The Christmas Reading Challenge

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

Dates: November 26 through December 31, 2009
Hosted by: Michelle of The True Book Addict

Guidelines:

• Read one or more books with Christmas themes, during the time period of the challenge.
• The books have to be Christmas books – either novels with a Christmas theme, or books of Christmas short stories, or nonfiction books about the holiday.
• No children's books, but YA books are allowed.

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

MY READING LIST:

1. Crewel Yule. Monica Ferris (see review)
   
2. Santa Clawed. Rita Mae Brown (see review)
3. Christmas Card Magic. Margaret Perry (see review)
   

The Awesome Author Challenge 2010

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

Dates: Throughout 2010
Hosted by: Alyce of At Home With Books

Guidelines:

"The idea behind this challenge is to read works by authors who have been recommended to you time and again, yet somehow you haven't managed to read any books by those authors. These are the authors that everyone else tells you are awesome, thus the 'Awesome Author Challenge' title."

• The challenge starts January 1, 2010 and ends December 31, 2010.
• Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
• Choose the level at which you would like to participate, post about it and then visit Alyce's blog to sign up and leave your link.
• Titles and authors do not have to be predetermined, and your list of choices can be changed at any time.
• Books can come from any genre or reading level. The only requirement is that you have heard great things about the authors, but haven't yet read any of their works.

Levels of Participation:

• Easy: Choose three authors and read at least one title from each author.
  
• Moderate: Choose six authors and read at least one title from each author.
  
• Challenging: Choose ten authors and read at least one title from each author.
  
• Over-achieving: Anything over ten authors.
  

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

I'm going to try the Challenging Level, and choose ten awesome authors who are new to me.

MY READING LIST:

1. Nick Bantock: The Griffin & Sabine Trilogy [See Review]
2. Nicholson Baker: The Anthologist [See Review]
   
3. Iain Pears: The Raphael Affair [See Review]
   
4. Henry Roth: An American Type [See Review]
5. Elizabeth Peters: A River in the Sky [See Review]
   
6. Lisa Gardner: Live To Tell [See Review]
   
7. Kate Morton: The Forgotten Garden [See Review]
   
8. Alex Kava: Damaged [See Review]
   
9. Zilpha Keatley Snyder: The Egypt Game [See Review]
   
10. Anne Rivers Siddons: The House Next Door [See Review]
    

The November Novella Challenge

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

Dates: Through November 30, 2009
Hosted by: Bibliofreak

Guidelines:

". . . there aren’t any rules. . .just some suggestions for cheating: Cross-overs with other challenges are fine, audiobooks are fine. . . . I do ask you to make a list in advance, but swapping out books on your list as you go is no problem. If you don’t have a blog, that’s O.K.! You can still participate by writing a short review in the comments section of the review page. . . ."

Levels of Participation:

• Level I: Read one (just one!) novella by November 30, 2009
• Level II: Read four novellas (one each week, mayhaps?) by November 30, 2009
• Level III: Read eight novellas (two a week?) by November 30, 2009
• Level IV: AKA, the As Many As You Freakin’ Can level: Read as many novellas as you freakin’ can by November 30, 2009

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

I'm playing it safe and signing up for Level I.

MY READING LIST (completed works):

1. The Lair of the White Worm. Bram Stoker [see review]
2. The Uncommon Reader. Alan Bennett [review to come]
3. The Lesson of the Master. Henry James [review to come]
   
4. The Lover. Marguerite Duras [review to come]
   

Fall Into Reading 2009

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

Dates: September 22 to December 20, 2009
Hosted by: Callapidder Days

Guidelines:

• Make a list of the books you think you'd like to read during the period of the challenge, and post the list on your blog.
• Go to the sign-up page and add the link to your post using Mister Linky.
• Participants can read any number of books.
• Lists can be changed or added to over the course of the challenge.
• Reviews are optional.

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

MY BOOK LIST (books read):

1. New Year's Eve. Lisa Grunwald [see review]
2. The Man in the Picture. Susan Hill [see review]
   
3. The Woman in Black. Susan Hill [see review]
   
4. From Doon with Death. Ruth Rendell [see review]
   
5. The Friend of Madame Maigret. Georges Simenon [see review]
6. The Lair of the White Worm. Bram Stoker [see review]
   
7. Homer & Langley. E.L. Doctorow [review to come]
   
8. The Uncommon Reader. Alan Bennett [review to come]
   
9. Stardust. Joseph Kanon [review to come]
   
10. The Lover. Marguerite Duras [review to come]
    
11. Santa Clawed. Rita Mae Brown [see review]
12. Christmas Card Magic. Margaret Perry [see review]
    

R.I.P. IV Challenge

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

Dates: September 1 through October 31, 2009
Hosted by: Carl V. of Stainless Steel Droppings

Guidelines:

There are several different levels of participation:

• Peril the First: Read four books of any length, from any subgenre you choose.
• Peril the Second: Read two books of any length, from any subgenre you choose.
• Peril the Third: Read one book of any length, from any subgenre you choose.
• Short Story Peril: An extra option, for those who want to participate in Short Story Sundays.

Choose your books from the following subgenres:

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

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

I'm going to try Peril the First (four books), although if all goes well I might be able to do a little better than that.

MY BOOK LIST (books read):

1. The Man in the Picture. Susan Hill [see review]
   
2. The Woman in Black. Susan Hill [see review]
   
3. New Year's Eve. Lisa Grunwald [see review]
4. From Doon with Death. Ruth Rendell [see review]
5. The Friend of Madame Maigret. Georges Simenon [see review]
   
6. The Lair of the White Worm. Bram Stoker [see review]
   

Summer Reading Challenge 2009

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

Dates: June 21 to September 21, 2009
Hosted by: A Southern Daydreamer Reads

Guidelines:

• Make a list of books you want to read this summer.
• Write a post with your list on your blog. (You can add to or change this list at any time during the challenge.)
• Post the direct link to your Summer Reading Challenge 2009 post (so that other participants can visit and see what you are reading).
• You can write another post in September to let everyone know how you did.

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

READING LIST (books read):

1. The Valley of Fear. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle [see review]
2. The Angel's Game. Carlos Ruiz Zafon [review to come]
3. Sacred Hearts. Sarah Dunant [review to come]
4. The Fire. Katherine Neville [see review]
5. Grave Goods. Ariana Franklin [see review]
6. Fear the Worst. Linwood Barclay [see review]
7. Rabbit Is Rich. John Updike [see review]
8. Victory Over Japan. Ellen Gilchrist [see review]
9. Dance of Death. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child [review to come]
10. The Man in the Picture. Susan Hill [review to come]
11. The Woman in Black. Susan Hill [ review to come]
12. New Year's Eve. Lisa Grunwald [see review]
    

Southern Reading Challenge 2009

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

Dates: 15 May to 15 August, 2009
Hosted by: Maggie of Maggie Reads

Guidelines:
You may choose to read any style of Southern book such as Appalachian tales, Civil War sagas, Gothic myths, Grit lit, and heart-wrenching biographies. . . . Just as long as you read three (fiction or nonfiction) between May 15th and August 15th.

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

READING LIST (books read):

1. The Optimist's Daughter. Eudora Welty [see review]
   
2. Ellen Foster. Kaye Gibbons [review to come]
   
3. To Dance with the White Dog. Terry Kay [see review]
   

Sunshine Smackdown! Battle of the Prizes Challenge

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

Dates: 1 May to 7 September 2009
Hosted by: Rose City Reader

Guidelines:

• Chose three books that you have not read before:
  1) One that won both the Pulitzer and the National;
  2) One that won the Pulitzer but not the National; and
  3) One that won the National but not the Pulitzer.
  
• OPTION: For those who have already read all six of the double-dippers, or otherwise do not want to read one of those six, pick two Pulitzer winners and two National winners for a total of four books.
  
• Read all books between May Day and Labor Day. Overlap with other challenges is allowed -- and encouraged!

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

MY READING LIST

1. Double Winner: Rabbit is Rich. John Updike [see review]
   
2. Pulitzer Winner: The Optimist's Daughter. Eudora Welty [see review]
   
3. National Book Award Winner: Victory Over Japan. Ellen Gilchrist [see review]
   

The Herding Cats II Challenge (Attack of the Hairballs)

***Challenge ended.***

Well, this was sort of a non-challenge (see guidelines), so I guess it's OK that I didn't read any books for it. But I certainly enjoyed looking at the list of possible reads!

Dates: 1 April to 31 December 2009
Hosted by: Renay, at Let's Get Literate

Guidelines:

• Make a list of five books you want to recommend. All titles must be books you've read in 2007, 2008 or 2009. Do not list entire series of books - just one of the titles in the series.
• Post your list in your own blog or in comments on the challenge announcement page. Your list must be public (no locked entries, no logging in to view).
• Browse the Master Book List for books you'd like to read.
• Read or not, as you like. Review or not, as you like. Share your reviews or not, as you like.

See my original post about the challenge here.
See the challenge announcement page here.
See the Book List here.
See the Review List here.

MY READING LIST (the books I would have read, if I'd read any for the challenge):

1. The Library at Night. Alberto Manguel
2. The Manual of Detection. Jedediah Berry
3. Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind. Ann B. Ross
   
4. Norwegian Wood. Haruki Murakami
5. The Secret History. Donna Tartt
6. Smilla's Sense of Snow. Peter Hoeg
7. We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Shirley Jackson

Spring Reading Thing 2009

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

Dates: 20 March through 20 June, 2009
Hosted by: Katrina of Callapidder Days

Guidelines:

• Make a list of the books you think you'll read
• Write a blog post and then sign-up using Mr. Linky on the challenge announcement page
• List can change over the duration of the challenge

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

MY READING LIST (books read):

1. Angels & Demons. Dan Brown [see review]
   
2. The Private Patient. P.D. James [review to come]
   
3. The Way Through the Woods. Colin Dexter [see review]
   
4. The Book of God and Physics. Enrique Joven [see review]
   
5. Brimstone. Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child [review to come]
   
6. The Old Man and Me. Elaine Dundy [see review]
   
7. The Optimist's Daughter. Eudora Welty [see review]
   
8. Ellen Foster. Kaye Gibbons [review to come]
   
9. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. Robert C. O'Brien [see review]
10. To Dance with the White Dog. Terry Kay [see review]
    
11. The Unit. Ninni Holmqvist [see review]
    
12. Moon Tiger. Penelope Lively [review to come]
    
13. The Longshot. Katie Kitamura [see review]
14. The Valley of Fear. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle [see review]
    

Once Upon a Time III Challenge

Dates: 21 March to 20 June, 2009
Hosted by: Carl V of Stainless Steel Droppings

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. Quest the Fourth - Read two non-fiction books, essay collections, etc. that treat any one or more of the four genres covered in this challenge.
6. Short Story Weekends - 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.

See my original post about the Challenge here.
See the Challenge Announcement page here.
See the Challenge Review page here.

I've chosen to join the Challenge at the Journey level, although I'm hoping to manage more than one book; and my reading will most likely be from the fantasy genre.

MY BOOK LIST

1. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. Robert C. O'Brien [see review]
   

The 1% Well-Read Challenge

Dates: 1 March 2009-31 March 2010

Hosted by: Michelle of 1 More Chapter

All selections are to come from the lists in the book, 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (Peter Boxall, ed.). Participants can use either the original edition of the book, or the new revised edition.

Guidelines:

• Read 10 titles from the original list from March 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009.
• Read 10 titles from the new list from March 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009.
• Read 13 titles from the combined list (of almost 1300 titles) from March 1, 2009 through March 31, 2010. In other words, “What were they thinking dropping titles from Dostoevsky and Jane Austen?”
• For all options, overlaps with other challenges are allowed, and you may change your list at any time.

See my original post about the challenge here.

See the challenge announcement page here.

READING LIST (books read):

1. Rabbit Is Rich. John Updike [see review]
   
2. The Lover. Marguerite Duras [review to come]
   
3. Contact. Carl Sagan [review to come]
   

Other Possible Choices:

Ada. Vladimir Nabokov
Alias Grace. Margaret Atwood
The Ambassadors. Henry James
American Pastoral. Philip Roth
Animal Farm. George Orwell
An Artist of the Floating World. Kazuo Ishiguro
Atonement. Ian McEwan
At the Mountains of Madness. H.P. Lovecraft
The Bell Jar. Sylvia Plath
The Big Sleep. Raymond Chandler
The Black Dahlia. James Ellroy
The Black Prince. Iris Murdoch
Black Water. Joyce Carol Oates
The Book of Illusions. Paul Auster
Brighton Rock. Graham Greene
Cause for Alarm. Eric Ambler
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Philip K. Dick
The Double. Jose Saramago
The Driver's Seat. Muriel Spark
Eyeless in Gaza. Aldous Huxley
Faceless Killers. Henning Mankell
Farewell, My Lovely. Raymond Chandler
Flaubert's Parrot. Julian Barnes
Foundation. Isaac Asimov
The Go-Between. L.P. Hartley
Good Morning, Midnight. Jean Rhys
The Heat of the Day. Elizabeth Bowen
The Hours. Michael Cunningham
If on a winter's night a traveler. Italo Calvino
Ignorance. Milan Kundera
Invisible Cities. Italo Calvino
The Long Goodbye. Raymond Chandler
Loving. Henry Green
The Moonstone. Wilkie Collins
Neuromancer. William Gibson
Northanger Abbey. Jane Austen
The Old Devils. Kingsley Amis
Party Going. Henry Green
Portnoy's Complaint. Philip Roth
Rabbit, Run. John Updike
Rabbit Redux. John Updike
The Reader. Bernhard Schlink
The Sea, the Sea. Iris Murdoch
The Secret History. Donna Tartt
Them. Joyce Carol Oates
The Third Man. Graham Greene
The 13 Clocks. James Thurber
The Virgin in the Garden. A.S. Byatt
The Virgin Suicides. Jeffrey Eugenides
Wide Sargasso Sea. Jean Rhys
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. Haruki Murakami
Wise Children. Angela Carter