What's In A Name Reading Challenge 2016

Link to sign-up post

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2016
Host: Charlie @ The Worm Hole

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


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

• A country: 
• An item of clothing: 
• An item of furniture: The Clocks (Hercule Poirot #34). Agatha Christie 
• A profession: Dreaming Spies. Laurie R. King
• A month of the year: The Last September. Nina de Gramont [note to self: linked to review page 7/14/2016]
• Title with the word "tree" in it: 

Other Possibilities:

• Category 1 - A country
  The China Governess. Margery Allingham
  Death in Kenya. M.M. Kaye
  England Made Me. Graham Greene
  From Russia With Love. Ian Fleming
  Little Egypt. Lesley Glaister 


• Category 2 - An item of clothing
  Death in a White Tie. Ngaio Marsh
  The Dutch Shoe Mystery. Ellery Queen
  The Green Hat. Michael Arlen
  The Roman Hat Mystery. Ellery Queen
  The Spanish Cape Mystery. Ellery Queen


• Category 3 - An item of furniture
  The Cabinet of Curiosities. Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
  The Clocks. Agatha Christie
  Isabel's Bed. Elinor Lipman
  Separate Beds. Elizabeth Buchan
  They Do It with Mirrors. Agatha Christie


• Category 4 - A profession
  The Nine Tailors. Dorothy L. Sayers
  The Watchmaker of Filigree Street. Natasha Pulley


• Category 5 - A month of the year
  August Folly. Angela Thirkell
  The Enchanted April. Elizabeth von Arnim
  July and August. Nancy Clark
  Three Junes. Julia Glass
  The Violets of March. Sarah Jio


• Category 6 - Title with the word "tree" in it
  Gently in Trees. Alan Hunter
  The Grail Tree. Jonathan Gash
  The King in the Tree: Three Novellas. Steven Millhauser
  Silver on the Tree. Susan Cooper
  The Wizard in the Tree. Lloyd Alexander

2016 Mount TBR Reading Challenge

Link to Challenge Announcement Post

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2016
Host: Bev @ MY READER'S BLOCK

Guidelines

• Sign-up anytime before November 1, 2016.
• Choose a level of participation. Once you choose, you're locked in for at least that many books. You can increase your level; all books counted for lower levels carry over towards the new level.
• Books must be owned by you prior to January 1, 2016. No library books.
• Books can be counted for other challenges.
• Reviews aren't required, and a blog isn't necessary.
• Rereads may count (see challenge announcement page for details).
• Audiobooks and E-books may count if they are yours and they are one of your primary sources of backlogged books.
• You may count any "currently reading" book that you begin prior to January 1--provided that you had 50% or more of the book left to finish in 2015.
• "Did Not Finish" books can be counted, under some circumstances (see challenge announcement page for details).
• You can submit a list in advance, or add your books as you read them.
• There will be quarterly check-ins.

Challenge Levels:

1. Pike's Peak: Read 12 books from your TBR pile/s
2. Mount Blanc: Read 24 books from your TBR pile/s
3. Mt. Vancouver: Read 36 books from your TBR pile/s
4. Mt. Ararat: Read 48 books from your TBR piles/s
5. Mt. Kilimanjaro: Read 60 books from your TBR pile/s
6. El Toro: Read 75 books from your TBR pile/s
7. Mt. Everest: Read 100 books from your TBR pile/s
8. Mount Olympus (Mars): Read 150+ books from your TBR pile/s

✸ I'm signing up at the first level (Pike's Peak), so I'll be reading at least 12 books from my TBR pile.

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See the challenge announcement page HERE.
● See the review pages: JAN, FEB, MAR, APR, MAY, JUN, JUL, AUG, SEP, OCT, NOV, DEC.
● See the quarterly check-in pages:

• Check Point #1 (March)
• Check Point #2 (July)
• Check Point #3 (October)
• Check Point #4 (December) 

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

1. Mrs. Malory and the Lilies That Fester (Sheila Malory series #11). Hazel Holt (2001)
2. Daisy Miller. Henry James (first published 1878)  [linked to review page 7/14/2016]
3. To Have and Have Not. Ernest Hemingway (first published 1937)  [linked to review page 7/14/2016]
4. Inkheart. Cornelia Funke (first published 2003)  [linked to review page 7/14/2016]
5. The Vanishment. Jonathan Aycliffe (1994) 
6. The Clocks (Hercule Poirot #34). Agatha Christie (1963)
7. Curtain: Poirot's Last Case (Hercule Poirot #39). Agatha Christie (1975) 
8. 
   

Books I'd Like to Read in 2016 (all long-time TBR titles):

• Afternoon Men. Anthony Powell
• The Art of Mending. Elizabeth Berg
• The Berlin Stories. Christopher Isherwood
• The Book of the Dead. Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child 
• Busman's Honeymoon. Dorothy L. Sayers 
• The Children's Book. A.S. Byatt 
• Daisy Miller. Henry James 
• Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Philip K. Dick 
• The Enchanted April. Elizabeth von Arnim 
• The Europeans. Henry James 
• The Fencing Master. Arturo Pérez-Reverte 
• Five Red Herrings. Dorothy L. Sayers 
• Flaubert's Parrot. Julian Barnes 
• Foundation. Isaac Asimov 
• The Glass Room. Simon Mawer 
• Identity. Milan Kundera 
• Inkheart. Cornelia Funke
• Invitation to the Waltz. Rosamond Lehmann 
• Istanbul Passage. Joseph Kanon 
• Jane Eyre. Charlotte Bronte 
• July and August. Nancy Clark 
• Jumping the Queue. Mary Wesley 
• Just Kids. Patti Smith 
• Los Alamos. Joseph Kanon 
• Mrs. Malory and a Death in the Family. Hazel Holt
• Mrs. Malory and a Necessary End. Hazel Holt
• Mrs. Malory and the Lilies That Fester. Hazel Holt
• The Moonstone. Wilkie Collins 
• Murder At the Vicarage (Miss Marple #1). Agatha Christie 
• Murder Must Advertise. Dorothy L. Sayers 
• The Nine Tailors. Dorothy L. Sayers 
• Prater Violet. Christopher Isherwood 
• Prophecy. S.J. Parris 
• Providence. Anita Brookner 
• Relic. Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child 
• The Road to Lichfield. Penelope Lively 
• The Secret Keeper. Kate Morton 
• Silver on the Tree. Susan Cooper 
• Time and Again. Clifford D. Simak 
• Two Serious Ladies. Jane Bowles 
• The Spoils of Poynton. Henry James 
• Unnatural Death. Dorothy L. Sayers 
• A Wreath of Roses. Elizabeth Taylor 
• The Year of Magical Thinking. Joan Didion

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril / X

Artwork by Abigail Larson

Dates: September 1 through October 31, 2015
Hosted by: The Estella Society

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 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 Group Read.

See my original post about the challenge HERE.
See the challenge announcement page HERE.
See the review site HERE.

MY BOOK LIST (books read, with links to any reviews/notes):

1. A Man of Some Repute. Elizabeth Edmondson (Mystery) 
2. The Quick. Lauren Owen (Gothic / Horror / Supernatural)
3. Champagne for One (Nero Wolfe #31). Rex Stout (Mystery)
4. Slade House. David Mitchell (Horror / Dark Fantasy) 
5. The Maltese Falcon. Dashiell Hammett (Mystery) 
6. The Night Sister. Jennifer McMahon (Horror / Supernatural)  

MY SCREEN PERIL LIST, Part 1 (Movies):

1. The Apparition (2012)
2. The Beast with Five Fingers (1946)
3. Children of the Damned (1964) 
4. Corruption (1968) 
5. Hands of a Stranger (1962) 
6. The Haunting (1963) 
7. Mad Love (1935) 
8. The Nanny (1965)
9. Two On A Guillotine (1965) 
10. White Noise 2: The Light (2007) 

MY SCREEN PERIL LIST, Part 2 (TV Shows):
1.
2.

❖❖❖❖❖❖

Perilous Reading Possibilities:

• Blue Labyrinth. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
• The Book of Lost Things. John Connolly
• The Colony. F.G. Cottam 
• Doll Bones. Holly Black; illus. by Eliza Wheeler
• The Girl on the Train. Paula Hawkins
• The Haunted Hotel. Wilkie Collins
• The Midnight Side. Natasha Mostert
• The Night Sister. Jennifer McMahon 
• The Quick. Lauren Owen ✓
• A Shadow on the Wall. Jonathan Aycliffe
• Shadow Ritual. Eric Giacometti and Jacques Ravenne
• A Song of Shadows. John Connolly 
• Strangers on a Train. Patricia Highsmith 
• Tales of Men and Ghosts. Edith Wharton 
• This House Is Haunted. John Boyne
• The Vanishment. Jonathan Aycliffe

Screen Peril Possibilities:

• The Awakening (2011 film)
• The Beast with Five Fingers (1946 film) ✓
• Dream House (2011 film)
• Heavenly Creatures (1994 film)
• I Confess (1953 film; Alfred Hitchcock)
• The Haunting (1963 film; I watch this every year) ✓
• Perception (TV series, 2012-15)
• The Uninvited (1944 film; another one I watch every time RIP comes around)

Once Upon a Time IX

 Once Upon a Time IX Reading Challenge/Event

 

Dates: March 21 - June 21, 2015
Hosted by: Carl @ Stainless Steel Droppings 

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

I'll be signing up at the Journey level -- reading at least one book from one of the challenge genres (Fairy Tale, Folklore, Fantasy and Mythology). Of course, I'll be hoping to do a little better than the one book, and maybe work my way up to Quest the First.

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

1. Elidor. Alan Garner
2. Nightbird. Alice Hoffman
3. The Tale of Despereaux. Kate DiCamillo (illus. by Timothy Basil Ering)
4. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Lewis Carroll (re-read)

BOOKS STARTED BUT NOT FINISHED:

1. Ella Enchanted. Gail Carson Levine 
2. The Well-Wishers. Edward Eager

I'm also hoping to participate in Quest on Screen this year. If I succeed, I'll be listing the movies/TV shows here--

MY VIEWING LIST (with links to reviews):
1.

2015 "Reading Through Time" Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

***I'm assuming this challenge is ended, as the host has abandoned her blog***

2015 "Reading Through Time" Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 

Hosted by: Amy Yingling @ A Bookish Girl

Dates: January 6 - December 31, 2015

Guidelines:

• Read any novel, short story or author just so that the genre is historical fiction.
• 1 novel counts as 1 novel (a novel is anything over 100 pages); 5 short stories count as 1 novel.
• Audio books and e-books also count.
• 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 a book giveaway each month and for initially signing up.

Levels:

• 5 books = Anthony Doerr
• 10 books = Kate Morton
• 15 books = Sarah Waters
• 20 books = Linda Lafferty
• 25 books = Hilary Mantel
• 30 books = Philippa Gregory
• 35 books = Ken Follett
• 40+ books = Diana Gabaldon

✹ My Goal: "Anthony Doerr" (5 books)

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

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

1. The Witch of Painted Sorrows. M.J. Rose (published 2015 / set in 19th Century France)
2. 
   

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2015

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2015

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

Hosted by: Amy Bruno @ Passages to the Past

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2015

Guidelines:

• Choose your level.
• Read any sub-genre of historical fiction (Historical Romance, Historical Mystery, Historical Fantasy, Young Adult, etc.)
• You don't need a blog to participate.

Levels:

• 20th century Reader - 2 books
• Victorian Reader - 5 books
• Renaissance Reader - 10 books
• Medieval - 15 books
• Ancient History - 25 books
• Prehistoric - 50+ books

✹ My goal: "Victorian Reader" (5 books)

● See my original post about the challenge HERE. 

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

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

1. As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust (Flavia de Luce #7). Alan Bradley (published 2015 / set around 1950)
2. The Witch of Painted Sorrows. M.J. Rose (published 2015 / set in 19th Century France)
3. A Fine Summer's Day (Inspector Ian Rutledge #17). Charles Todd (published 2015 / set in 1914)
4. The Silence of Ghosts. Jonathan Aycliffe (first published 2013 / set during World War II)
5. The Angel Court Affair (Charlotte and Thomas Pitt #30). Anne Perry (published 2015 / set in Victorian England) 
6. Newport. Jill Morrow (published 2015 / set in 1921) 
7. The Quick. Lauren Owen (published 2014 / set in late 19th Century England) 
8. A Man of Some Repute. Elizabeth Edmondson (published 2015 / set in 1953) 

Vintage Mystery Bingo 2015

Hosted by: Bev @ My Reader's Block

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2015

Guidelines (quoted from the announcement post):

• All books must be from the mystery category (crime fiction, detective fiction, espionage, etc.). The mystery/crime must be the primary feature of the book--ghost stories, paranormal, romance, humor, etc are all welcome as ingredients, but must not be the primary category under which these books would be labeled at the library or bookstore.
• Challengers may play either the Silver Age or Golden Age Card—or both. For the purposes of this challenge, the Golden Age Vintage Mysteries must have been first published before 1960. Golden Age short story collections (whether published pre-1960 or not) are permissible provided all of the stories included in the collection were originally written pre-1960. Please remember that some of our Golden Age Vintage authors wrote well after 1959--so keep an eye on the original publication date and apply them to the appropriate card. Silver Age Vintage Mysteries may be first published any time from 1960 to 1989 (inclusive). Again, Silver Age short story collections published later than 1989 are permissible as long as they include no stories first published later than 1989.
• Challenge runs from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015. Sign up any time between now and November 4, 2015. Any books read from January 1 on may count regardless of your sign-up date. If you decide to go for broke and try to score on both cards, you only need sign up once--pick a card, any card for your link. 
• Books can be used for other challenges.
• Reviews aren't required, but would be nice.
• One Free Space per card—you may use your Free Space to cover any spot on the board. The Free Space book must fulfill one of the categories from the card, but it may fulfill ANY space you like—even a category you have already fulfilled. For example…if you are having trouble finding a book to meet the “mode of transportation” category, but you really need that space to complete a BINGO then you may read a book that meets any other category on the board and use your Free Space to claim the “mode of transportation” space.
• No double-counting. A book may not count for both the original category (say, "Woman in the Title") and as the Free Space to replace "mode of transportation." A second "Woman in the Title" would need to be read to complete the Free Space and replace "mode of transportation."
• BINGOS may be claimed by completing all spaces in a row--horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. You may also claim a “Four Corner” BINGO by reading a book for each of the four corners plus two more spaces—any two. A valid BINGO must have six complete spaces.

✹ I'll be reading Golden Age mysteries and working on Gold Card bingos. 

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

FOUR CORNER BINGO:

1. Color in the Title or Cover Color: The Red House Mystery, by A.A. Milne (first published 1922)
2. Method of Murder in Title: .
3. Eat, Drink and Be Merry: Champagne for One (Nero Wolfe #31), by Rex Stout (first published 1958)
4. Book with Professional Detective: The Maltese Falcon, by Dashiell Hammett (first published 1930)
5. First Extra Square - Book featuring Lawyer, Courtroom, etc.: The Case of the Velvet Claws (Perry Mason #1), by Erle Stanley Gardner (first published 1933)
6. Second Extra Square - Book Set in US or England: Gently Does It (Chief Inspector George Gently #1), by Alan Hunter (first published 1955; set in England)

Possible for "Method of Murder":

• Behold, Here's Poison (Inspector Hannasyde #2). Georgette Heyer (1936) 
• The Canvas Dagger (Inspector McKee #26). Helen Reilly (1956) 
• The Case of the Drowning Duck (Perry Mason #20). Erle Stanley Gardner (1942) 
• Cold Poison (Hildegarde Withers #15). Stuart Palmer (1954) 
• The Drowning Pool (Lew Archer #2). Ross Macdonald (1950)
• Name Your Poison (Inspector McKee #14). Helen Reilly (1942)
• The Poisoned Chocolates Case (Roger Sheringham Cases #5). Anthony Berkeley (1929) 

The Reporter's Challenge 2015

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2015
Hosted by: Ellie Oberth (Dead Herring)

This is a GoodReads Challenge.
Sign up for the challenge on GoodReads (In The Challenge Factory under 2015 yearly challenges)

Guidelines (quoted from Dead Herring's announcement page):

• For this challenge – Each book can only be used for 1 category (Ex: Agatha Christie’s Mousetrap – victim is strangled, the setting is in England and they are cut off from the world due to bad weather. But you can only place this story in 1 of the categories)
• You don’t have to choose your books in advance. If you do, you can change your list at any time during the year.
• Books can be in any format – paper, ebooks, audio…
• Crossovers with other challenges are fine.

Levels:

• Cub reporter: 5 books (1 from each category) 
• Columnist: 10 books (2 from each category) 
• News Anchor: 15 books (3 from each category) 
• Editor: 20 books (4 from each category) 
• Newspaper Mogul: 25 books 

✹ I'll be trying for Cub Reporter, to start. (I'm hoping to become a Columnist some day, but this might not be my year.)

LIST OF CATEGORIES 

WHO

1. Protagonist is a librarian: The Book of Speculation. Erika Swyler
2. Protagonist is a government agent 
3. Protagonist is a ghost 
4. Protagonist works with animals (vet, dog walker, zoo, etc) 
5. Protagonist is a crook 

WHAT

1. Holiday in the title 
2. Animal in the title: Let Sleeping Dogs Lie ("Sister" Jane #9). Rita Mae Brown
3. Weather in the title 
4. Poison in the title 
5. Title starts with the same letter as your last name 

WHERE

1. Set in England 
2. NOT set on land (cruise ship, boat, airplane, spaceship, etc) 
3. Set on an Island 
4. Set on foreign soil (not America or England) 
5. Historical novel: As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust (Flavia De Luce #7). Alan Bradley (The Flavia De Luce novels are set during and just after World War II.)

WHEN

1. One book set during any holiday 
2. One that centers around a convention or conference 
3. One Dark & Stormy night – bad weather plays big role in story 
4. One where the protagonist has to beat the clock (time is crucial to solving mystery)
5. One set during a vacation: Gently Does It (Inspector George Gently #1). Alan Hunter (Inspector Gently is on vacation when a local murder case catches his attention.)

HOW (Method of Murder)

1. Poison is murder weapon 
2. Knife/stabbing is murder weapon 
3. Gun/shooting is murder weapon: The Red House Mystery. A.A. Milne
4. Blunt object is murder weapon 
5. Rope/strangulation is murder weapon 

2015 Chunkster Challenge

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

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2015
Hosted by: Vassily  

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


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

1. The Quick. Lauren Owen (544 pages)
2. 
   

POSSIBILITIES:

• The Book of the Dead. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (454 pages) 
• The Children's Book. A.S. Byatt (675 pages)  
• Crimson Shore. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (464 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) 
• The Mists of Avalon. Marion Zimmer Bradley (over 800 pages) 
• The Peabody Sisters. Megan Marshall (602 pages) 
• The Secret History. Donna Tartt (522 pages) 
• The Secret Keeper. Kate Morton (496 pages) 

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