European Reading Challenge 2013

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

Dates: 1 January 2013 - 31 January 2014
Hosted by:  Rose City Reader

Guidelines:

• Read books by European authors; or books set in European countries, no matter where the author comes from.
• All genres are allowed.
• Each book read must be by a different author and set in a different country.
• For this challenge, "Europe" refers to the list of 50 sovereign states that mostly fall within the geographic territory of the continent of Europe (or those countries that belong to international European organizations such as the Council of Europe).  See the list of countries, below.
• All books must be read between January 1, 2013 and January 31, 2014.
• You don't need to commit to your choices now; 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. 
• You don't need a blog to participate. 
• As you progress, please link to your reviews on the review list page. However, reviews are not mandatory, unless you're going for a prize, in which case only books reviewed count. 

The List of Countries: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Vatican City.

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 at the Five Star Level, so I'll be reading at least 5 books.

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

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

1. Cold Remains. Sally Spedding (Wales, UK)
2. Ignorance. Milan Kundera (mostly set in Czechoslovakia)
3. Inferno. Dan Brown (Italy)
4. Chéri. Colette (France)

Chunkster Reading Challenge 2013

***Challenge done (well, half of it anyway)***

Dates: 1 January - 31 December 2013
Hosted by: Caribousmom and Vasilly

Guidelines:

• Books must be at least 450 pages to qualify as a "chunkster" (large print editions must be at least 525 pages)
• No audio books allowed (some exceptions)
• No e-books allowed (some exceptions)
• Books may be fiction or nonfiction
• Crossovers with other challenges are allowed
• You don't need a blog to participate
• No advance lists required
• Once you've picked your level, you're committed to it for the duration of the challenge

Levels:

1. The Chubby Chunkster – read 4 chunksters
2. The Plump Primer - read 6 books that qualify
3. Do These Books Make my Butt Look Big? - read 6 chunksters from the following categories:
   2 books which are between 450 - 550 pages in length;
   2 books which are 551 - 750 pages in length;
   2 books which are GREATER than 750 pages in length
4. Mor-book-ly Obese - Read 8 or more chunksters of which three MUST be 750 pages or more

~ I'm signing up for Level 1 ("Chubby Chunkster"), so I'll be reading 4 books.

~ See my original post about the challenge HERE.
~ See my wrap-up post HERE. 
~ See the challenge sign-up page HERE.
~ See the challenge blog HERE.
~ See the link for reviews HERE.


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

1. The Lost Symbol. Dan Brown (509 pages in hardcover) 
2. Night Film. Marisha Pessl (602 pages in hardcover)

2013 Book Blogger Recommendation Reading Challenge

***NOTE: This challenge seems to have evaporated.
I can't find any working links, so I'm assuming this one is non-active.***

Dates: 1 January - 31 December 2013
Hosted by: Jennifer @ Reading with Tequila

Guidelines:

• Participants will choose their books from the list of recommended titles
• All formats are allowed
• Re-reads are not allowed
• You don't need a blog to participate, and reviews are not mandatory (although appreciated)

Levels:

1. Level I - Read 5 books from the 2012 Book Blogger Recommendation List 
2. Level II - Read 10 books 
3. Level III - Read 15 books 
4. Level IV - Read 20 books 
5. Level V - Read 20+ books 

~ I'm signing up at Level I, and will be reading 5 books from the list.

~ See my original post about the challenge HERE.
~ See the challenge announcement / sign-up page HERE.
~ See the list of recommended books HERE.

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

POSSIBLE READS:

11/22/63. Stephen King
Across the Universe. Beth Revis
The Alchemyst. Michael Scott
Anansi Boys. Neil Gaiman
The Bell Jar. Sylvia Plath 
The Book Thief. Markus Zusak
In Cold Blood. Truman Capote
Gone Girl. Gillian Flynn
The Night Circus. Erin Morgenstern
The Nine Billion Names of God. Arthur C. Clarke
North and South. Elizabeth Gaskell
The Prestige. Christopher Priest
Ready Player One. Ernest Cline
Rules of Civility. Amor Towles
The Secret History. Donna Tartt
The Shadowy Horses. Susanna Kearsley
Wide Sargasso Sea. Jean Rhys

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