Newbery Reading Challenge 2015

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2015

Hosted by: Julie @ Smiling Shelves

Guidelines:

• Choose books from among Newbery Award winners, Newbery Honor Books, and Caldecott Medal winners
• Rereads count 
• Audiobooks and e-books count
• All books must be read between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2015. Books begun before January 1 don’t count. 
• Books can overlap with other challenges
• You don’t have to have a blog to participate. You can link up reviews from Amazon, Goodreads, etc., or leave your remarks in the comments.
• Reviews are encouraged, but not necessary
• There will be a monthly link up for reviews
• Choose your point level. You can always aim for a higher point level, but you can't move to a lower one.

Each book you read is worth points:

• 3 points for a Newbery Medal Winner
• 2 points for a Newbery Honor Book
• 1 point for a Caldecott Medal Winner

Choose a level to aim for.  "You can get to this level with any combination of points you want. You can read all Newbery Medal winners. You can throw in a few Honor Books. If you want, you can even read 75 Caldecott Medal winners! How you get to your point level is totally up to you."

1. L'Engle: 15 - 29 points
2. Spinelli: 30 - 44 points
3. Avi: 45 - 59 points
4. Lowry: 60 - 74 points
5. Konigsburg: 75+ points

✷ I'm signing up at the first level (L'Engle = 15-29 points)

● 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 for challenge wrap-ups HERE.

~ See the list of Newbery Medal Books HERE.
~ See the list of Caldecott Medal Books HERE.



MY READING LIST (books I've read):

1. The Tale of Despereaux. Kate DiCamillo; illus. by Timothy Basil Ering (2004 Newbery winner) = 3 points
2. Ramona Quimby, Age 8. Beverly Cleary; illus. by Jacqueline Rogers (1982 Newbery Honor Book) = 2 points
3. 
   

POSSIBLE  CHOICES: Newbery Winners (3 points each)

Dead End in Norvelt. Jack Gantos (2012)
The Door in the Wall. Marguerite De Angeli (1950)
Ginger Pye. Eleanor Estes (1952)
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village. Laura Amy Schlitz (2008)
The Higher Power of Lucky. Susan Patron (2007)
Hitty, Her First Hundred Years. Rachel Field (1930)
Miracles on Maple Hill. Virginia Sorensen (1957)
Miss Hickory. Carolyn Sherwin Bailey (1947)
Roller Skates. Ruth Sawyer (1937)
Strawberry Girl. Lois Lenski (1946)
The Tale of Despereaux. Kate DiCamillo (2004) ✓
Thimble Summer. Elizabeth Enright (1939)
The Trumpeter of Krakow.  Eric P. Kelly (1929)
The View from Saturday. E.L. Konigsburg (1997)
The Westing Game. Ellen Raskin (1979)
The Wheel on the School. Meindert De Jong (1955)
When You Reach Me. Rebecca Stead (2010)
The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Elizabeth George Speare (1959)
Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze. Elizabeth Lewis (1933)

POSSIBLE  CHOICES: Newbery Honor Books (2 points each)

Afternoon of the Elves. Janet Taylor Lisle (1990)
Black Fox of Lorne. Marguerite De Angeli (1957)
By the Shores of Silver Lake. Laura Ingalls Wilder (1940)
The Cricket in Times Square. George Selden (1961)
Feathers. Jacqueline Woodson (2008)
The Golden Name Day. Jennie Lindquist (1956)
Gone-Away Lake. Elizabeth Enright (1958)
The Headless Cupid. Zilpha Keatley Snyder (1972)
The Light at Tern Rock. Julia Sauer (1952)
Little Town on the Prairie. Laura Ingalls Wilder (1942)
The Long Winter. Laura Ingalls Wilder (1941)
Millions of Cats. Wanda Gág (1929)
The Moorchild. Eloise McGraw (1997)
Penny from Heaven. Jennifer L. Holm (2007)
Ramona and Her Father. Beverly Cleary (1978)
Ramona Quimby, Age 8. Beverly Cleary (1982) ✓
Splendors and Glooms. Laura Amy Schlitz (2013)
Surviving the Applewhites. Stephanie S. Tolan (2003)
These Happy Golden Years. Laura Ingalls Wilder (1944)
Three Times Lucky. Sheila Turnage (2013)
The Witches of Worm. Zilpha Keatley Snyder (1973)

POSSIBLE  CHOICES: Caldecott Winners (1 point each)

The Funny Little Woman. llustrated by Blair Lent; text: retold by Arlene Mosel (1973)
Golem. David Wisniewski (1997)
The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Brian Selznick (2008)
Many Moons. Illustrated by Louis Slobodkin; text: James Thurber (1944)
Owl Moon. Illustrated by John Schoenherr; text: Jane Yolen (1988)
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. William Steig (1970)

Nonfiction Reading Challenge 2015

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

Hosted by: The Introverted Reader

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2015

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

• Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
• You don't need a blog to participate.
• There will be a link for reviews.
• Sign up anytime during the year.

Levels:

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

✹ I'll be signing up at the Dilettante level again this year.

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See the announcement/sign-up post HERE.
● See the page for linking reviews HERE.
● See my wrap-up post HERE.

MY READING LIST (books I've read, with links to reviews or discussions):

1. Last Man Standing: Tales from Tinseltown. Roger Moore
2. 
   

POSSIBILITIES: 

• 1959: The Year Everything Changed. Fred Kaplan (history)
• Books: A Memoir. Larry McMurtry (autobiography) 
• The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America. Erik Larson (history/true crime)
• A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books. Nicholas A. Basbanes (reading/book collecting)
• In Cold Blood. Truman Capote (true crime) 
• Just Kids. Patti Smith (memoir)
• The Library at Night. Alberto Manguel (reading and books)
• Manhattan '45. Jan Morris (history) 
• Old Books, Rare Friends: Two Literary Sleuths and Their Shared Passion. Madeleine B. Stern and Leona Rostenberg (book collecting) 
• The Pattern in the Carpet: A Personal History with Jigsaws. Margaret Drabble (family history) 
• The Perfect Summer: England 1911, Just Before the Storm. Juliet Nicolson (history) 
• The Sisters of Sinai: How Two Lady Adventurers Discovered the Hidden Gospels. Janet Martin Soskice (history)

Books in Translation Reading Challenge 2015

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

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2015

Hosted by: Jen @ The Introverted Reader

Guidelines:

• Read translations of books, from any language into the language(s) you're comfortable reading in; they don't have to be in English.
• Any genre and any age range.
• Crossovers with other challenges are fine.
• Any format that you choose is also acceptable.
• You don't need a blog to participate; you can link up from another site like Library Thing or GoodReads.
• There will be a link to add reviews.

Levels:

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

✹ I'm signing up at the "Beginner" level, and hope to read at least three books.

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See the challenge announcement/sign-up page HERE.
● See the link for reviews HERE.
● See my wrap-up post HERE.

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

1. Vertigo. Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac (trans. from the French by Geoffrey Sainsbury)
2. The Truth and Other Lies. Sascha Arango (trans. from the German by Imogen Taylor)
3. South of the Border, West of the Sun. Haruki Murakami (trans. from the Japanese by Philip Gabriel)
4. Backstabbing in Beaujolais. Jean-Pierre Alaux, Noël Balen (trans. from the French by Anne Trager  

LIST OF POSSIBLE READS:

After Dark. Haruki Murakami
Beauty and Sadness. Yasunari Kawabata
Buddenbrooks. Thomas Mann
The Castle. Franz Kafka
The Double. Jose Saramago
Farewell Waltz. Milan Kundera
If on a winter's night a traveler. Italo Calvino
Last Year at Marienbad. Alain Robbe-Grillet
The Map of Time. Félix J. Palma
The Nautical Chart. Arturo Perez-Reverte
The Prisoner of Heaven. Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Skylark. Kosztolanyi Dezso
South of the Border, West of the Sun. Haruki Murakami
Steppenwolf. Hermann Hesse
The Three Sisters. Anton Chekhov
The Trial. Franz Kafka

Netgalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2015

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2015
Hosted by:  Emily @ Falling For YA

Guidelines:

• You don't need a blog to participate
• Any genre, release date, request date, length, etc. is acceptable so long as it comes from Edelweiss or Netgalley
• There will be monthly link-ups for reviews; if you forget to link up one month, you can add your reviews the next month
• You can change level, up or down, at your own discretion

Levels:

1. Bronze – 10 books 
2. Silver – 25 books 
3. Gold – 50 books 
4. Platinum – 75 books 
5. Diamond– 100 books 

✷ I'm signing up at the Bronze Level (10 books), but hoping to read MANY more than that.

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See the challenge announcement page HERE.
● Monthly review page links: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December .

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

1. As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust (Flavia de Luce #7). Alan Bradley (NetGalley)
2. The After House. Michael Philip Cash (NetGalley)
3. The Room. Jonas Karlsson (NetGalley)
4. The Resurrection Maker. Glenn Cooper (NetGalley)
5. The Book of Speculation. Erika Swyler (NetGalley) 
6. Nightbird. Alice Hoffman (NetGalley)
7. The Book of Painted Sorrows. M.J. Rose (NetGalley)
8. The Fifth Gospel. Ian Caldwell (Edelweiss) 
9. A Fine Summer's Day (Inspector Ian Rutledge #17). Charles Todd (Edelweiss)
10. Wylding Hall. Elizabeth Hand (NetGalley)
11. As the Crow Flies (DI Nick Dixon #1). Damien Boyd (NetGalley)
12. Fear the Darkness (Brigid Quinn #2). Becky Masterman (NetGalley)
13. The Ice Twins. S.K. Tremayne (NetGalley) 
14. Jack of Spades: A Tale of Suspense. Joyce Carol Oates (Edelweiss)
15. The Silence of Ghosts. Jonathan Aycliffe (Edelweiss) 
16. A Head Full of Ghosts. Paul Tremblay (Edelweiss)
17. The Truth and Other Lies. Sascha Arango (Edelweiss) 
18. Tail Gate (Mrs. Murphy #23). Rita Mae Brown (NetGalley) 
19. The Forgotten Room (Jeremy Logan #4). Lincoln Child (NetGalley)
20. In the Dark Places (Inspector Banks #22). Peter Robinson (Edelweiss) 
21. Goodbye Stranger. Rebecca Stead (NetGalley) 
22. A Man of Some Repute (A Very English Mystery #1). Elizabeth Edmondson (NetGalley)
23. The Quick. Lauren Owen (NetGalley)
24. Slade House. David Mitchell (NetGalley)
25. The Night Sister. Jennifer McMahon (NetGalley)
26. Between a Rock and a Hard Place (Potting Shed Mysteries #3). Marty Wingate (NetGalley)
27. 
    

NetGalley books I need to read:

1. Abandon. Blake Crouch (9/01/2015) 
2. The After House. Michael Phillip Cash  (9/30/2014)
3. As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust. Alan Bradley (1/06/2015)
4. As the Crow Flies. Damien Boyd (1/20/2015)
5. Berlin Noir (Three Novels). Philip Kerr  [1]
6. Between a Rock and a Hard Place. Marty Wingate (8/04/2015) 
7. Blue Labyrinth. Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child (11/11/2014) 
8. The Book of Speculation. Erika Swyler (6/23/2015) 
9. Broken Promise (Promise Falls #1). Linwood Barclay (7/28/2015) 
10. The Children's Home. Charles Lambert (1/05/2016) 
11. The City of Blood. Frederique Molay (1/20/2015)
12. The Collector. Anne-Laure Thiéblemont (8/11/2015) 
13. The Competition. Marcia Clark  (7/08/2014) 
14. Cognac Conspiracies. Alaux & Balen (2/18/2015)
15. Crimson Shore (Pendergast #15). Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child (11/10/2015)
16. A Curious Beginning. Deanna Raybourn (9/01/2015) 
17. Fear the Darkness. Becky Masterman (1/20/2015) 
18. The Forgotten Room. Lincoln Child (5/12/2015)
19. Front Yard. Norman Draper (9/29/2015) 
20. The Gap of Time. Jeanette Winterson (10/06/2015)
21. Goodbye Stranger. Rebecca Stead (8/04/2015)
22. The Gossips. Teresa Waugh (11/06/2105) 
23. The Hundred-Year House. Rebecca Makkai (7/10/2014) 
24. The Hog's Back Mystery. Freeman Crofts (7/07/2015) 
25. The Ice Twins. S.K. Tremayne (6/19/2015)
26. The Last Painting of Sara de Vos. Dominic Smith (4/05/2016) 
27. A Man of Some Repute. Elizabeth Edmondson (7/01/2015) 
28. My Name Is Lucy Barton. Elizabeth Strout (1/05/2016)
29. Nightbird. Alice Hoffman (3/10/2015) 
30. The Night Sister. Jennifer McMahon (8/04/2015) 
31. Only Love Can Break Your Heart. Ed Tarkington (1/05/2016) 
32. The Peace Process. Bruce Jay Friedman (10/13/2015) 
33. A Question of Inheritance. Elizabeth Edmondson (10/27/2015) 
34. The Quick. Lauren Owen (6/17/2014)  [3]
35. The Religious Body. Catherine Aird (5/05/2015) 
36. The Resurrection Maker. Glenn Cooper  (11/15/2014)
37. The Room. Jonas Karlsson  (2/17/2015) 
38. Rubbernecker. Belinda Bauer (8/14/2015)
39. Saffron and Brimstone. Elizabeth Hand  (6/03/2014)  [2]
40. Shadow Ritual. Giacometti & Ravenne  (3/25/2015) 
41. Silence. Mechtild Borrmann (5/05/2015) 
42. Slade House. David Mitchell (10/27/2015) 
43. Small Blessings. Martha Woodroof  (8/12/2014)
44. A Song of Shadows (Charlie Parker #13). John Connolly (9/29/2015) 
45. Stillwell. Michael Phillip Cash (6/21/2015) 
46. Tail Gate. Rita Mae Brown (5/26/2015)
47. This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance! Jonathan Evison (9/08/2015) 
48. The Watchmaker of Filigree Street. Natasha Pulley (7/14/2015)
49. Where the Memories Lie. Sibel Hodge (9/22/2015) 
50. The Widow's Son. Thomas Shawver (7/07/2015)
51. The Witch of Painted Sorrows. M.J. Rose  (3/17/2015) 
52. Wylding Hall. Elizabeth Hand (2/17/2015)

Edelweiss books I need to read:

1. An Illustrated Death (Secondhand Prose Mystery #2). Judi Culbertson  (10/01/2013)
2. Bellman & Black. Diane Setterfield  (11/05/2013)
3. Black Dog (Cooper & Fry #1). Stephen Booth  (10/08/2013)
4. Blood from Stone. Frances Fyfield  (11/26/2013)
5. A Cold Season. Alison Littlewood  (9/24/2013)
6. The Fifth Gospel. Ian Caldwell  (3/03/2015)  
7. A Fine Summer's Day (Inspector Ian Rutledge #17). Charles Todd (1/06/2015) 
8. A Head Full of Ghosts. Paul Tremblay  (6/02/2015)
9. Hunting Shadows (Inspector Rutledge #16). Charles Todd  (1/21/2014)
10. In the Dark Places (Inspector Banks #23). Peter Robinson  (8/11/2015) 
11. Jack of Spades. Joyce Carol Oates  (5/05/2015) 
12. No Man's Nightingale. Ruth Rendell  (11/05/2013)
13. The Pierced Heart (Charles Maddox #4). Lynn Shepherd  (10/21/2014)
14. Ripper. Isabel Allende  (12/03/2013)
15. Sexplosion: From Andy Warhol to A Clockwork Orange - How a Generation of Pop Rebels Broke All the Taboos. Robert Hofler  (2/04/2014) 
16. The Silence of Ghosts. Jonathan Aycliffe (2/10/2015)
17. The Truth and Other Lies. Sascha Arnago (6/23/2015) 
18. The 7th Woman (Paris Homicide #1). Frédérique Molay  (2/25/2013)

And, just because I'm a serious OCD victim, here's a list arranged by Date Published:

The 2015 Books

1. As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust. Alan Bradley (1/06/2015) NG
2. A Fine Summer's Day (Inspector Ian Rutledge #17). Charles Todd (1/06/2015) EW
3. As the Crow Flies. Damien Boyd (1/20/2015) NG
4. The City of Blood. Frederique Molay (1/20/2015) NG
5. Fear the Darkness. Becky Masterman (1/20/2015) NG
6. The Silence of Ghosts. Jonathan Aycliffe (2/10/2015) EW
7. The Room. Jonas Karlsson (2/17/2015) NG
8. Wylding Hall. Elizabeth Hand (2/17/2015) NG
9. Cognac Conspiracies. Alaux & Balen (2/18/2015) NG
10. The Fifth Gospel. Ian Caldwell (3/03/2015) EW
11. Nightbird. Alice Hoffman (3/10/2015) NG
12. The Witch of Painted Sorrows. M.J. Rose (3/17/2015) NG
13. Shadow Ritual. Giacometti & Ravenne (3/25/2015) NG
14. Jack of Spades. Joyce Carol Oates (5/05/2015) EW
15. The Religious Body. Catherine Aird (5/05/2015) NG
16. Silence. Mechtild Borrmann (5/05/2015) NG
17. The Forgotten Room. Lincoln Child (5/12/2015) NG
18. Tail Gate. Rita Mae Brown (5/26/2015) NG
19. A Head Full of Ghosts. Paul Tremblay (6/02/2015) EW
20. The Ice Twins. S.K. Tremayne (6/19/2015) NG
21. Stillwell. Michael Phillip Cash (6/21/2015) NG
22. The Book of Speculation. Erika Swyler (6/23/2015) NG
23. The Truth and Other Lies. Sascha Arnago (6/23/2015) EW
24. A Man of Some Repute. Elizabeth Edmondson (7/01/2015) NG
25. The Hog's Back Mystery. Freeman Crofts (7/07/2015) NG
26. The Widow's Son. Thomas Shawver (7/07/2015) NG
27. The Watchmaker of Filigree Street. Natasha Pulley (7/14/2015) NG
28. Broken Promise (Promise Falls #1). Linwood Barclay (7/28/2015) NG
29. Between a Rock and a Hard Place. Marty Wingate (8/04/2015) NG
30. Goodbye Stranger. Rebecca Stead (8/04/2015) NG
31. The Night Sister. Jennifer McMahon (8/04/2015) NG
32. The Collector. Anne-Laure Thiéblemont (8/11/2015) NG
33. In the Dark Places (Inspector Banks #23). Peter Robinson (8/11/2015) EW
34. Rubbernecker. Belinda Bauer (8/14/2015) NG
35. Abandon. Blake Crouch (9/01/2015) NG
36. A Curious Beginning. Deanna Raybourn (9/01/2015) NG
37. This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance! Jonathan Evison (9/08/2015) NG
38. Where the Memories Lie. Sibel Hodge (9/22/2015) NG
39. Front Yard. Norman Draper (9/29/2015) NG
40. A Song of Shadows (Charlie Parker #13). John Connolly (9/29/2015) NG
41. The Gap of Time. Jeanette Winterson (10/06/2015) NG
42. The Peace Process. Bruce Jay Friedman (10/13/2015) NG
43. A Question of Inheritance. Elizabeth Edmondson (10/27/2015) NG
44. Slade House. David Mitchell (10/27/2015) NG 
45. The Gossips. Teresa Waugh (11/06/2015) NG 
46. Crimson Shore (Pendergast #15). Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child (11/10/2015) NG

The 2016 Books

1. The Children's Home. Charles Lambert (1/05/2016) NG
2. My Name Is Lucy Barton. Elizabeth Strout (1/05/2016) NG
3. Only Love Can Break Your Heart. Ed Tarkington (1/05/2016) NG
4. The Last Painting of Sara de Vos. Dominic Smith (4/05/2016) NG

New Authors Reading Challenge 2015

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

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2015
Hosted by: Literary Escapism

Guidelines:

• Read books by authors you've never read before.
• Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
• You don't need a blog to participate.
• Set your own goal. You can choose to read 15, 25, or 50 new authors.

✹ I'm hoping to read at least 15 new authors.

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

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

1. Michael Phillip Cash: The After House 
2. Glenn Cooper: The Resurrection Maker 
3. Jonas Karlsson: The Room 
4. Erika Swyler: The Book of Speculation 
5. Charles Todd: A Fine Summer's Day (Inspector Rutledge #17)
6. Elizabeth Hand: Wylding Hall 
7. Damien Boyd: As the Crow Flies (DI Nick Dixon #1)
8. Becky Masterman: Fear the Darkness (Brigid Quinn Thriller #2) 
9. Alan Hunter: Gently Does It (Inspector George Gently #1)
10. Martha Ockley: A Saintly Killing (Faith Morgan #3) 
11. Brian Harvey: Beethoven's Tenth (Frank Ryan #1)
12. S.K. Tremayne: The Ice Twins 
13. Jonathan Aycliffe: The Silence of Ghosts 
14. Pierre Boileau (and Thomas Narcejac): Vertigo 
15. Blake Crouch: Pines (Wayward Pines #1) 
16. Kate DiCamillo: The Tale of Despereaux 
17. Paul Tremblay: A Head Full of Ghosts
18. Sascha Arango: The Truth and Other Lies 
19. Anne Perry: The Angel Court Affair (Charlotte & Thomas Pitt #30) 
20. Rebecca Stead: Goodbye Stranger 
21. Jill Morrow: Newport: A Novel 
22. Elizabeth Edmondson: A Man of Some Repute (A Very English Mystery #1)
23. Lauren Owen: The Quick  
24. David Mitchell: Slade House 
25. Jennifer McMahon: The Night Sister 
26. Kaylie Jones: The Anger Meridian 
27. Haruki Murakami: South of the Border, West of the Sun 
28. Elizabeth Berg: What We Keep 
29. Marty Wingate: Between a Rock and a Hard Place 
30. Jean-Pierre Alaux (and Noël Balen): Backstabbing in Beaujolais 

Foodies Read 2015

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

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2015
Hosted by: Vicki @ I'd Rather Be At The Beach

Guidelines:

• Read books centered around food and/or drinks
• Books can be: cookbooks; food biographies or memoirs; nonfiction focused on specific foods, drinks, chefs, or restaurants; or a fictional story in which food plays a major role.
• Choose a level of participation.
• A preliminary list of books isn't required.
• Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
• All formats are allowed -- print, audio, e-book.

Levels:

1. Short-Order Cook = 1 to 3 books
2. Pastry Chef = 4 to 8 books
3. Sous-Chef = 9 to 13 books
4. Chef de Cuisine = 14 to 18 books
5. Cordon-Bleu Chef = More than 19 books

✹ I'm signing up at the first level ("Short-Order Cook"), and trying to read at least three books.

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See the challenge announcement page HERE.
● See the challenge blog HERE. 
● See my wrap-up post HERE.

MY READING LIST (books I've read, with links to reviews or discussions):

1. Backstabbing in Beaujolais. by Jean-Pierre Alaux, Noël Balen (trans. by Anne Trager)
2. 
   

European Reading Challenge 2015

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

Dates: January 1, 2015 - January 31, 2016

Hosted by: Gilion Dumas @ Rose City Reader

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, 2015 and January 31, 2016.  If you participated in the 2014 European Reading Challenge, you can only count books read in January 2015 for one year -- either the end of the 2014 challenge or the start of the 2015 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 announcement post. 
• 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.

✹ I'm signing up for the Three Star ("Business Traveler") level.

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


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

1. The Third Man. Graham Greene (Vienna, Austria) 
2. The Room. Jonas Karlsson (Sweden)
3. The Witch of Painted Sorrows. M.J. Rose (Paris, France)
4. The Fifth Gospel. Ian Caldwell (Vatican City, Rome, Italy)

I Love Picture Books Challenge 2015

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

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2015
Hosted by: Gina @ Book Dragon's Lair

Guidelines (quoted from the announcement page):

• Read picture books.
• Pick a number and go for it. Twelve too easy? Go for 20. Piece of cake? Go for 40.
• Books you own and library check outs count. So do e-books and re-reads.
• Please post about the challenge and sign up with a direct link.
• A blog is not necessary, just link to where you talk about the challenge
• Reviews are not necessary but would be nice (so we know which ones to read ourselves!) A link for reviews will be posted in January.

✹ I'm going to set twelve books as my original goal, and hope to do a little better than that.

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

MY READING LIST (books I've read):

1. Corduroy. Don Freeman. 1948 / 32 pages
2. The Little House. Virginia Lee Burton. 1942 / 40 pages / 1943 Caldecott Medal
3. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. Virginia Lee Burton. 1938 / 56 pages 
4. Katy and the Big Snow. Virginia Lee Burton. 1943 / 40 pages
5. A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee. Chris Van Dusen. 2003 / 36 pages
6. Stella and Charlie, Friends Forever. Bernadette Peters; illus. by Liz Murphy. 2015 / 40 pages
7. Little Bird, Be Quiet! Kirsten Hall; illus. by Sabina Gibson. 2015 / 36 pages
8. Anatole. Eve Titus; illus. by Paul Galdone. 1956 / 40 pages / 1957 Caldecott Honor Book
9. Harry the Dirty Dog. Gene Zion; illus. by Margaret Bloy Graham. 1956 / 32 pages
10. Harry and the Lady Next Door. Gene Zion; illus. by Margaret Bloy Graham. 1960 / 64 pages
11. One Morning in Maine. Robert McCloskey. 1952 / 62 pages / 1953 Caldecott Honor Book
12. The Bees (Down in the Garden #1). DC Swain; illus. by Anna Bonita. 2015 / 24 pages

My "HOPE-TO-READ" LIST:

• Anatole. Eve Titus; illus. by Paul Galdone. 1956 / 40 pages / 1957 Caldecott Honor Book
• Anatole and the Cat. Eve Titus; illus. by Paul Galdone. 1957 / 40 pages / 1958 Caldecott Honor Book
• Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions. Margaret Musgrove; illus. by Leo and Diane Dillon. 1976 / 32 pages / 1977 Caldecott Medal
• Bartholomew and the Oobleck. Dr. Seuss. 1948 / 64 pages / 1949 Caldecott Honor Book
• Blueberries for Sal. Robert McCloskey. 1948 / 64 pages / 1949 Caldecott Honor Book
• Castle. David Macaulay. 1977 / 80 pages / 1978 Caldecott Honor Book
• Cathedral. David Macaulay. 1973 / 80 pages / 1974 Caldecott Honor Book
• Chanticleer and the Fox. Barbara Cooney, Geoffrey Chaucer. 1958 / 44 pages / 1959 Caldecott Medal
• Cinderella. Marcia Brown. 1954 / 32 pages / 1955 Caldecott Medal
• Drummer Hoff. Barbara Emberley; illus. by Ed Emberley. 1967 / 32 pages / 1968 Caldecott Medal
• The Egg Tree. Katherine Milhous. 1950 / 32 pages / 1951 Caldecott Medal
• The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship. Arthur Ransome; illus. by Uri Shulevitz. 1968 / 48 pages / 1969 Caldecott Medal
• Frog and Toad Are Friends. Arnold Lobel. 1970 / 64 pages / 1971 Caldecott Honor Book
• Frog Went A-Courtin’. John Langstaff; illus. by Feodor Rojankovsky. 1955 / 32 pages/ 1956 Caldecott Medal
• The Funny Little Woman. Arlene Mosel; illus. by Blair Lent. 1972 / 40 pages / 1973 Caldecott Medal
• The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. Chris Van Allsburg. 1979 / 32 pages / 1980 Caldecott Honor Book
• The Grey Lady and the Strawberry Snatcher. Molly Bang. 1980 / 48 pages / 1981 Caldecott Honor Book
• Hide and Seek Fog. Alvin Tresselt; illus. by Roger Duvoisin. 1965 / 40 pages / 1966 Caldecott Honor Book
• If I Ran the Zoo. Dr. Seuss. 1950 / 64 pages / 1951 Caldecott Honor Book
• Inch By Inch. Leo Lionni. 1960 / 32 pages / 1961 Caldecott Honor Book
• In the Night Kitchen. Maurice Sendak. 1970 / 34 pages / 1971 Caldecott Honor Book
• Jumanji. Chris Van Allsburg. 1981 / 32 pages / 1982 Caldecott Medal
• The Little House. Virginia Lee Burton. 1942 / 42 pages / 1943 Caldecott Medal
• The Little Island. Golden MacDonald; illus. by Leonard Weisgard. 1946 / 48 pages / 1947 Caldecott Medal
• Madeline’s Rescue. Ludwig Bemelmans. 1953 / 56 pages / 1954 Caldecott Medal
• Many Moons. James Thurber; illus. by Louis Slobodkin. 1943 / 48 pages / 1944 Caldecott Medal Winner
• Marguerite De Angeli's Book of Nursery & Mother Goose Rhymes. Marguerite de Angeli. 1954 / 192 pages / 1955 Caldecott Honor Book
• May I Bring a Friend? Beatrice Schenk de Regniers; illus. by Beni Montresor. 1964 / 48 pages / 1965 Caldecott Medal
• McElligot’s Pool. Dr. Seuss. 1947 / 64 pages / 1948 Caldecott Honor Book
• Mei Li. Thomas Handforth. 1938 / 48 pages / 1939 Caldecott Medal
• Mice Twice. Joseph Low. 1980 / 32 pages / 1981 Caldecott Honor Book
• The Most Wonderful Doll in the World. Phyllis McGinley; illus. by Helen Stone. 1950 / 61 pages / 1951 Caldecott Honor Book
• One Morning in Maine. Robert McCloskey. 1952 / 62 pages / 1953 Caldecott Honor Book
• On Market Street. Arnold Lobel; illus. by Anita Lobel. 1981 / 40 pages / 1982 Honor Book
• Outside Over There. Maurice Sendak. 1981 / 40 pages / 1982 Caldecott Honor Book
• Owl Moon. Jane Yolen; illus. by John Schoenherr. 1987 / 32 pages / 1988 Caldecott Medal
• Ox-Cart Man. Donald Hall; illus. by Barbara Cooney. 1979 / 40 pages / 1980 Caldecott Medal
• Play With Me. Marie Hall Ets. 1955 / 32 pages / 1956 Caldecott Honor Book
• The Relatives Came. Cynthia Rylant; illus. by Stephen Gammell. 1985 / 32 pages / 1986 Caldecott Honor Book
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Wanda Gág. 1938 / 44 pages / 1939 Caldecott Honor Book
• Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. William Steig. 1969 / 32 pages / 1970 Caldecott Medal
• They Were Strong and Good. Robert Lawson. 1940 / 72 pages / 1941 Caldecott Medal
• Time of Wonder. Robert McCloskey. 1957 / 64 pages / 1958 Caldecott Medal
• A Tree Is Nice. Janice May Udry; illus. by Marc Simont. 1956 / 32 pages / 1957 Caldecott Medal
• When I Was Young in the Mountains. Cynthia Rylant; illus. by Diane Goode. 1982 / 32 pages / 1983 Caldecott Honor Book
• White Snow, Bright Snow. Alvin Tresselt; illus. by Roger Duvoisin. 1947 / 32 pages / 1948 Caldecott Medal
• Yonie Wondernose. Marguerite de Angeli. 1944 / 45 pages / 1945 Caldecott Honor Book

2015 Women's Fiction Reading Challenge

Women's Fiction Reading Challenge 2015

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

Hosted by: Kathryn T @ Book Date
Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2015 (sign-ups are open until mid-October)

Kathryn T. is hosting this reading challenge for readers who enjoy women's fiction. As she defines it, women's fiction is "mainly written for women (although that doesn't stop men reading them)." It "may contain elements of romance but the book mainly centres around the development of women or a woman throughout the book. Women centered books, that might focus on the issues relating to women, it may be a mainstream novel, slightly less or slightly more."

But she also says that each challenge participant should define the term for herself (or himself), and use that as a guide. She includes a definition from the Romance Writers of America organization that says women's fiction is:

"...about a woman on the brink of life change and personal growth. Her journey details emotional reflection and action that transforms her and her relationships with others, and includes a hopeful/upbeat ending with regard to her romantic relationship." 

...and I think I can pretty much go along with that, except for the part about the hopeful/upbeat ending -- personally, I don't think that's an absolute requirement (nice, but not necessary). I've read plenty of books that I'd label as "women's fiction" that had more ambiguous endings, as well as some that didn't involve actual romantic relationships at all. So, I guess my definition will be a little broader than most.

More Guidelines:

• Crossovers with other challenges are OK.
• All formats are allowed.
• Blogs are not required (you can set up a GoodReads shelf for the challenge, if you prefer) 

Challenge Levels:

1. Motivated = 1-5 books
2. Savvy = 6-10 books
3. Classy = 11-20 books
4. Go-getter = 20-30 books
5. Fearless = 30+ books

I'm signing up at the first ("Motivated") level, and hope to read more than one book.

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See the challenge announcement page HERE.
● See the link for January-June reviews HERE.
● See the link for July-December reviews HERE. 
● See my challenge wrap-up post HERE.


MY READING LIST (book I've read, with links to reviews):

1. The Anger Meridian. Kaylie Jones 
2. What We Keep. Elizabeth Berg

POSSIBILITIES:

• All Passion Spent. Vita Sackville-West
• The Debut. Anita Brookner
• Dreams of Joy. Lisa See
  
• The Elm Creek Quilters series, by Jennifer Chiaverini
• The Evolution of Jane. Catherine Schine 
• Leaving Home. Anita Brookner
• Lolly Willowes. Sylvia Townsend Warner
  
• Nora Webster. Colm Toibin
  
• The Pull of the Moon. Elizabeth Berg
• The Radiant Way. Margaret Drabble 
• The Rector's Daughter. F.M. Mayor
• The Road to Lichfield. Penelope Lively
• Sarah's Key. Tatiana de Rosnay
• The Seven Sisters. Margaret Drabble
• Shanghai Girls. Lisa See
• Still Life with Bread Crumbs. Anna Quindlen
• The Summerhouse. Jude Deveraux 
• Tapestry of Fortunes. Elizabeth Berg 
• Visitors. Anita Brookner
• The Weight of Water. Anita Shreve
• What We Keep. Elizabeth Berg
• While I Was Gone. Sue Miller
• A Wreath of Roses. Elizabeth Taylor

Read Scotland 2015

Hosted by: Peggy Ann @ Peggy Ann's Post

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2015

Guidelines:

• Read and review books written by Scottish authors (by birth or immigration), or about or set in Scotland.
• All genres and formats are allowed.
• Books may count for other challenges.
• You don't need a blog to participate.

Challenge levels:

1. Just A Keek (a little look): 1-4 books
2. The Highlander: 5-8 books
3. The Hebridean: 9-12 books
4. Ben Nevis: 13-24 books
5. Back O' Beyond: 25+ books

I'm signing up at the first level (Just a Keek), and hope to read four books.

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See the challenge announcement page HERE.
● See the challenge group at GoodReads HERE.
● See the page for linking wrap-up posts HERE.

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

1. The Ice Twins. S.K. Tremayne (set in Scotland)
2. Between a Rock and a Hard Place (Potting Shed Mysteries #3). Marty Wingate (set in Scotland)

2015 Sci-Fi Experience

Dates: December 2014 and January 2015

Hosted by: Carl V. Anderson @ Stainless Steel Droppings

Not a challenge. Only goal is to have fun reading/viewing just as much sci-fi as you feel like.

● See my original post about the event HERE.

● See the announcement post HERE.

● See the review page HERE.

MY READING LIST (what I read, with links to reviews or discussions):

1. With Folded Hands. Jack Williamson (1947; novelette)
2. Against the Fall of Night. Arthur C. Clarke (1948; novel)
3. 
   

MY VIEWING LIST (what I watched, with links to reviews or discussions):

1. Film: Mission to Mars (2000; Directed by Brian De Palma)
2.  

2015 Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge

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

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2015
Hosted by: Elizabeth @ Thoughts from an Evil Overlord

Originally hosted by: Amy @ A Bookish Girl

Guidelines (quoted from the announcement page):

• You can read any novel, short story or author just so that the genre is mystery/crime/thriller.
• 1 novel counts as 1 novel( 1 novel is anything over 100 pages) of course but you will have to read 5 short stories to count as 1 novel.
• There will be a monthly post for you to add a link or links to your post showing the progress that you have made so far. There will be two link-ups on each reading challenge post, one is a text link-up for those of you who are participating without a blog/through Goodreads/or through another way and then a thumbnail link-up for those of you that are participating from a blog.
• There will be a book giveaway each month and for initially signing up.

Levels:
Read a certain number of books and at the end of the challenge, you'll receive a rank (there's a secret prize for the participant who reads the most books):

1. 5 books = Inspector Lestrade
2. 10 books = Amelia Peabody
3. 15 books = Flavia de Luce
4. 20 books = Inspector Ian Rutledge
5. 25 books = Detective Simon Ziele
6. 30 books = Miss Marple
7. 35 books = Hercule Poirot
8. 40+ books = Sherlock Holmes

I'll be shooting for the third level (Flavia de Luce), so I'm hoping to read at least 15 books that qualify.

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See the challenge announcement post HERE.
● See the challenge review/report pages: January, February, March/April, May, June, July, August, September/October/November, December.
● See my wrap-up post HERE.

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

1. The Red House Mystery. A.A. Milne
2. As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust (Flavia de Luce #7). Alan Bradley
3. The Case of the Velvet Claws (Perry Mason #1). Erle Stanley Gardner
4. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie ("Sister" Jane #9). Rita Mae Brown
5. A Fine Summer's Day (Inspector Ian Rutledge #17). Charles Todd
6. As the Crow Flies (DI Nick Dixon #1). Damien Boyd
7. Fear the Darkness (Brigid Quinn Thriller #2). Becky Masterman
8. Gently Does It (Inspector George Gently #1). Alan Hunter 
9. A Saintly Killing (Faith Morgan Mystery #3). Martha Ockley 
10. Beethoven's Tenth (Frank Ryan #1). Brian Harvey 
11. Vertigo. Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac 
12. Tail Gait (Mrs. Murphy #23). Rita Mae Brown
13. The Angel Court Affair (Thomas & Charlotte Pitt #30). Anne Perry 
14. The Forgotten Room (Jeremy Logan #4). Lincoln Child 
15. In the Dark Places (Inspector Banks #22). Peter Robinson 
16. A Man of Some Repute. Elizabeth Edmondson
17. The Postman Always Rings Twice. James M. Cain 
18. Champagne For One (Nero Wolfe #31). Rex Stout 
19. The Maltese Falcon. Dashiell Hammett 
20. Between a Rock and a Hard Place (Potting Shed Mystery #3). Marty Wingate

2015 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge

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

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2015
Hosted by: The Book Vixen

Guidelines (quoted from the challenge announcement page):

• The goal is to outdo yourself by reading more in 2015 than you did in 2014. 
• Books can be any format (print, ebook, audio). 
• Books can be any genre (fiction, nonfiction, romance, mystery, etc.). 
• Novellas that are 100 pages in length (give or take), as well as full-length novels, will count for this reading challenge. 
• Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed. 
• 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. Remember, the idea is to challenge yourself. 
• Runs January 1, 2015 – December 31, 2015 (books read prior to 1/1/2015 do not count towards the challenge). You can join anytime before 9/30/2015. Sign up on The Book Vixen’s blog.

Levels:

1. Getting My Heart Rate Up: read 1–5 more books (or 250–1,499 more pages)
2. Out of Breath: read 6–10 more books (or 1,500–2,749 more pages) 
3. Breaking a Sweat: read 11–15 more books (or 2,750–3,999 more pages) 
4. I’m on Fire!: read 16+ more books (or 4,000+ more pages) 

I'm signing up at the "Getting My Heart Rate Up" level, so I'll be trying for 1-5 more books than I read in 2014 (I read 46 books in 2014).

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See the challenge announcement post HERE.
● See the challenge review link HERE.
● See my wrap-up post HERE.


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

1. The Red House Mystery. A.A. Milne
2. Last Man Standing: Tales from Tinseltown. Roger Moore
3. As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust (Flavia de Luce #7). Alan Bradley
4. The Case of the Velvet Claws (Perry Mason #1). Erle Stanley Gardner
5. The After House. Michael Phillip Cash 
6. Mike Mulligan and More: A Virginia Lee Burton Treasury. Virginia Burton
7. Against the Fall of Night. Arthur C. Clarke
8. The Resurrection Maker. Glenn Cooper 
9. The Room. Jonas Karlsson 
10. The Third Man. Graham Greene 
11. Elidor. Alan Garner 
12. The Book of Speculation. Erika Swyler 
13. Nightbird. Alice Hoffman
14. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie ("Sister" Jane #9). Rita Mae Brown 
15. The Witch of Painted Sorrows. M.J. Rose 
16. The Fifth Gospel. Ian Caldwell 
17. A Fine Summer's Day (Inspector Ian Rutledge #17). Charles Todd 
18. Wylding Hall. Elizabeth Hand 
19. As the Crow Flies (DI Nick Dixon #1). Damien Boyd
20. Fear the Darkness (Brigid Quinn Thriller #2). Becky Masterman
21. Gently Does It (Inspector George Gently #1). Alan Hunter
22. A Saintly Killing (Faith Morgan Mystery #3). Martha Ockley
23. Beethoven's Tenth. Brian Harvey
24. The Ice Twins. S.K. Tremayne 
25. Jack of Spades. Joyce Carol Oates 
26. The Silence of Ghosts. Jonathan Aycliffe 
27. Vertigo. Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac 
28. Pines (Wayward Pines #1). Blake Crouch 
29. The Tale of Despereaux. Kate DiCamillo; illus. by Timothy Basil Ering 
30. A Head Full of Ghosts. Paul Tremblay 
31. The Truth and Other Lies. Sascha Arango (trans. by Imogen Taylor) 
32. Tail Gait (Mrs. Murphy #23). Rita Mae Brown 
33. The Angel Court Affair (Charlotte and Thomas Pitt #30). Anne Perry 
34. The Forgotten Room (Jeremy Logan #4). Lincoln Child
35. In the Dark Places (Inspector Banks #22). Peter Robinson 
36. Goodbye Stranger. Rebecca Stead 
37. Ramona Quimby, Age 8. Beverly Cleary 
38. Newport: A Novel. Jill Morrow 
39. A Man of Some Repute. Elizabeth Edmondson
40. The Quick. Lauren Owen 
41. The Postman Always Rings Twice. James M. Cain
42. Champagne for One (Nero Wolfe #31). Rex Stout
43. Slade House. David Mitchell 
44. The Maltese Falcon. Dashiell Hammett
45. The Night Sister. Jennifer McMahon 
46. The Anger Meridian. Kaylie Jones 
47. Between a Rock and a Hard Place (Potting Shed Mystery #3). Marty Wingate 
48. South of the Border, West of the Sun. Haruki Murakami 
49. What We Keep. Elizabeth Berg
50. Backstabbing in Beaujolais. Jean-Pierre Alaux, Noël Balen; trans. by Anne Trager  
51. Five picture books:
    Anatole. Eve Titus; illus. by Paul Galdone (1956; 40 pages)
    Corduroy. Don Freeman (1948; 32 pages)
    Harry and the Lady Next Door. Gene Zion; illus. by Margaret Bloy Graham (1960; 64 pages)
    Harry the Dirty Dog. Gene Zion; illus. by Margaret Bloy Graham (1956; 32 pages)
    One Morning in Maine. Robert McCloskey (1952; 62 pages)

2015 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge

**Technical Difficulties! Challenge a non-starter**

Dates: January 1 to December 31, 2015
Hosted by: Dollycas @ Escape with Dollycas into a Good Book

Guidelines:

• Read one book for each letter of the alphabet (by book titles)
• All genres, and all formats are allowed
• Crossovers with other challenges are OK
• Re-reads are allowed
• Reviews are not required
• You don't need a blog to participate
• Make your list at the beginning of the challenge, or add titles as you read them

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

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

A: The After House. Michael Phillip Cash 
B: The Book of Speculation. Erika Swyler
C: The Case of the Velvet Claws (Perry Mason #1). Erle Stanley Gardner
D:
E: Elidor. Alan Garner
F: The Fifth Gospel. Ian Caldwell
G: Gently Does It (Inspector George Gently #1). Alan Hunter
H: A Head Full of Ghosts. Paul Tremblay
I: The Ice Twins. S.K. Tremayne
J: Jack of Spades. Joyce Carol Oates
K:
L: Let Sleeping Dogs Lie ("Sister" Jane #9). Rita Mae Brown
M:
N: Nightbird. Alice Hoffman
O:
P: Pines (Wayward Pines #1). Blake Crouch
Q:
R: The Red House Mystery. A. A. Milne
S: A Saintly Killing. Martha Ockley
T: The Third Man. Graham Greene
U:
V: Vertigo. Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac
W: The Witch of Painted Sorrows. M.J. Rose
X:
Y:
Z:

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril / IX

Dates: September 1 through October 31, 2014
Hosted by: Carl V. Anderson 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 -- see announcement page for info.

✸ Choose your books from the following subgenres:

• Mystery
• Suspense
• Thriller
• Dark Fantasy
• Gothic
• Horror
• 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 Challenge review page here. 


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

1. Peter Pan Must Die. John Verdon (thriller)
2. The Mist in the Mirror. Susan Hill (ghost story) 
3. The Celtic Dagger. Jill Paterson (mystery)
4. Children of the Revolution. Peter Robinson (police procedural)
5. The Dirty Book Murder. Thomas Shawver (bibliomystery)

MY SHORT STORY LIST (with links to reviews):

1. "The Bus Conductor." E.F. Benson (ghost story)
2. 
   

MY SCREEN PERIL LIST, Part I (Movies):

1. 13 Ghosts (1960)
2. Fragile (2005)
3. The Haunting (1963) 
4. Insidious (2010)
   
5. Laura (1944)
6. Madhouse (1974)
7. The Vampire Bat (1933)

MY SCREEN PERIL LIST, Part II (TV Shows):

1. Agatha Christie's Marple: Endless Night (2014; Season 6/ Episode 3) 
2. Agatha Christie's Marple: Greenshaw's Folly (2014; Season 6/ Episode 2) 
3. Agatha Christie's Marple: A Caribbean Mystery (2014; Season 6/ Episode 1)
4. Cold Case Files: The Black Dahlia (2006; Season 5/Episode 16) 
5. Inspector Lewis: Entry Wounds (2014; Season 8/ Episode 1) 
6. Inspector Lewis: The Lions of Nemea (2014; Season 8/ Episode 2)
7. Midsomer Murders: Death in the Slow Lane (2011; Season 14/Episode 1) 
8. Midsomer Murders: Death in Chorus (2006; Season 9/Episode 7)
9. Midsomer Murders: Country Matters (2006; Season 9/Episode 6)
10. Midsomer Murders: Four Funerals and a Wedding (2006; Season 9/ Episode 5)
11. Midsomer Murders: Down Among the Dead Men (2006; Season 9/ Episode 4)
12. Midsomer Murders: Vixen's Run (2006; Season 9/ Episode 3)
13. Midsomer Murders: Dead Letters (2006; Season 9/ Episode 2)
14. Midsomer Murders: The House in the Woods (2005; Season 9/ Episode 1)
15. The Rockford Files: Tall Woman in Red Wagon (1974; Season 1/Episode 5)
16. The Rockford Files: This Case Is Closed (1974; Season 1/Episode 6) 
17. The Rockford Files: The Big Ripoff (1974; Season 1/Episode 7)
18. The Rockford Files: Find Me If You Can (1974; Season 1/ Episode 8)
19. 
    

Once Upon a Time VIII

Dates: 21 March - 21 June, 2014
Hosted by: Carl V. Anderson @ Stainless Steel Droppings

Guidelines (quoted from the challenge announcement page):

• 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 the Journey, or 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.

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

1. While Beauty Slept. Elizabeth Blackwell
2. The Thief of Always. Clive Barker
3. 
   

LIST OF POSSIBLE CHOICES:

Bedknob and Broomstick. Mary Norton
The Bell at Sealey Head. Patricia A. McKillip  
Black Light. Elizabeth Hand
The Book of Lost Things. John Connolly
The Castle of Llyr. Lloyd Alexander
The Children of Llyr. Evangeline Walton
The City of Dreaming Books. Walter Moers
The Crystal Cave. Mary Stewart
Elidor. Alan Garner
The Eyre Affair. Jasper Fforde
The Fairy-Tale Detectives (Sisters Grimm #1). Michael Buckley
Five Children and It. E. Nesbit
The Halloween Tree. Ray Bradbury
Hitty, Her First Hundred Years. Rachel Field
Inkheart. Cornelia Funke 
James and the Giant Peach. Roald Dahl
The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories. Susanna Clarke
Luka and the Fire of Life. Salman Rushdie
The Mabinogion.
The Magic City. E. Nesbit 
The Magic of Finkleton. K.C. Hilton 
Magic or Not? Edward Eager
Mary Poppins Comes Back. Pamela L. Travers
The Mennyms.  Sylvia Waugh 
Miss Hickory. Carolyn Sherwin Bailey
The Mists of Avalon. Marion Zimmer Bradley 
The Moon of Gomrath: A Tale of Alderley. Alan Garner
The Mysterious Benedict Society. Trenton Lee Stewart
Mythago Wood. Robert Holdstock  
The Other Book. Philip Womack 
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 Thief of Always. Clive Barker 
The Trumpet of the Swan. E.B. White 
The Well-Wishers. Edward Eager 
While Beauty Slept. Elizabeth Blackwell 
The Wind in the Willows. Kenneth Grahame

2014 Chunkster Reading Challenge

**Challenge completed (well, almost)**

See my wrap-up post HERE

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2014
Hosted by: Vassily (of Thoughts of an Eclectic Reader)

Guidelines:

• A chunkster is any book (adult or YA) with 450 or more pages.
• Both fiction and nonfiction are allowed.
• Audio books and e-books are allowed. Graphic novels are not.
• Essay, short story, and poetry collections are allowed but must be read in their entirety to count. 
• Books may crossover with other challenges. 
• Anyone can join. 
• You don’t have to list your books ahead of time. 
• There are no set levels; participants can determine their own level to aim for. 

✵ I'm setting myself a goal of two books for the challenge.

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See my wrap-up post HERE.
● See the challenge announcement/sign-up page HERE.
~ See the challenge review link page HERE.


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

1. Ten Lords A-Leaping. C.C. Benison (490 pages)
2. 
   

POSSIBILITIES:

• The Book of the Dead. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (454 pages) 
• The Children's Book. A.S. Byatt (675 pages)  
• A Gentle Madness. Nicholas A. Basbanes (638 pages) 
• The Girl Who Played With Fire. Stieg Larsson (503 pages) 
• Inkheart. Cornelia Funke (500+ pages) 
• Jane Eyre. Charlotte Brontë (450+ pages)
  
• The Land of Painted Caves. Jean M. Auel (757 pages) 
  
• The Map of Time. Felix J. Palma (613 pages) 
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