little Time

Guidelines:

• Choose a reading level:
  1: Bronze -
  ~ a. Everyone who has or will have fewer than 12 ARCS must read all of the ARCS they have. (Note, that if you have 11 ARCs and then receive a 12th, you will be bumped up to catagory b.)
  ~ b. Everyone who has or will have 12 or more ARCS must read and review at least 12.
  
  2: Silver - Read 24 ARCs
  3: Gold - Read 25 ARCs
  4: Platinum - Read 30 or more ARCs
  
  
• Lists are not required, but you can make one 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
• Audio-books and ebooks are allowed as long as they are ARCs.
• 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.

✸ I'm signing up at the Bronze Level (category B), as I want to try to go back and read a few of the ARCs I have from past years.

See my original post about the challenge here.
See the challenge announcement page here.
See the review page for January here.


BOOKS READ:

1. The Anatomy of Ghosts. Andrew Taylor
2. Bad Boy. Peter Robinson
   
3. Henrietta Sees It Through. Joyce Dennys
4. The Girl Who Would Speak for the Dead. Paul Elwork
   
5. The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady. Elizabeth Stuckey-French
   
6. Mr. Chartwell. Rebecca Hunt
   
7. Tassy Morgan's Bluff. Jim Stinson
   
8. Shut Your Eyes Tight. John Verdon
9. Nat Tate. William Boyd
   
10. Literary Brooklyn. Evan Hughes
11. Prince Philip: The Turbulent Early Life of the Man Who Married Queen Elizabeth II. Philip Eade
    

LIST of ARCs To Be Read:

• Published in 2008
  Descartes' Bones. Russell Shorto
  The Glister. John Burnside
  The Heretic's Daughter. Kathleen Kent
  One More Year. Sana Krasikov
  Shadow of Colossus (A Seven Wonders Novel). T.L. Higley
  Stealing Athena. Karen Essex
  Stone Creek. Victoria Lustbader
  The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher. Kate Summerscale
  Tethered. Amy MacKinnon
  
  
• Published in 2009
  Angels of Destruction. Keith Donohue
  The Atlantis Revelation. Thomas Greanias
  The Manual of Detection. Jedediah Berry
  The Rapture. Liz Jensen
  Stone's Fall. Iain Pears
  
  
• Published in 2010
  Mr. Toppit. Charles Elton
  Bad Boy. Peter Robinson
  The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise. Julia Stuart
  Room: A Novel. Emma Donoghue
  Moonlight Mile. Dennis Lehane
  Must You Go? Antonia Fraser
  My Reading Life. Pat Conroy
  
  
• Published in 2011
  A Widow's Story. Joyce Carol Oates
  The Anatomy of Ghosts. Andrew Taylor
  Prophecy. S.J. Parris
  The Survivor. Sean Slater
  Altar of Bones. Philip Carter
  The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady. Elizabeth Stuckey-French
  The Land of Painted Caves. Jean M. Auel
  Henrietta Sees It Through. Joyce Dennys
  Iron House. John Hart
  The Girl Who Would Speak for the Dead. Paul Elwork
  Dreams of Joy. Lisa See
  Mr. Chartwell. Rebecca Hunt
  Noah Barleywater Runs Away. John Boyne
  Tassy Morgan's Bluff. Jim Stinson
  The Map of Time. Felix J. Palma
  Nat Tate. William Boyd
  Shut Your Eyes Tight. John Verdon
  Literary Brooklyn. Evan Hughes
  Prince Philip: The Turbulent Early Life of the Man Who Married Queen Elizabeth II. Philip Eade
  The Shakespeare Thefts. Eric Rasmussen
  
  

Young Readers Challenge 2011

Note: It seems I never actually signed up for this challenge (?), so I won't be writing a wrap-up post even though I'll likely continue to read more children's books this year.

Dates: January - December 2011
Host: Becky of Becky's Book Reviews

Guidelines:

• Read 12 Children's Books
• Books should be appropriate for the "E" (Easy) and "J" (Juvenile or Junior) sections of the library.
• Participants do not have to have a blog.
• No reviews are required, but participants may keep in touch and leave links to any reviews they write.
• A list is not required. "Choose what you like. Choose as you go. Or plan it all out now. Whatever you want."

See my original post about the challenge here.
See the challenge announcement page here.


MY READING LIST:

1. Smart Dog. Vivian Vande Velde
   
2. Homer Price. Robert McCloskey
   
3. Knight's Castle. Edward Eager
   
4. The Time Garden. Edward Eager
5. Cynthia's Attic: The Missing Locket. Mary Cunningham

POSSIBLE CHOICES:

The Amelia Bedelia books. Peggy Parish
Arabel's Raven. Joan Aiken
Bunnicula. Deborah & James Howe
The Doll People. Ann M. Martin & Laura Godwin
Encyclopedia Brown. Donald J. Sobol
Ginger Pye. Eleanor Estes
The Goosebumps books. R.L. Stine
The Great Brain. John D. Fitzgerald
Half Magic. Edward Eager
Harriet the Spy. Louise Fitzhugh
Hitty Her First Hundred Years. Rachel Field
The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Brian Selznick
Island of the Aunts. Eve Ibbotson
James and the Giant Peach. Roald Dahl
Knight's Castle. Edward Eager
The Lemonade War. Jacqueline Davies
The Magic Tree House books. Mary Pope Osborne
Matilda. Roald Dahl
The Mysterious Benedict Society. Trenton Lee Stewart
The Phantom Tollbooth. Norton Juster
Pipi Longstocking. Astrid Lindgren
The Ramona books. Beverly Cleary
The Red Pyramid. Rick Riordan
Roller Skates. Ruth Sawyer
Seven-Day Magic. Edward Eager
Stuart Little. E.B. White
Thimble Summer. Elizabeth Enright
The Time Garden. Edward Eager
The Tower Treasure. Franklin W. Dixon
The View from Saturday. E.L. Konigsburg
The Well-Wishers. Edward Eager
When You Reach Me. Rebecca Stead
The Witches. Roald Dahl

New Authors Challenge 2011

***Challenge complete. See my wrap-up post here.***

Dates: 1 January through 31 December, 2011
Hosted by: Jackie at Literary Escapism

Guidelines:

• Choose 15, 25, or 50 new-to-you authors.
• No limit on genres.
• Anthologies are allowed; however, only a third of your choices can be from anthologies.
• Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
• You don't need a blog to participate.
• There will be a Mr. Linky for reviews.

See my original post about the challenge here.
See my wrap-up post here.
See the challenge announcement page here.

✸ I'm committing to 15 new authors, and hope to do a little better than that.

MY READING LIST:

1. Andrew Taylor: The Anatomy of Ghosts (Review to come)
2. Peter Robinson: Bad Boy (Review to come)
3. Joyce Dennys: Henrietta Sees It Through
   
4. Paul Elwork: The Girl Who Would Speak for the Dead
   
5. Elizabeth Stuckey-French: The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady (Review to come)
6. Mary Cunningham: Cynthia's Attic: The Missing Locket (Review to come)
7. Jennifer Egan: A Visit from the Goon Squad
   
8. Jim Stinson: Tassy Morgan's Bluff
   
9. Rebecca Hunt: Mr. Chartwell
   
10. Joan Lindsay: Picnic at Hanging Rock
    
11. William Boyd: Nat Tate
    
12. Michael Robertson: The Brothers of Baker Street
13. James Patterson: Along Came a Spider
    
14. Conor Fitzgerald: The Fatal Touch
    
15. Kate Mosse: The Winter Ghosts
16. Miles Franklin: My Brilliant Career
    
17. John Harwood: The Seance
18. Paul Scott: Staying On
    
19. Melanie Benjamin: Alice I Have Been
    
20. Philip Eade: Prince Philip: The Turbulent Early Life of the Man Who Married Queen Elizabeth II
    

Alex Cross Reading Challenge

**Challenge completed.**

Dates: September 1, 2010 to August 31, 2011
Hosted by: Yvonne of Socrates' Book Reviews

Guidelines (quoted from the challenge announcement page):

• Choose how many books you'd like to read from the series. You can read the entire series or however many you'd like. It's up to you! You can change your mind any time throughout the year.
• All books need to be read between September 1, 2010 and August 31, 2011. Books read prior to September 1st don't count for this challenge.
• If you want to participate, just post about it on your blog with a link back to here. Make sure you list the books you need to read.
• Audio and Ebooks are acceptable. You can also use these books for other challenges.
• Please use Mr. Linky below to sign up. Use the link to your post about this challenge, not your main blog address. Links that don't go directly to your challenge post will be deleted.
• Once you complete the challenge, please post the link to your wrap-up blog post with Mr. Linky [There will be a Mr. Linky for completed lists.]
• There will also be a Mr. Linky for reviews, although posting your reviews are not a requirement.

✸ I haven't read any of the Alex Cross book, so I'll be starting with the first book in the series, Along Came a Spider.


See my original post about the challenge here.
See the challenge announcement page here.


MY READING LIST:

1. Along Came a Spider
   

Mystery and Suspense Challenge 2011

**Challenge completed.**

Dates: 1 January - 31 December 2011
Hosted by: Book Chick City

Guidelines (quoted from the challenge announcement page):

• Read TWELVE (12) mystery & suspense novels in 2011 (12 is the minimum but you can read more if you wish!)
• You don't have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. Also if you do list them upfront you can change them, nothing is set in stone! The books you choose can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.
• You can join anytime between now and the later part of next year.
• At the beginning of Jan 2011, you will find a link to specific month to add your reviews. There will be a monthly prize too courtesy of the lovely Simon & Schuster - you must be signed up to the challenge and add the link to your review to be entered into the monthly prize draw.

See my original post about the challenge here.
See my wrap-up post here.
See the challenge announcement page here.
See the list of sub-genres here.


MY READING LIST (with links to the few reviews I posted):

1. The Anatomy of Ghosts. Andrew Taylor
   ~ Historical Mystery category
   
2. Bad Boy. Peter Robinson
   ~ Police Procedural category
   
3. A Shilling for Candles. Josephine Tey
   ~ Murder Mystery category
   
4. Shut Your Eyes Tight. John Verdon
   ~ Serial Murderer Category
5. Whisker of Evil. Rita Mae Brown
   ~ Cozy Mystery category
6. The Brothers of Baker Street. Michael Robertson
   ~ (Not really sure what category to put this in)
   
7. Along Came a Spider. James Patterson
   ~Police Procedural category
   
8. Malice in Miniature. Jeanne M. Dams
   ~ Cozy Mystery category
   
9. The Fatal Touch. Conor Fitzgerald
   ~Police Procedural category
10. Mrs. Malory and the Fatal Legacy. Hazel Holt
    ~ Cozy Mystery category
11. Mrs. Malory and A Time to Die. Hazel Holt
    ~ Cozy Mystery category
12. Quiet As a Nun. Antonia Fraser
    ~ Cozy Mystery category ?
13. The Killings at Badger's Drift. Caroline Graham
    ~ Cozy Mystery category?
14. The Man in Lower Ten. Mary Roberts Rinehart
    ~ Murder Mystery category
15. Episode of the Wandering Knife. Mary Roberts Rinehart
    ~ Murder Mystery category
    
16. Third Girl. Agatha Christie
    ~ Murder Mystery category
17. Hallowe'en Party. Agatha Christie
    ~ Murder Mystery category
18. Mrs. McGinty's Dead. Agatha Christie
    ~ Murder Mystery category
    

Off the Shelf Challenge 2011

**Challenge completed.**

Dates: 1 January - 31 December 2011
Hosted by: Bookish Ardour

Guidelines: "This challenge is to read those books you own copies of, but have never got around to reading. If you don't have many that you own, but have a massive TBR shelf you're welcome to read those ones as long as you don't add new ones. You don't need to actually get rid of your books after you've read them, this is just to read them." (quoted from the challenge blog)

Challenge Levels:

1. Tempted– Choose 5 books to read
2. Trying – Choose 15 books to read
3. Making A Dint – Choose 30 books to read
4. On A Roll – Choose 50 books to read
5. Flying Off – Choose 75 books to read

For extra hard challenges:

1. Hoarder – Choose 76-125 books to read
2. Buried – Choose 126-200 books to read

✸ I signed up at the 15 book level ("Trying"), and ended up actually reading 20 books from my TBR "shelf."

See my original post about the challenge here.
See my wrap-up post here.
See the challenge announcement page here.


MY READING LIST (with links to the few reviews I posted):

1. A Shilling for Candles. Josephine Tey
   
2. Knight's Castle. Edward Eager
   
3. The Time Garden. Edward Eager
   
4. Homer Price. Robert McCloskey
5. Smart Dog. Vivian Vande Velde
6. Picnic at Hanging Rock. Joan Lindsay
7. Whisker of Evil. Rita Mae Brown
8. Along Came a Spider. James Patterson
   
9. Mrs. Malory and the Fatal Legacy. Hazel Holt
10. Mrs. Malory and a Time to Die. Hazel Holt
11. Quiet As a Nun. Antonia Fraser
    
12. The Man in Lower Ten. Mary Roberts Rinehart
13. Episode of the Wandering Knife. Mary Roberts Rinehart
    
14. The Killings at Badger's Drift. Caroline Graham
    
15. Third Girl. Agatha Christie
16. Hallowe'en Party. Agatha Christie
17. Mrs. McGinty's Dead. Agatha Christie
18. My Brilliant Career. Miles Franklin
19. Bid Time Return (aka: Somewhere in Time). Richard Matheson
20. Staying On. Paul Scott
    

Vintage Mystery Challenge 2011

**Challenge completed.**

Dates: 1 January - 31 December 2011
Hosted by: Bev Hankins @ My Reader's Block

Guidelines:

• All books must have been written before 1960 and be from the mystery category.
• Overlapping with other challenges is permitted.
• You can sign up any time before November 30, 2011.
• Reviewing is not required, and you don't need a blog to participate.
• Try to read at least two different vintage authors.
• Once you declare your challenge level...you are locked in for that number of books. But you may change your list of books at any time.

Challenge Levels:

1. In a Murderous Mood: 4-6 Books
2. Get a Clue: 7-9 Books
3. Hot on the Trail: 10-12 Books
4. Capture the Criminal: 13-15 Books
5. Take 'Em to Trial: 16+ Books

Or, alternate categories/levels:

1. The Golden Age Girls: Read 5-7 books from female authors from the vintage years
2. Cherchez Le Homme: Read 5-7 books from male authors from the vintage years

✸ I signed up at the 4-6 book level ("In a Murderous Mood"), and read 4 books.

See my original post about the challenge here.
See my wrap-up post here.
See the challenge announcement page here.

MY READING LIST:

1. A Shilling for Candles. Josephine Tey (1936)
2. The Man in Lower Ten. Mary Roberts Rinehart (1906)
3. Episode of the Wandering Knife. Mary Roberts Rinehart (1943)
4. Mrs. McGinty's Dead. Agatha Christie (1952)
   

What's in a Name 4 Challenge (2011)

**Challenge completed.**

Dates: 1 January - 31 December 2011
Hosted by: Beth Fish Reads

Guidelines:

• Read six books; one book in each of the following categories:
  
  1. A book with a number in the title
  2. A book with jewelry or a gem in the title
  3. A book with a size in the title
  4. A book with travel or movement in the title
  5. A book with evil in the title
  6. A book with a life stage in the title
  
  
• Books may be any format (audio, print, e-book).
• Overlapping with other challenges is permitted.
• Books may not overlap categories; you need a different book for each category.
• Creativity for matching the categories is not only allowed but encouraged.
• A preliminary list of books is not required.
• You can read through the categories in any order.

See my original post about the challenge here.
See my wrap-up post here.
See the challenge announcement page here.

Had a lot of fun with this one, even though I didn't get many reviews written.

MY READING LIST:

1. Category 1: The Man in Lower Ten. Mary Roberts Rinehart (See review)
   
2. Category 2: Cynthia's Attic: The Missing Locket. Mary Cunningham
   
3. Category 3: Malice in Miniature. Jeanne M. Dams
   
4. Category 4: Along Came a Spider. James Patterson (See review)
   
5. Category 5: Whisker of Evil. Rita Mae Brown
   
6. Category 6: Bad Boy. Peter Robinson
   

P.G. Wodehouse Challenge

Dates: December 1, 2010 through December 31, 2013
Hosted by: Andrea @ The Little Bookworm

Guidelines:

• The challenge:
  Read as much P.G. Wodehouse as you can (or want to), over the course of three years.
  
• The levels:
  
  a.) The Blandings Castle Level: read the entire Blandings Castle series including novels and short stories
  
  b.) The Jeeves and Wooster series: read the entire Jeeves and Wooster series including novels and short stories
  
  c.) Free for all level: read other Wodehouse stories or novels or any other series. It's completely up to you

To begin with, I'll be concentrating on the Jeeves/Wooster series.

See my original post about the challenge here.
See the challenge announcement page here.

MY READING LIST:

1. Right Ho, Jeeves (1934)
2. My Man Jeeves (1919) 

Fall Into Reading 2010

***Challenge completed. See my wrap-up post here.***

Dates: 22 September through 20 December 2010
Hosted by: Katrina at Callapidder Days

Guidelines (quoted from the challenge website):

• Make a list of books you want to read (or finish reading) this fall. Your list can be as long or as short as you’d like. (Also, feel free to modify your list during the challenge if it’s not working for you.)
• Write a blog post containing your list and submit it...using the Mr. Linky [on the challenge announcement page].
• Get reading! The challenge goes from today, September 22nd, through December 20th.
• Check out other participants’ lists and add to your own to-read-someday pile!
• Write a post about your challenge experience in December, telling us all about whether you reached your goals and how Fall Into Reading went for you. But remember: this is a low-pressure challenge that should be fun. As long as you do some reading this fall (and enjoy it!), that’s good enough for me.

See my original post about the challenge here.
See my wrap-up post here.
See the challenge announcement page here.


MY BOOK LIST (Books Read):

1. Cards on the Table. Agatha Christie [See Review]
   
2. The House Next Door. Anne Rivers Siddons [See Review]
3. Book of Shadows. Alexandra Sokoloff [Review to come]
   
4. Animal Farm. George Orwell [Review to come - maybe]
   
5. The Dark Half. Stephen King [Review to come]
   
6. After Claude. Iris Owens [See Review]
7. The Vanishing of Katharina Linden. Helen Grant [Review to come]
   
8. We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Shirley Jackson [Review to come]
9. The Distant Hours. Kate Morton [Review to come]
   
10. Juliet. Anne Fortier [See Review]
    
11. The Weird Sisters. Eleanor Brown [See Review]
    
12. The Thirty-Nine Steps. John Buchan [See Review]
    

OTHER POSSIBILITIES (Fiction):

Afternoon Men. Anthony Powell
Alice I Have Been. Melanie Benjamin
Appointment in Samarra. John O'Hara
Bad Boy. Peter Robinson
Dead Man's Folly. Agatha Christie
The Distant Hours. Kate Morton
The House on Tradd Street. Karen White
I Am Madame X. Gioia Diliberto
Moonlight Mile. Dennis Lehane
Mr. Murder. Dean Koontz
Mrs. McGinty's Dead. Agatha Christie
The Prince of Mist. Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Relic. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Room. Emma Donoghue
The Sign of the Book. John Dunning
Spiderweb. Penelope Lively
A Stir of Echoes. Richard Matheson
The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise. Julia Stuart
The Women. T.C. Boyle
Something by Nina Bawden
Something by Muriel Spark

OTHER POSSIBILITIES (nonfiction):

Books: A Memoir. Larry McMurtry
Just Kids. Patti Smith
Must You Go? My Life with Harold Pinter. Antonia Fraser
My Reading Life. Pat Conroy
Strapless. Deborah Davis
The Pattern in the Carpet. Margaret Drabble

The RIP V Challenge

***Challenge completed. See my wrap-up post here.***

Dates: September 1 through October 31, 2010
Hosted by: Carl V. at Stainless Steel Droppings

Guidelines:

There are several different levels of participation:

• Peril the First: Read four books of any length, from any subgenre you choose.
• Peril the Second: Read two books of any length, from any subgenre you choose.
• Peril the Third: Read one book of any length, from any subgenre you choose.
• Short Story Peril: An extra option, for those who want to participate in Short Story Sundays.
• Peril on the Screen: Another extra option, for those who like to watch scary or suspenseful fare on the large or small screen.
  

Choose your books from the following subgenres:

• Mystery
• Suspense
• Thriller
• Dark Fantasy
• Gothic
• Horror
• Supernatural

See my original post about the Challenge here.
See my wrap-up post here.
See the Challenge announcement page here.
See the Challenge review page here.

I'm going to be signing up at the Peril the First level (four books), and combining that with Peril on the Screen and maybe a bit of Short Story Peril, if all goes well.

MY BOOK LIST (books read):

1. The Inheritance. Simon Tolkien [See Review]
2. Cards on the Table. Agatha Christie [See Review]
   
3. The House Next Door. Anne Rivers Siddons [See Review]
   
4. Book of Shadows. Alexandra Sokoloff [Review to come]
   
5. The Dark Half. Stephen King [Review to come]
   
6. We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Shirley Jackson [Review to come]
   

MY SCREEN PERIL LIST (films/TV shows watched):

1. Midsomer Murders: "Sauce for the Goose" (TV series; Episode #807, 2005)
   
2. Midsomer Murders: "Midsomer Rhapsody" (TV series; Episode #808, 2005)
   
3. Midsomer Murders: "The House in the Woods" (TV series; Episode #901, 2005)
4. Midsomer Murders: "Dead Letters" (TV series; Episode #902, 2005)
5. Midsomer Murders: "Vixen's Run" (TV series; Episode # 903, 2005)
6. Midsomer Murders: "Down Among the Dead Men" (TV series; Episode #904, 2005)
7. Midsomer Murders: "Death in Chorus" (TV series; Episode #905, 2006)
8. Midsomer Murders: "Country Matters" (TV series; Episode #906, 2006)
9. Midsomer Murders: "Last Year's Model" (TV series; Episode #907, 2006)
   
10. Inspector Lewis: "Counter Culture Blues" (TV series; 2010)
    
11. Inspector Lewis: "The Dead of Winter" (TV series; 2010)
    
12. Inspector Lewis: "Dark Matter" (TV series; 2010)
    
13. Inspector Lewis: "Your Sudden Death Question" (TV series; 2010)
14. Inspector Lewis: "Falling Darkness" (TV series; 2010)
    
15. Inspector Morse: "Last Bus from Woodstock" (TV series; 1988)
16. Inspector Morse: "The Settling of the Sun" (TV series; 1988)
17. Inspector Morse: "Second Time Around" (TV series; 1991)
    
18. Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (film; 1972)
    
19. The Bourne Supremacy (film; 2004)
20. The Bourne Ultimatum (film; 2007)
    
21. The Brides of Dracula (film; 1960)
    
22. The Curse of Frankenstein (film; 1957)
    
23. Curse of the Demon (film; 1957)
    
24. The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (film; 1964)
    
25. The Dark Half (film; 1993)
    
26. Dark Mirror (film; 2007)
    
27. Dead of Night (film; 1945)
28. Dracula, Prince of Darkness (film; 1966)
    
29. Five Million Years to Earth (film; 1967)
    
30. The Forgotten (film; 2004)
31. Frankenstein Created Woman (film; 1967)
32. Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (film; 1969)
33. The Haunting (film; 1963)
    
34. The Mummy's Shroud (film; 1967)
    
35. The Revenge of Frankenstein (film; 1958)
    
36. Secrets Inside the Walls (film; 2010)
    
37. Session 9 (film; 2001)
    
38. The Talented Mr. Ripley (film; 1999)
39. These Are the Damned (film; 1962)
40. The Uninvited (film; 1944)
    
41. X The Unknown (film; 1956)
    

Banned Books Project

***Putting this one on hold for now***

Dates: Ongoing, no time limit
Hosted by: Bonnie Jacobs of Bonnie's Books

Guidelines:

• From the project's blog:
  "Members of the Banned Books project will read and post about banned books. That's it. No time limit, no required number to complete, just reading any book that has ever been challenged or banned; and registration is always open."
  
• If you want to be a contributor to the project blog, email Bonnie at emerging dot paradigm at yahoo dot com. Then you will be able to post your reviews of banned books, as well as cross-post them on your own blog, if you choose. Remember to include Banned Books in the subject line and include your blog URL (if you have one).

See the Banned Books Project blog here.

MY READING LIST (books read):

1. The Egypt Game. Zilpha Keatley Snyder [See Review]
2. Animal Farm. George Orwell (read in 2010)
3. Goosebumps Series: Welcome to Dead House. R.L. Stine (reading now)

POSSIBLE CHOICES - Banned and Challenged Books:

Anastasia Krupnik Series. Lois Lowry
Animal Farm. George Orwell
Appointment in Samarra. John O'Hara
Babbitt. Sinclair Lewis
Bag of Bones. Stephen King
The Bostonians. Henry James
Bunnicula. James Howe
Cradle and All. James Patterson
The Dead Zone. Stephen King
The Diviners. Margaret Laurence
Earth's Children (series). Jean M. Auel
The Egypt Game. Zilpha Keatley Snyder
Ethan Frome. Edith Wharton
Fahrenheit 451. Ray Bradbury (re-read)
The Figure in the Shadows. John Bellairs
The Giver. Lois Lowry
The Goosebumps Series. R.L. Stine
The Headless Cupid. Zilpha Keatley Snyder
Inkheart. Cornelia Funke
It's Not the End of the World. Judy Blume
James and the Giant Peach. Roald Dahl
Main Street. Sinclair Lewis
Matilda. Roald Dahl
Maurice. E.M. Forster
Peyton Place. Grace Metalious
The Phantom Tollbooth. Norman Juster
Portnoy's Complaint. Philip Roth
Queen of the Summer Stars. Persia Woolley
Rabbit, Run. John Updike
A Rage to Live. John O'Hara
Snow Falling on Cedars. David Guterson
The Stone Angel. Margaret Laurence
The View From the Cherry Tree. Willo Davis Roberts
Wide Sargasso Sea. Jean Rhys
The Witches. Roald Dahl
The Wizard in the Tree. Lloyd Alexander
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. L. Frank Baum
A Wrinkle in Time. Madeleine L'Engle
Zen Buddhism: Selected Writings. D.T. Suzuki

Spring Reading Thing 2010

**Challenge completed. See my wrap-up post here.**

Dates: 20 March through 20 June, 2010
Hosted by: Katrina of Callapidder Days

Guidelines:

• Make a list of books you want to read (or finish reading) this spring. No set number of books: Your list can be as long or as short as you'd like.
• Post the list on your blog and then link your post to the sign up page (using Mr. Linky there).
• Lists can be changed at any time during the challenge.
• When the challenge ends in June, write a post about your challenge experience, telling whether or not you met your goals and how the Spring Reading Thing went for you.

See my original post about the challenge here.
See my wrap-up post here.
See the challenge announcement page here.
See the page for challenge wrap-ups here.

MY READING LIST:

1. Heresy. S.J. Parris [Review to come]
2. A Stitch in Time. Monica Ferris [Review to come]
   
3. A Fair Maiden. Joyce Carol Oates [Review to come]
   
4. The Swimming Pool. Holly LeCraw [See Review]
   
5. An American Type. Henry Roth [See Review]
   
6. A River in the Sky. Elizabeth Peters [See Review]
   
7. Live To Tell. Lisa Gardner [See Review]
   
8. The Map of True Places. Brunonia Barry [See Review]
9. Tinkers. Paul Harding [See Review]
   
10. The Last Child. John Hart [Review to come]
11. Innocent. Scott Turow [See Review]
12. The Hypnotist. M.J. Rose [See Review]
    
13. The Forgotten Garden. Kate Morton [Review to come]
    
14. The Magicians. Lev Grossman [Review to come]