2013 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

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

Dates: 1 January - 31 December, 2013
Hosted by: Historical Tapestry

Guidelines (quoted from challenge announcement page):

"The challenge will run in the same way as it has over the last couple of years that we have hosted the challenge. The only thing that has changed is the names of the categories....Each month, a new post dedicated to the HF Challenge will be created. To participate, you only have to follow the rules:

• everyone can participate, even those who don't have a blog (you can add your book title and thoughts in the comment section if you wish) 
• add the link(s) of your review(s) including your name and book title to the Mister Linky we’ll be adding to our monthly post (please, do not add your blog link, but the correct address that will guide us directly to your review) 
• any kind of historical fiction is accepted (HF fantasy, HF young adult,...)"

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 

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

** I'm signing up at the second level ("Victorian reader"), so I'll be reading five books.

MY READING LIST (books read, with links to reviews):  

1. The Heat of the Sun. David Rain
2. The Flamethrowers. Rachel Kushner 
3. Clea. Lawrence Durrell (review to come)
4. Is This Tomorrow. Caroline Leavitt (review to come)
5. A Fatal Likeness. Lyn Shepherd (review to come)
6. The Shooting Party. Isabel Colegate  
7. The 13 Clocks. James Thurber 

2013 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge

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

Dates: 1 January - 31 December, 2013
Hosted by: The Book Vixen

Guidelines (quoted from the Challenge announcement page):

• The goal is to outdo yourself by reading more books in 2013 than you did in 2012.
• See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you. You can move up a level as often as you’d like but no moving down.
• Books can be any format (bound, ebook, audio).
• Novellas that are at least 100 pages in length, as well as full-length novels, will count for this reading challenge.
• Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
• You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads or LibraryThing.

Levels:

1. Getting my heart rate up – Read 1–5 more books 
2. Out of breath – Read 6–10 more books 
3. Breaking a sweat – Read 11–15 more books 
4. I’m on fire! – Read 16+ more books

** I'm signing up at the second level ("Out of breath").

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

See the Challenge announcement/sign-up page here.
See the Challenge review link-up page here.

MY READING LIST (books read, with links to reviews):

1. The Lost Symbol. Dan Brown 
2. Cat on the Scent. Rita Mae Brown
3. Darwin's Ghosts. Rebecca Stott 
4. The Heat of the Sun. David Rain
5. Farewell, Dorothy Parker. Ellen Meister
6. Guilt. Jonathan Kellerman 
7. Cold Remains. Sally Spedding
8. The Happy Hollisters. Jerry West
9. Half Magic. Edward Eager
10. The Gordonston Ladies Dog Walking Club. Duncan Whitehead
11. Clea. Lawrence Durrell
12. Seduction. M.J. Rose
13. Fer-de-Lance. Rex Stout 
14. The Flamethrowers. Rachel Kushner
15. & Sons: A Novel. David Gilbert 
16. Inferno. Dan Brown 
17. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. L. Frank Baum
18. A Fearful Madness. Julius Falconer
19. Death By a HoneyBee. Abigail Keam
20. Is This Tomorrow. Caroline Leavitt 
21. A Fatal Likeness. Lyn Shepherd 
22. Pretty Polly Flinders. Mary Frances Blaisdell
23. The Good Luck of Right Now. Matthew Quick 
24. The Buddhist Catechism. Henry Steel Olcott
25. Bunnicula.  James Howe & Deborah Howe
26. The Book of Secrets. Elizabeth Joy Arnold
27. Night Film. Marisha Pessl
28. The Small Hand & Dolly. Susan Hill
29. The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. H.P. Lovecraft
30. Ignorance. Milan Kundera
31. The Shooting Party. Isabel Colegate
32. Time Will Tell. Donald Greig
33. Heroic Measures. Jill Ciment
34. Invisible Cities. Italo Calvino
35. Double Indemnity. James M. Cain
36. Evil Under the Sun. Agatha Christie
37. The 13 Clocks. James Thurber
38. Chéri. Colette 

Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge 2013: Scattergories

**Challenge complete (sort of). See my wrap-up post HERE.**

Dates: 1 January - 31 December, 2013
Hosted by: Bev @ My Reader's Block

Guidelines:

• Read at least 8 books from 8 different categories
• All books must have been originally written before 1960 and be from the mystery category (crime fiction, detective fiction, espionage, etc.). 
• Short story collections are OK so long as all the stories included were originally written pre-1960. 
• Each book may count for only one category. 
• Books may count towards any other challenges. 
• Challenge runs from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013. Sign up any time between now and November 30, 2013. Any books read from January 1 on may count regardless of your sign-up date. 
• Reviews are not required. 
• Once you have met the 8 book minimum, you may repeat any category (except the last one) any number of times to reach the 16+ level. 
• There will be a site for reviews/progress reports. 
•  Mini-Challenge Level--for those who would like to participate at a lower commitment. Choose any 4 categories for a commitment of 4 books. Challengers who complete this level will be eligible for a separate year-end prize drawing.

 Categories:

1. Colorful Crime: a book with a color or reference to color in the title 
2. Murder by the Numbers: a book with a number, quantity in the title 
3. Amateur Night: a book with a "detective" who is not a P.I.; Police Officer; Official Investigator (Nurse Keate, Father Brown, Miss Marple, etc.) 
4. Leave It to the Professionals: a book featuring cops, private eyes, secret service, professional spies, etc. 
5. Jolly Old England: one mystery set in Britain 
6. Yankee Doodle Dandy: one mystery set in the United States 
7. World Traveler: one mystery set in any country except the US or Britain 
8. Dangerous Beasts: a book with an animal in the title (The Case of the Grinning Gorilla; The Canary Murder Case; etc.) 
9. A Calendar of Crime: a mystery with a date/holiday/year/month/etc. in the title (Hercule Poirot's Christmas, Holiday Homicide, etc.) 
10. Wicked Women: a book with a woman in the title--either by name (Mrs. McGinty's Dead) or by reference (The Case of the Vagabound Virgin) 
11. Malicious Men: a book with a man in the title--either by name (Maigret & the Yellow Dog) or by reference (The Case of the Haunted Husband) 
12. Murderous Methods : a book with a means of death in the title (The Noose, 5 Bullets, Deadly Nightshade, etc). 
13. Staging the Crime: a mystery set in the entertainment world (the theater, musical event, a pageant, Hollywood, featuring a magician, etc) 
14. Scene of the Crime: a book with the location of the crime in the title (The Body in the Library, Murder at the Vicarage, etc.) 
15. Cops & Robbers: a book that features a theft rather than murder 
16. Locked Rooms: a locked-room mystery 
17. Country House Criminals: a standard (or not-so-standard) Golden Age country house murder
18. Murder on the High Seas: a mystery involving water 
19. Planes, Trains & Automobiles: a mystery that involves a mode of transportation in a vital way--explicitly in the title (Murder on the Orient Express) or by implication (Death in the Air; Death Under Sail) or perhaps the victim was shoved under a bus.... 
20. Murder Is Academic: a mystery involving a scholar, teacher, librarian, etc. OR set at a school, university, library, etc. 
21. Things That Go Bump in the Night: a mystery with something spooky, creepy, gothic in the title (The Skeleton in the Clock, Haunted Lady, The Bat, etc.) 
22. Repeat Offenders: a mystery featuring your favorite series detective or by your favorite author (the books/authors you'd read over and over again) OR reread an old favorite 
23. The Butler Did It...Or Not: a mystery where the butler is the victim, the sleuth....(gasp) the criminal....or is just downright memorable for whatever reason. 
24. A Mystery By Any Other Name: any book that has been published under more than one title (Murder Is Easy--aka Easy to Kill [Christie]; Fog of Doubt--aka London Particular [Christianna Brand], etc.) 
25. Dynamic Duos: a mystery featuring a detective team--Holmes & Watson, Pam & Jerry North, Wolfe & Goodwin, or....a little-known team that you introduce to us. 
26. Size Matters: a book with a size or measurement in the title (Death Has a Small Voice, The Big Four, The Weight of the Evidence, etc.) 
27. Psychic Phenomena: a mystery featuring a seance, medium, hypnotism, or other psychic or "supernatural" characters/events 
28. Book to Movie: one vintage mystery that has appeared on screen (feature film or TV movie). 
29. The Old Bailey: a courtroom drama mystery (Perry Mason, anyone? Witness for the Prosecution...etc.) OR a mystery featuring a judge, lawyer, barrister, D.A., etc. 
30. Get Out of Jail Free: This is a freebie category. One per customer. 

See my original post about the challenge here.
See my challenge wrap-up post here. 
See the Challenge Announcement page here.
See the review site here.

MY READING LIST (with links to reviews):

1. Fer-de-Lance. Rex Stout (first published 1934)
   ~ Since this is the first book in Stout's Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin series, it's definitely in the "Dynamic Duo" category (Category #25).
2. Evil Under the Sun. Agatha Christie (first published 1941)
   ~ I loved the film with Peter Ustinov, Maggie Smith, and Diana Rigg. How have I neglected to read the book all these years? Category #28 (Book to Movie)

What's in a Name 6

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

Dates: 1 January - 31 December 2013
Hosted by: Beth Fish Reads

What it's all about -- Between January 1 and December 31, 2013, participants will read one book in each of the following Categories:

1. A book with up or down (or equivalent) in the title
2. A book with something you'd find in your kitchen in the title
3. A book with a party or celebration in the title
4. A book with fire (or equivalent) in the title
5. A book with an emotion in the title
6. A book with lost or found (or equivalent) in the title

Guidelines (quoted from Challenge announcement page):

• Books may be any form (audio, print, e-book). 
• Books may overlap other challenges. 
• Books may not overlap categories; you need a different book for each category. 
• Creativity for matching the categories is not only allowed but encouraged. 
• You do not have to make a list of books before hand. 
• You do not have to read through the categories in any particular order. 

See my original post about the challenge here.
See my challenge wrap-up post here. 
See the challenge announcement/sign-up page here.
See the gateway to review link-ups here.

MY READING LIST (books read, with links to reviews):

• Category #1: Evil Under the Sun. Agatha Christie
• Category #2: Death By a HoneyBee. Abigail Keam
• Category #3: The Shooting Party. Isabel Colegate
• Category #4: The Heat of the Sun. David Rain (See Review)
• Category #5: The Happy Hollisters. Jerry West (See Review)
• Category #6: The Lost Symbol. Dan Brown (See Review)

Fall Into Reading 2012

***Challenge completed***

Dates: 22 September - 21 December 2012
Hosted by: Katrina @ Callapidder Days

Guidelines (quoted from the challenge announcement page):

• Create a list of books you’d like to read or finish this fall. This is the only real requirement for participating in the challenge. 
• Feel free to set some additional reading goals (such as reading to your kids two hours per week, getting through your pile of magazines, etc.). However, this is not required; setting additional goals is completely optional. 
• Write a blog post that includes the list of books you want to read (and any additional goals you’ve set), and get ready to post it on your blog on September 22nd. 
• Visit Callapidder Days on September 22nd to sign up for the challenge. 
• Read! Work on your goals throughout Fall 2012. 
• Report your results. Write another blog post in December to let everyone know how you did.
• Have fun! Visit other participants to see what they’re reading. Write reviews if you’re so inclined. But most of all, enjoy your fall reading! 

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

MY BOOK LIST (Books read):

1. The Little Stranger. Sarah Waters 
2. Mrs. Malory and No Cure For Death. Hazel Holt 
3. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Stieg Larsson 
4. Lost Boy Lost Girl. Peter Straub 
5. The Nursing Home Murder. Ngaio Marsh
6. The Bartender's Tale. Ivan Doig
7. The Trial. Franz Kafka

LIST OF POSSIBLE READS:

The Bartenders' Tale. Ivan Doig
Darwin's Ghosts. Rebecca Stott
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Stieg Larsson
The House of Velvet and Glass. Katherine Howe
Istanbul Passage. Joseph Kanon
The Little Stranger. Sarah Waters
The Nursing Home Murder. Ngaio Marsh
The Pale Horse. Agatha Christie
The Secret Keeper. Kate Morton
The Yard. Alex Grecian

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril / VII

***Challenge Completed***

Dates: September 1 through October 31, 2012
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.
• 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 Group Read: A third extra -- there will be several group reads during the challenge. See announcement page for info.

✸ Choose your books from the following subgenres:

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

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

I signed up at the Peril the Second level (two books), but hope to do much better than that; and I'll be  combining that with Peril on the Screen.

MY BOOK LIST (books read):

1. The Little Stranger. Sarah Waters  
2. Mrs. Malory and No Cure For Death. Hazel Holt 
3. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Stieg Larsson 
4. Lost Boy Lost Girl. Peter Straub
5. The Nursing Home Murder. Ngaio Marsh

MY SCREEN PERIL LIST (movies/TV shows watched, with links to any reviews):

1. Waking the Dead: A Simple Sacrifice (TV Series; 2000)
2. Waking the Dead: Every Breath You Take (TV Series; 2000)
   
3. Waking the Dead: Death Watch (TV Series; 2002)
4. Waking the Dead: Life Sentence (TV Series; 2002)
5. Wallander: The Dogs of Riga (TV series; 2012)
6. Wallander: An Event in Autumn (TV series; 2012)
7. Wallander: Before the Frost (TV series; 2012) 
8. 10 Rillington Place (film; 1971; directed by Richard Fleischer) 
9. 23 Paces to Baker Street (film; 1956; directed by Henry Hathaway)
10. Black Swan (film; 2010; directed by Darren Aronofsky)
    
11. The Eclipse (film; 2009; directed by Conor McPherson)
12. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (film; 2011; directed by David Fincher)
13. The Haunting (film; 1963; directed by Robert Wise) 
14. The Horror of Dracula (film; 1958; directed by Terence Fisher)
15. Mark of the Vampire (film; 1935; directed by Tod Browning)
16. The Mummy (film; 1932; directed by Karl Freund)
17. Mystery of the Wax Museum (film; 1933; directed by Michael Curtiz)
18. Phantoms (film; 1998; directed by Joe Chappelle)
19. Shutter (film; 2008; directed by Masayuki Ochiai)
20. The Town That Dreaded Sundown (film; 1976; directed by Charles B. Pierce) 
21. The Uninvited (film; 1944; directed by Lewis Allen)
22. Vampyr (Not Against the Flesh) (film; 1932; directed by Karl Theodor Dreyer)

Once Upon a Time VI

Hosted by: Carl V. of Stainless Steel Droppings
Dates: 21 March - 19 June, 2012

Guidelines:

• Readings should come from these four genres: fantasy, fairy tale, folklore and mythology.
  
• Participants can choose one or more of the following levels (or Quests).

1. The Journey - Read at least one book from any of the four genres. No need to commit to any set number of books.
2. Quest the First - Read at least 5 books that fit somewhere within the Once Upon a Time III criteria. They might all be fantasy, or folklore, or fairy tales, or mythology…or your five books might be a combination from the four genres.
3. Quest the Second - Read at least one book from each of the four categories. In this quest you will be reading 4 books total: one fantasy, one folklore, one fairy tale, and one mythology.
4. Quest the Third - Fulfill the requirements for Quest the First or Quest the Second AND top it off with a June reading of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream OR a viewing of one of the many theatrical versions of the play.
5. Short Story Quest - This quest involves the reading of one or more short stories that fit within at least one of the four genres during the course of the weekend. Ideally you would post about your short story readings on Sundays or Mondays, but this is not strictly necessary.
6. Quest on the Screen - To participate in this quest simply let the other participants know about the films and/or television shows that you feel fit into the definitions of fantasy, fairy tales, folklore or mythology that you are enjoying during the challenge.

✸ I'm signing up at the "Journey" level, so I'll be reading at least one book, but (as usual) hope to read a few more.

See my original post about the challenge here.
See the challenge announcement/sign-up page here.
See the challenge review page here.
See the page with all the links to wrap-ups here.
See my challenge wrap-up post here.

MY READING LIST (books read; with links to reviews):

1. Seven-Day Magic. Edward Eager (Fantasy)
2. 
   

LIST OF POSSIBLE CHOICES:

The 13 Clocks. James Thurber
The Bells at Sealey Head. Patricia A. McKillip
The Book of Lost Things. John Connolly
The Castle of Llyr. Lloyd Alexander
The City of Dreaming Books. Walter Moers
The Crystal Cave. Mary Stewart
The Eyre Affair. Jasper Fforde
The Fairy-Tale Detectives (Sisters Grimm #1). Michael Buckley
Five Children and It. E. Nesbit
Inkheart. Cornelia Funke
The Mabinogion.
The Magic of Finkleton. K.C. Hilton
Magic or Not? Edward Eager
Mistress Masham's Repose. T.H. White
The Mists of Avalon. Marion Zimmer Bradley
The Moon of Gomrath: A Tale of Alderley. Alan Garner
The Phantom Tollbooth. Norton Juster
Photographing Fairies. Steve Szilagyi
The Prince of Mist. Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Princess and the Goblin. George MacDonald
The Red Pyramid. Rick Riordan
Silver on the Tree. Susan Cooper
Stuart Little. E.B. White
The Trumpet of the Swan. E.B. White
The Well-Wishers. Edward Eager
The Wind in the Willows. Kenneth Grahame
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. L. Frank Baum

Victorian Challenge 2012

***Challenge Completed***

 
Hosted by: Laura's Reviews
Dates: 1 January - 31 December, 2012

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

"For the Victorian Challenge, we will focus on the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901. We will count books that were written by Victorian authors during this time period, books set during the Victorian age, or books about a Victorian author, history, manners, architecture, Queen Victoria etc. Also besides reading books, short stories, audiobooks and movies will also be accepted. The sky is the limit; I would love to make this a true celebration of all things Victorian."

• The goal will be to read, watch, or listen to 2 to 6 (or more) Victorian items. Books, audiobooks, movies -- anything Victorian related is allowed.
• Reading, watching, or listening to a favorite Victorian related item again for the second, third, or more time is also allowed.
• Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
• You can change your plans at any time during the challenge.
• You don't need a blog to participate.
• There will be a monthly link for reviews.

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

MY READING LIST (books, stories read):

1. The Solitary House. Lynn Shepherd (novel set in the Victorian Era)
2. The Warden. Anthony Trollope (written during the Victorian Era; first published 1855)

MY VIEWING LIST (movies/TV shows watched):

1. The Prestige (2006; film; based on the novel by Christopher Priest)
2. Queen Victoria's Empire (2001; PBS; 4-hour documentary series)
3. My Brilliant Career (1979; film; based on the novel by Miles Franklin)

POSSIBLE READS:

• Written during the Victorian Era
  Barchester Towers. Anthony Trollope
  Cranford. Elizabeth Gaskell
  Jane Eyre. Charlotte Bronte
  Lady Windermere's Fan. Oscar Wilde
  The Lifted Veil. George Eliot
  The Moonstone. Wilkie Collins
  The Spoils of Poynton. Henry James
  The Warden. Anthony Trollope
• Set in the Victorian Era
  Affinity. Sarah Waters
  Arthur and George. Julian Barnes
  The Dante Club. Matthew Pearl
  The Last Dickens. Matthew Pearl
  The Prestige. Christopher Priest
• Nonfiction related to the Victorian Era
  A Circle of Sisters: Alice Kipling, Georgiana Burne Jones, Agnes Poynter, and Louisa Baldwin. Judith Flanders
  The Mystery of Lewis Carroll. Jenny Woolf
  The Sisters of Sinai: How Two Lady Adventurers Discovered the Hidden Gospels. Janet Martin Soskice
  Unquiet Souls. Angela Lambert

POSSIBLE FILMS/TV SHOWS:

Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (TV series starring Jeremy Brett as Holmes)
The Age of Innocence (1993; film)
Little Dorrit (1988; film)
The Piano (1993; film)

Books in Translation Reading Challenge 2012

Hosted by: The Introverted Reader
Dates: 7 January - 31 December, 2012

Guidelines:

• The challenge goal is to read any book that's been translated from its original language into another language that you're comfortable reading.
• Any genre, format, or age range is accepted.
• Crossovers with other challenges are OK.
• You don't need a blog to participate; link up through Good Reads, Library Thing, etc.

Levels:

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

✷ I'm signing up at the "Conversationalist" level, so I'll be reading 4-6 books.

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

MY READING LIST (books read, with links to reviews)

1. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Stieg Larsson 
2. The Trial. Franz Kafka (reading now)

POSSIBLE CHOICES:

Buddenbrooks. Thomas Mann
The Castle. Franz Kafka
Chess Story. Stefan Zweig
The Double. Jose Saramago
Farewell Waltz. Milan Kundera
If on a winter's night a traveler. Italo Calvino
Ignorance. Milan Kundera
Invisible Cities. Italo Calvino
Last Year at Marienbad. Alain Robbe-Grillet
Skylark. Kosztolanyi Dezso
Steppenwolf. Hermann Hesse
The Trial. Franz Kafka

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2012

***Challenge Completed***

 
Hosted by: Historical Tapestry
Dates: 1 January - 31 December, 2012

Guidelines:

• Anyone can join, and you don't need a blog to participate.
• Any kind of historical fiction is accepted.
• There will be a monthly link-up for reviews.

Levels:

1. Severe Bookaholism: 20 books
2. Undoubtedly Obsessed: 15 books
3. Struggling the Addiction: 10 books
4. Daring & Curious: 5 books
5. Out of My Comfort Zone: 2 books

✸ I'm signing up at Level 4 ("Daring & Curious"), so I'll be reading at least 5 books.

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

MY READING LIST (books read, with links to reviews):

1. A Month in the Country. J.L. Carr
2. The Solitary House. Lynn Shepherd
3. The Dovekeepers. Alice Hoffman
4. The House at Riverton. Kate Morton
5. The Little Stranger. Sarah Waters 

What's in a Name 5

 

***Challenge Completed***

 
Hosted by: Beth Fish Reads
Dates: 1 January to 31 December, 2012

The idea of the challenge is to read one book in each of the following categories:

1. A book with a topographical feature (land formation) in the title
2. A book with something you'd see in the sky in the title
3. A book with a creepy crawly in the title
4. A book with a type of house in the title
5. A book with something you'd carry in your pocket, purse, or backpack in the title
6. A book with something you'd find on a calendar in the title

Other Guidelines (quoted from the challenge announcement page):

• Books may be any form (audio, print, e-book).
• Books may overlap other challenges.
• Books may not overlap categories; you need a different book for each category.
• Creativity for matching the categories is not only allowed but encouraged.
• You do not have to make a list of books before hand.
• You do not have to read through the categories in any particular order.

See my original post about the challenge here.
See the challenge announcement/sign-up page here.
See the Gateway to Challenge Links here.
See my Challenge Wrap-up post here.

MY READING LIST (books read, with links to reviews):

Category 1: Tyrannosaur Canyon. Douglas Preston (See Review)
Category 2: A Fall of Moondust. Arthur C. Clarke (See Review)
Category 3: Spiderweb. Penelope Lively (See Review)
Category 4: The Solitary House. Lynn Shepherd (Review to come)
Category 5: The Key: A Miss Silver Mystery. Patricia Wentworth (Review to come)
Category 6: A Month in the Country. J.L. Carr (See Review)

POSSIBLE CHOICES:

Category 1:
~ She Walks These Hills. Sharyn McCrumb
~ Tyrannosaur Canyon. Douglas Preston

Category 2:
~ The Evening Star. Larry McMurtry
~ A Fall of Moondust. Arthur C. Clarke
~ The Moonstone. Wilkie Collins
~ A Patchwork Planet. Anne Tyler
~ Ring Around the Sun. Clifford D. Simak

Category 4:
~ Iron House. John Hart
~ Rose Cottage. Mary Stewart

Category 5:
~ Books: A Memoir. Larry McMurtry
~ The Children's Book. A.S. Byatt
~ The Glass Key. Dashiell Hammett
~ The Key: A Miss Silver Mystery. Patricia Wentworth

Category 6:
~ 11/22/63. Stephen King
~ The Man Who Was Thursday. G.K. Chesterton
~ A Month in the Country. J.L. Carr
~ The September Society. Charles Finch
~ Three Junes. Julia Glass

Off the Shelf Challenge 2012

 ***Challenge Completed***

Hosted by: Bookish Ardour
Dates: 1 January - 31 December, 2012

"This challenge is to read those books you own a copy of, print, digital, and audio, you have been meaning to read, but never gotten to. If you don’t own enough books for the challenge you can read your TBR list instead. And no, you do not need to get rid of your books afterwards, that’s completely your choice, this challenge is only to read them." (quoted from the challenge announcement page)

Guidelines:

• Only books acquired (or listed) before 2012 are eligible.
• Sign up until the last two weeks of December 2012.
• Any genre is allowed.
• Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
• You can change levels at any time.
• eBooks, short stories, and graphic novels are allowed.
• You don’t need a blog to join in.
• There will be a link for reviews.

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
6. Hoarder – Choose between 76-135 books to read
7. Buried – Choose between 136-200 books to read

✸ I'm signing up at the "Trying" level, and will be reading 15 books.


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

MY READING LIST (books read; with links to reviews):

1. Spiderweb. Penelope Lively
2. The Players Come Again. Amanda Cross
3. The Inn at Lake Devine. Elinor Lipman
4. Liberty. Garrison Keillor
5. A Month in the Country. J.L. Carr
6. The Horned Man. James Lasdun
7. Seven-Day Magic. Edward Eager
8. Tyrannosaur Canyon. Douglas Preston
9. A Man Lay Dead. Ngaio Marsh
10. Artists in Crime. Ngaio Marsh
11. The Key: A Miss Silver Mystery. Patricia Wentworth
12. The Warden. Anthony Trollope
13. Right Ho, Jeeves. P.G. Wodehouse
14. Dead Man's Folly (Hercule Poirot series). Agatha Christie
15. The House at Riverton. Kate Morton

POSSIBLE CHOICES (Fiction):

Afternoon Men. Anthony Powell
The Big Sleep. Raymond Chandler
Buddenbrooks. Thomas Mann
The Circular Staircase. Mary Roberts Rinehart
Cranford. Elizabeth Gaskell
Death of a Hollow Man. Caroline Graham
The Debut. Anita Brookner
English Music. Peter Ackroyd
Flaubert's Parrot. Julian Barnes
The Forgery of Venus. Michael Gruber
The Geographer's Library. Jon Fasman
Heroic Measures. Jill Ciment
If on a winter's night a traveler. Italo Calvino
Inkheart. Cornelia Funke
The Inn at Lake Devine. Elinor Lipman
Jane Eyre. Charlotte Bronte
July and August. Nancy Clark
Lethal Legacy. Linda Fairstein
Liberty. Garrison Keillor
Loop Group. Larry McMurtry
Los Alamos. Joseph Kanon
The Mists of Avalon. Marion Zimmer Bradley
The Moonstone. Wilkie Collins
The Pale Horse. Agatha Christie
Providence. Anita Brookner
The Saint Bids Diamonds. Leslie Charteris
The Secret Adversary. Agatha Christie
The Sign of the Book. John Dunning
Silver on the Tree. Susan Cooper
Three Junes. Julia Glass
Travels with My Aunt. Graham Greene
The Warden. Anthony Trollope
The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag. Alan Bradley

POSSIBLE CHOICES (non-fiction):

Books: A Memoir. Larry McMurtry
A Gentle Madness. Nicholas A. Basbanes
In Cold Blood. Truman Capote
Just Kids. Patti Smith
Manhattan '45. Jan Morris
The Pattern in the Carpet. Margaret Drabble
The Year of Magical Thinking. Joan Didion

New Author Challenge 2012

Hosted by: Jackie at Literary Escapism
Dates: 1 January through 31 December, 2012

Guidelines (quoted from the challenge announcement page):

• The challenge will run from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012.
• Since this is an author challenge, there is no restriction on choosing your novels. They can definitely be from other challenges. However, the authors must be new to you and, preferably from novels. Anthologies are a great way to try someone new, but only a third of your new authors can be from anthologies.
• You can pick to do either 15, 25 or 50 new authors....If you reach your goal halfway through the year, don’t stop. Any new author you try can be added to Mr. Linky.
• After reading your new author, write your review and then come back here and add your link to Mr. Linky. Make sure you include your name and the author, but adding the title is completely up to you.
• Bloggers or Non-Bloggers alike are welcome. You don’t have to have a site to participate. You can link up via Facebook, GoodReads or even Amazon if you’d like.

✸ I'm going to commit to 15 new authors, but hope to do a little better than that.



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

MY READING LIST (books read, with links to reviews):

1. Chris Bohjalian: The Night Strangers
2. J.L. Carr: A Month in the Country
3. James Lasdun: The Horned Man
4. Lynn Shepherd: The Solitary House
5. Alice Thomas Ellis: The Other Side of the Fire
6. Lynda Rutledge: Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale
7. Linda Fairstein: Night Watch
8. Sarah Waters: The Little Stranger
9. Stieg Larsson: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
10. Ivan Doig: The Bartender's Tale 
11. 
    

Mystery and Suspense Reading Challenge 2012

***Challenge Completed***

 
Hosted by: Book Chick City
Dates: 1 January - 31 December, 2012

Guidelines:

• No need to select books ahead of time.
• If you do make a list, it can be changed.
• Crossovers with other challenges are OK.
• Join at any time. All books read in 2012 count towards the challenge, no matter when you sign up.
• There will be a monthly link for reviews.
• Audiobooks don't count, but all other formats are OK.
• You don't need a blog to join in.
• See the list of sub-genres to choose from.

Choose from two levels for the challenge:

• Read TWELVE (12) mystery & suspense novels in 2012
• Read TWENTY FOUR (24) mystery & suspense novels in 2012

✸ I'm signing up at the first level, and will read 12 books.

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

MY READING LIST (books read with links to reviews):

1. The Night Strangers. Chris Bohjalian
   ~ Supernatural Thriller Category
2. The Players Come Again: A Kate Fansler Mystery. Amanda Cross
   ~ Amateur Detective Category
3. The Solitary House. Lynn Shepherd
   ~ Historical Mystery/Thriller Category
4. Tyrannosaur Canyon. Douglas Preston
   ~ Action Thriller Category
5. A Man Lay Dead: An Inspector Alleyn Mystery. Ngaio Marsh
   ~ Murder Mystery Category
6. Artists in Crime: An Inspector Alleyn Mystery. Ngaio Marsh
   ~ Murder Mystery Category
7. Night Watch. Linda Fairstein
   ~ Legal Thriller Category
8. The Key: A Miss Silver Mystery. Patricia Wentworth
   ~ Cozy Mystery Category
9. Dead Man's Folly (Hercule Poirot series). Agatha Christie
   ~ Murder Mystery Category
10. Elephants Can Remember (Hercule Poirot series). Agatha Christie
    ~ Murder Mystery Category
11. The Little Stranger. Sarah Waters
    ~ Supernatural Thriller Category (also Historical Thriller Category)
12. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Stieg Larsson
    ~ Drama Thriller Category

Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2012

***Challenge completed***

Hosted by: Bev @ My Reader's Block
Dates: 1 January - 31 December, 2012

Guidelines:

• Choose your level. Once you choose, you must complete at least that many books (more is OK, too).
• Sign up anytime from now until 30 November 2012.
• Books read must be books owned by you prior to 1 January 2012. No books acquired after that date; no ARCs; no library books; no re-reads.
• Books may overlap with other challenges.
• You can make a book list in advance, or just list them as you read them.
• A blog is not required to participate.
• There will be a quarterly check-in post for reviews.

Challenge Levels:

1. Pike's Peak: Read 12 books from your TBR pile/s
2. Mt. Vancouver: Read 25 books from your TBR pile/s
3. Mt. Ararat: Read 40 books from your TBR piles/s
4. Mt. Kilimanjaro: Read 50 books from your TBR pile/s
5. El Toro: Read 75 books from your TBR pile/s
6. Mt. Everest: Read 100+ books from your TBR pile/s

✸ I'm signing up at the Pike's Peak level, and will be reading at least 12 books from my TBR pile.

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

MY READING LIST (books read):

1. Spiderweb. Penelope Lively
2. The Players Come Again. Amanda Cross
3. The Inn at Lake Devine. Elinor Lipman
4. Liberty. Garrison Keillor
5. A Month in the Country. J.L. Carr
6. The Horned Man. James Lasdun
7. Seven-Day Magic. Edward Eager
8. Tyrannosaur Canyon. Douglas Preston
9. The Warden. Anthony Trollope
10. Right Ho, Jeeves. P.G. Wodehouse
11. Dead Man's Folly. Agatha Christie
12. The House at Riverton. Kate Morton

POSSIBLE CHOICES (Fiction):

Afternoon Men. Anthony Powell
The Big Sleep. Raymond Chandler
Buddenbrooks. Thomas Mann
The Circular Staircase. Mary Roberts Rinehart
Cranford. Elizabeth Gaskell
Death of a Hollow Man. Caroline Graham
The Debut. Anita Brookner
English Music. Peter Ackroyd
Flaubert's Parrot. Julian Barnes
The Forgery of Venus. Michael Gruber
The Geographer's Library. Jon Fasman
Heroic Measures. Jill Ciment
If on a winter's night a traveler. Italo Calvino
Inkheart. Cornelia Funke
The Inn at Lake Devine. Elinor Lipman
Jane Eyre. Charlotte Bronte
July and August. Nancy Clark
Lethal Legacy. Linda Fairstein
Liberty. Garrison Keillor
Loop Group. Larry McMurtry
Los Alamos. Joseph Kanon
The Mists of Avalon. Marion Zimmer Bradley
The Moonstone. Wilkie Collins
The Pale Horse. Agatha Christie
Providence. Anita Brookner
The Saint Bids Diamonds. Leslie Charteris
The Secret Adversary. Agatha Christie
The Sign of the Book. John Dunning
Silver on the Tree. Susan Cooper
Three Junes. Julia Glass
Travels with My Aunt. Graham Greene
The Warden. Anthony Trollope
The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag. Alan Bradley

POSSIBLE CHOICES (non-fiction):

Books: A Memoir. Larry McMurtry
A Gentle Madness. Nicholas A. Basbanes
In Cold Blood. Truman Capote
Just Kids. Patti Smith
Manhattan '45. Jan Morris
The Pattern in the Carpet. Margaret Drabble
The Year of Magical Thinking. Joan Didion

Finishing the Series Reading Challenge 2012

Hosted by: Yvonne (Socrates' Book Reviews)
Dates: 1 January - 31 December, 2012

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

• All books that are part of a continuing series qualify
• It doesn't matter if you have 1 or 10 books in a series to complete it, it qualifies....The goal is to complete a series from wherever you are up to until the last published book.
• The qualification period is January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012. Books must be read during this time frame to count.
• Any format of book counts - audio, ebook, etc.
• You should choose the series you want to finish before the challenge begins, but it isn't necessary. It's fine to change series during the year - as long as you complete whichever series it is.

There are three levels to choose from:

• Level 1 - Complete 1 series.
• Level 2 - Complete 2 series.
• Level 3 - Complete 3 or more series.

✸ I'm signing up at Level 1, and I'll be trying to finish up the Mrs. Malory mystery series by Hazel Holt (three books left to read).

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

MY READING LIST:

1. Mrs. Malory and No Cure for Death. Hazel Holt
2. 
   

1st in a Series Challenge 2012

Hosted by: Katy (A Few More Pages)
Dates: 1 January through 31 December, 2012

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

• Anyone can join. You don’t need a blog to participate.
• You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you. Any genre counts. Any book format counts.
• A post will be created here where you can link-up your reviews and visit the reviews of other participants.

There are four levels for this challenge:

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, and will be reading 3 books.

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

MY READING LIST (books read, with links to reviews):

1. A Man Lay Dead. Ngaio Marsh (Inspector Alleyn series)
2. The Warden. Anthony Trollope (Chronicles of Barsetshire)
3. 
   

POSSIBLE CHOICES:

The Big Sleep. Raymond Chandler (first Philip Marlowe novel)
Fer-de-Lance. Rex Stout (Nero Wolfe)
Last Bus to Woodstock. Colin Dexter (Inspector Morse series)
A Man Lay Dead. Ngaio Marsh (Inspector Alleyn series)
Relic. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Pendergast series)
The Warden. Anthony Trollope (Chronicles of Barsetshire)

Reading Challenge Addict Challenge 2011

Dates: 1 January - 31 December 2011
Hosts: Cheryl @ CMash Loves to Read, Gina @ Hott Books

Guidelines (quoted from the challenge announcement page):

• Write a starting post joining the challenge and outlining your challenges.
• Track all of your challenge accomplishments - good & bad.
• Stop by to join Gina and Cheryl in the mini-challenges, updates & extra giveaways throughout the year.

Levels of participation:

1. Easy as Pie: 1-5 Challenges (Entered & Completed)
2. On the Roof: 6-10 Challenges (Entered & Completed)
3. In Flight: 11-15 Challenges (Entered & Completed)
4. Out of This World: 16+ Challenges (Entered & Completed)

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

My 2011 Challenges:

1st in a Series Challenge 2011
2nds Challenge 2011
Alex Cross Reading Challenge (2011)
ARC Reading Challenge 2011
Aussie Authors Challenge 2011
Awesome Author Challenge 2011
Banned Books Project (ongoing)
Battle of the Prizes 2011: British Version
Book Awards Challenge V (2011)
Books of the Century (Perpetual) Challenge
Cruisin' thru the Cozies Challenge 2011
Fall Into Reading 2011
Historical Fiction Challenge 2011
Mystery & Suspense Challenge 2011
New Authors Challenge 2011
Off the Shelf Challenge 2011
Once Upon a Time V Challenge (2011)
Pub Challenge 2011
Reading the 90s Personal Challenge
RIP/VI Challenge (2011)
TBR Lite Challenge 2011
Themed Reading Challenge 2011
Vintage Mystery Challenge 2011
What's in a Name 4 Challenge (2011)
P.G. Wodehouse Challenge (2011-2013)