2012 Short Story Challenge

This year, I've decided to dedicate more time to a wonderful way of telling tales: the short story. To do this, I thought "oh, I should sign up to a challenge" but alas, the only short story challenge I've found counts stories by anthologies (click here to sign-up for that challenge). So, I've decided to run one myself! What is a short story? Short stories are works of fiction, often written in prose. They tend to be more pointed, focused, and contained than novels. Why do short stories matter? The short story is one of the most exciting and important literary forms, and that it can, and should, reach the widest possible readership. Where can I find short stories? Anywhere and everywhere. Anthologies, magazines, newspapers, and even on-line. Still interested? Then take a look at the must-read details: The 2012 Short Story Challenge runs January 1st, 2012 to December 31st, 2012. You can sign up at any time. You do NOT need a blog to sign up - just somewhere online to monitor your progress (personal blog, goodreads, facebook, twitter, etc.) But please post something that shows you are participating in the challenge - it doesn't have to be a full post, a link/tweet/sidebar listing is enough! You need to read at least 12 short stories. Ain't that easy? Easy peasy. That's one short story a month. Of course, you can choose to read more than 12. Why would you want to? Well, because short stories are brilliant. There will a giveaways! I'll be giving away two anthologies over the course of the year for challenge participants.

Romance Reading Challenge

I'm happy to say that my Romance Reading Challenge is going into it's 4th year! Wow! Thank you all who have joined in the past. I hope you will sign up again this year. If this is your first time joining us, welcome! So, without further ado, here are the rules:


1. "Romance" isn't limited to steamy Harlequin novels. There is a huge selection of books in this category such as contemporary romance, historical romance, romantic suspense and paranormal romance to name a few. As long as the story has romantic love between the two main characters your selection will fit this challenge. The novels do not need to have a happy ending either, there can also be unrequited love.

Here are a few suggestions:
-anything written by Jane Austen: classics/regency romance
-Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: historical romance
-Nicholas Sparks books: contemporary romance *have box of tissues handy*
-Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding: contemporary romance/humor
-Gena Showalter's books: contemporary romance/paranormal
-The Twilight series By Stephenie Meyer: YA Romance/paranormal
-Benny & Shrimp by Katarina Mazetti: contemporary romance
-The Princess Bride by William Goldman: fantasy/romance/humor
-Frederica by Georgette Heyer: regency romance
-Outlander by Diana Gabaldon: time travel romance
-The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss: historical romance
-Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë: gothic romance/classics

Need more suggestions? Visit Best Romance Novels Today, Best Romance Stories and Romance Novels on Wikipedia.

2. Choose at least 5 novels to read. You can change your choices at any time. Crossovers between other challenges are fine.

3. Read them at your own pace in 2011 then post the link to your review(s).

Whisper Stories In My Ears

Here is the basic information:

•Should you choose to participate in this challenge, your goal is to read at least twelve (12) audiobooks (no matter the length). Twelve is the minimum to be entered in the Grand Prize at the end of the Year.

•Of course anyone can join. You just have to live on the planet earth, (meaning, this is an international challenge and contest) and you need to have either a blog where you can post your Reviews, or you need publish your review anywhere else, goodreads, LibaryThing, amazon, Barnes & Nobles, audible, etc etc etc...

•Important: When you post your Review you have to say that you listened to the audiobook version of the book, who was the narrator, the length of time the audiobook ran and your separate rating/impression for the audiobook (how you liked the narration of the story beyond what you thought of the story itself). This can be at the end of your regular review, just like this example here.
The challenge runs from January 1st to December 31st, 2011.
You can join at anytime you want!
It doesn't matter what audiobook you are listening to,
no matter the genre or the length!


Challenge Guidelines:
•Please create a blogpost announcing your participating, you can include the books you are planning to listen to, but you don't have to. People without a blog just leave a the link to where you will be posting your reviews (i.e. your Goodreads account). Please add the Links to the post in Mr.Linky form below.

•Every month, starting in January we have a new post up for you where you can post your Reviews for that month. A Mr Linky form will be up for you.

•Although one review is the minimum to be entered, the more reviews you post each month the more chances you get to win the monthly prize. The monthly prizes includes giftcards from where you can buy audiobooks - like Amazon, iTunes, Barnes&Nobles and Audible. Plus, we will also have some MP3 players in the monthly prizes and other stuff that has something to do with audiobooks. You know how we Bookworms like to get creative with the prizes....

•You can pick the audiobooks as you go (no need to decide right now), but if you have already an idea what you're planning to listen we would absolutely love to know!

We also made a small Button that you will see
in all of our audiobook reviews going forward.
You're more than welcome to take it
and use it at the bottom of your Review
to show the audiobook section.




Throughout the year, as you add your reviews in,
you'll be eligible for level badges based on how many hours
of audibook listening you've logged.

We'll unveil those images as we go, but the levels are as follows:

100 hours: Whispering My Love
200 hours: Can't Keep Quiet
300 hours: Singing It From The Mountain Tops
400 hours: Megaphone Shout


One challenge not enough for you?
Well, we happen to know that there is a Audiobook Challenge over at
Theresa's Reading Corner
and of course we would be totally happy for you to sign up both Challenges.

Also, the lovely bloggers over at Audiobook Jukebox
compile lists of strictly Audiobook reviews.
Go check them out for a rec or add yours to their list!




Holidays got your wallet cramped
and you don't have extra cash to buy an audiobook
to start the challenge with?

FEAR NOT!

Many libraries in the US allow their patrons
to check out audiobooks via OverDrive.

And even if your library doesn't,
the Bookworms still have you covered!

Sign up for the challenge before January 1st
and get entered to win an introductory account at Audible
with two free downloads.
Winner will be announce January 1st so you can start listening right away!

The Page to Screen Reading Challenge

After all the fun I had with participating in reading challenges, I have decided to host my own for 2011! I love watching movies that are based on books and I've even decided to read books after seeing movie trailers that looked promising like The Lord of the Rings and Atonement.


I decided to hold The Page to Screen Reading Challenge to encourage people to read books and watch movies that are based on books.


Prizes:


One participant will win their choice of book worth up to $15 from Amazon.com or The Book Depository (for international participants in countries that Book Depository ships to).
Participants must reach reading level one (5 books) by December 31, 2011 to be entered in the drawing.
Reviews are not required but each review you post will give you an extra entry. So be sure to check back each month to link your reviews!




Rules:


Read books that were made into movies or T.V. shows
Books must be read between January 1-December 31, 2011
Rereads count!
You can also watch the movies/T.V. shows as part of the challenge but it is not a requirement
If you watch T.V. shows, you should watch 2 hours of the show to be equal to one movie
Books that are currently being made into movies also count as long as the movie will be released sometime in 2011
Make a post about the challenge using my challenge logo and link your post below to sign up
As stated above, reviews of the books/movies you watch/read are not required but they count as extra prize entries!
Make a wrap up post at the end of the challenge and link it to my wrap up post




Reading Levels:


Level one-Read 5 books that were made into movies/T.V. shows
Level two-Read 10 books that were made into movies/T.V. shows
Level three-Read 15 books that were made into movies/T.V. shows
Level four-Read 20 books that were made into movies/T.V. shows




Reading and Watching Levels:


Level one-Read 5 books made into movies/T.V. shows and watch the movies/shows
Level two-Read 10 books made into movies/T.V. shows and watch the movies/shows
Level three-Read 15 books made into movies/T.V. shows and watch the movies/shows
Level four-Read 20 books made into movies/T.V. shows and watch the movies/shows

Off The Shelf Challenge

Off The Shelf Challenge

Are your books multiplying like rabbits before you even get a chance to read them? Trying to keep up with them, but can't stop buying new ones?

Maybe this challenge is for you. I know what it's like. There's so many titles and so many beautiful books out there sometimes it's hard to keep that TBR shelf under control, but if you really want to try why not challenge yourself?

The challenge begins on the 1st of January and ends on the 31st of December 2011

Note: This challenge is to read those books you own copies of, but have never got around to reading. If you don't have many that you own, but have a massive TBR shelf you're welcome to read those ones as long as you don't add new ones. You don't need to actually get rid of your books after you've read them, this is just to read them.

How To Participate

Decide which challenge level you'll be doing (further below) - do not include books that you buy from the start of this challenge.

Grab the code for the badge down below and post it on a side bar or in a signature (if you want to participate, but aren't blogging, on a social network or forum - Submission For Non Bloggers).

Create your own post to let all your readers know you’re taking part in the challenge and at what level (if you're really proficient you can list your books!). Make sure to link back to this page with either one of the buttons or a text link..
Use the link form below to enter into the challenge by sharing your challenge post url and your name (either your name, blog name, or both).Please don't use the comment form to participate, only to comment on the challenge or something else..
Submit your reviews (if you choose to review them, but that is optional) on the review page.

When you’ve completed you’re challenge let us know on the completion post. If you're using a tag or category I recommend sharing the link back to that so everyone can find them

Challenge Levels

Tempted– Choose 5 books to read
Trying – Choose 15 books to read
Making A Dint – Choose 30 books to read
On A Roll – Choose 50 books to read
Flying Off – Choose 75 books to read
For extra hard challenges

Hoarder – Choose 76-125 books to read
Buried – Choose 126-200 books to read

Comic Challenge

January 1 - December 31, 2011


Hosted by Bookish Ardour, the Comic Challenge is a year long challenge to read comics. There are several levels of participation:

Challenge Levels

Pow! – Choose 5 comics to read
Zoink! – Choose 15 comcis to read
Kerplunk! – Choose 30 comics to read
Ka-Boom! – Choose 50 comics to read
Holy Smokes! – Choose 75 comics to read
For extra hard challenges

Pow! – Choose 75-125 comics to read
Bam! – Choose 125-200 comics to read
Learn more and sign up by visiting the post about the challenge.

2011 Read-n-Review

January 1-December31, 2011


MizBooks is once again hosting the Read and Review Challenge. She writes:

Review each book you read in 2011.

* PLEASE keep your reviews clean & respectful ~ these books we read are the hard work of an author, and we don’t need to be mean. Even if you didn’t like the book, please try to find something you can say that would be encouraging to the author.
* reviews can be as short, or long, as you wish
* you MAY overlap with other challenges
* eBooks and Audiobooks ARE allowed
* if there will be spoilers in your review, please note this in the subject line of your post so that those who don’t want to read them can skip that review. Thank you.

To join, go to Read and Review Challenge.

1 Hedgehogs by Emma Parker
2 The Moovers and the Milkshakers by Emma Parker
3 Hullabaloo at the Zoo by Emma Parker
4 The Butterfly Race by Emma Parker
5 The Yellow Hummer by Ivet Graham-Morgan
6 Teddy Is Real I Think by Emma Parker
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