EXPIRED Cozy Mystery Challenge 2009

April 1 - September 30, 2009


Kris from Not Enough Books is hosting the 2009 Cozy Mystery Challenge. Here are the rules:

Read at least 1 cozy mystery for each month, so a total of 6. You can read these all in the same month, one per month, or however you want.

It is ok to use books that you are already reading for other challenges, however at least 2 need to be specific for this challenge.
You do not need to have a blog to participate

You are not required to make a list of books you plan to read ahead of time, but it would be fun if you did. You must at least create a post for this challenge and link back to the post about the challenge. Please also note how many books you plan to read.

You must sign-up before April 1st, so the last date to sign up is March 31st.

At the end of the challenge, If you have a blog, please create a wrap-up post telling others how you did and listing each of the books you read for the challenge and link them to your reviews.

Prizes you ask? Of course! Each person who completes the challenge will receive a homemade bookmark.
Interested in joining or learning more? Visit the post about the challenge and use Mr. Linky.

COMPLETED The Confuzzled Faerie Book Challenge

March 18 - December 31, 2009

Hosted by "Confuzzled" Shannon
Here's what Shannon has to say about the challenge:


The Confuzzled Faerie Book Challenge is a Book Challenge devoted entirely to books about Faeries.

How many books do I have to read?

2 Books - 1st Stage
5 Books - 2nd Stage
10 Books - 3rd Stage
10+ Books - Final Stage

There will be one winner for each stage and Sharon will be giving away prizes.


To find out more and join, visit Confuzzled Faerie Book Challenge


Books Read:

1. Poppy's Perfect Home (Flower Fairies Secret Stories) by Pippa Le Quesne
2. Beck Beyond the Sea - Kimberly Morris
3. Tink, North of Never Land - Kiki Thorpe
4. Almond Blossom's Mystery (Flower Fairies)
5. Rani in the Mermaid Lagoon - Lisa Papademetriou
6. Fira and the Full Moon - Gail Herman

EXPIRED 2009 Spring Reading Thing

March 20 - June 20, 2009

The Spring Reading Thing is back for 2009! Once again hosted by Katrina at Callapidder Days, this challenge is one you can individualize to suit your own reading goals.


Make a list of books you want to read (or finish reading) this spring. Your list can be as long or as short as you’d like. (Also, feel free to modify your list during the challenge if it’s not working for you.)

Write a blog post containing your list and submit it to the post about the challenge using Mr. Linky.

Read this post for more information.)

To find out more and to join, click The Spring Reading Thing

EXPIRED Summer Vacation Reading Challenge 2009

May 22 - September 7, 2009


Molly at My Cozy Book Nook is hosting the Summer Vacation Reading Challenge 2009. She writes:

I love to travel, but with the economy the way it is, a get-away summer vacation is not in the budget this year. However, books are very affordable (and libraries add new meaning to the phrase "price is no object"). I anticipate taking many 'literary' vacations over the course of the next few months, and I hope you can join me as well.
There are two different levels of participation from which to choose:

Beach Bum: you will read 3 books during this time frame (a leisurely book-a-month); cross-over book selections from other challenges may count; and you do not have to list books in advance -- after all, summer vacation is a time for spontaneity.

Globe Trotter: you will commit to reading 6 pre-selected books during this time frame, but you may substitute up to 3 books due to changes in travel plans. Cross-overs for 5 out of the 6 books are allowed, but ideally one book will be read for this challenge alone.
The guidelines are simple: you may read any literary genre that you enjoy - provided it allows you to "travel" to a different locale that you would like to visit.

Prizes:

One "fun" prize for those who sign up for the challenge prior to May 15. There are several ways to better your chances of winning...check out the post about the challenge to read more.
There will also be a prize awarded at the end of the challenge. You must complete the challenge in order to qualify for the drawing - but for each book read and reviewed, you will have one submitted entry. The grand prize will be a $20 Amazon gift certificate --- a great way to start the new fall reading season!

To read all the details and sign up for the challenge through Mr. Linky, please visit the post about the challenge.

EXPIRED M/M Romance Challenge

March 20 - August 31, 2009


Anesthezea of I Love Paperbacks is hosting the M/M Romance Challenge - please note, only those persons 18 years or older may participate. Anesthezea writes:

This challenge is for those who enjoy reading Male/Male romances or those who are interested in starting. If you aren’t familiar with M/M romances, they are novels and other books where the main focus of the story is the romantic relationship between the male protagonists.
There is prize drawing for those who sign up by April 30th and for those who complete the challenge by August 31st. Here are the rules:

1. Choose to read 4, 5, 6, or 10 romances.

2. All genres are allowed.
- They can be a part of a series or stand-alones.
- They can be long or short.
- Some re-reads are allowed, but try to have at least 2 new-to-you books.
- Overlapping with other challenges is fine, even encouraged.

3. You can join at any time.

4. You don’t have to list your books ahead of time. If you decide to list them, you can change them as you go. Feel free to remove or add titles as needed.

5. You do NOT have to have a blog to participate.


6. You do NOT have to review your books to participate.

7. You MUST be 18 years old or older to participate.

To learn more or to sign up, visit the post about the challenge.

Naming Conventions Challenge

Started 10/21/08 - ?????

Maria at Reading My Way Through Life is hosting the Naming Conventions Challenge. This one has lots of flexibility built into it - including the length of the challenge and number of books you will read.

The "rules":

1) Write down your first name (or whatever name you usually go by)
2) Do any or all of the following:
2a) For each letter, pick an author whose last name starts with that letter.
2b) For each letter, pick an author whose first name starts with that letter.
2c) For each letter, pick a book that starts with that letter.
3) Books can be cross-overs from other challenges, but each book can only be used once in this challenge. Authors may be repeated though.
4) The challenge lasts one month per letter of your name

Sound like fun? To sign up leave Maria a comment on her post about the challenge. Oh, and she is also looking for someone to create a graphic/button for the challenge.

Last Name Starts with…
Stevenson, Robert Louis - Treasure Island (Audio)
U
Evanovich, Janet – Naughty Neighbor
First Name Starts with…
Stephen Crane – The Red Badge of Courage (Audio)

U
Ellie McDonald - Danger After Dark
Book Title Starts with…
Sarah, Plain and Tall - Patricia MacLachlan (Newbery Medal Winner)
Up Close and Personal - Fern Michaels (audio)

E

Disney Literature Challenge (Perpetual)

Perpetual Challenge - NO TIME LIMITS


Sarah Miller of Reading, Writing, Musing... is hosting a Disney Literature Challenge. Her post is wonderful (you should read it even if you don't think you want to do this one). In part, she writes:

Now, some of my very favorite book people harbor strong anti-Disney tendencies. (Cam, this means you. I'm betting on Linda and Jim, too.) In their honor, and in hopes of putting a tiny chip in the mountain of gratitude I owe them, I'm proposing a Disney Literature Challenge. Let's dig up the uncorrupted originals, and see how these stories looked before Uncle Walt had his way with them, shall we?
AND:

No time limits, no minimums, no obligations. Pick the ones you like and quit when you get sick of the whole idea. Wanna skip the bulky ones like Dickens, Hugo and White? Be my guest. If the multimedia approach of comparing the book to the movie appeals to you, go for it. I'm particularly hoping some of the anti-Disney camp might be good sports and take a refresher look at some of the films. Rereads are legal, even encouraged.

Sarah has listed the books to read on the post about the challenge. Interested? Why not join in the fun and leave her a comment?

Pinocchio (1940)
Pinocchio: The Story of a Puppet, by Carlo Collodi (1916)

The Reluctant Dragon (1941)
excerpted from Dream Days, by Kenneth Grahame (1898)

Bambi (1942)
Bambi, by Felix Salten (1928)

Song Of The South (1946)
Tales of Uncle Remus, by Joel Chandler Harris (1881)
(or choose the 1990's retellings by Julius Lester)

So Dear To My Heart (1949)
Midnight and Jeremiah, by Sterling North (1943)

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mister Toad (1949)
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, by Washington Irving (1820)
The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame (1908)

Alice In Wonderland (1951)
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll (1865)
Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There, by Lewis Carroll (1871)

Peter Pan (1953)
Peter Pan, by Sir J.M. Barrie

One Hundred And One Dalmatians (1961)
The Hundred and One Dalmatians, or The Great Dog Robbery, by Dodie Smith (1956)

The Sword In The Stone (1963)
The Once and Future King, by T.H. White (1958)

Mary Poppins (1964)
Mary Poppins, by P.L. Travers (1934)

The Jungle Book (1967)
The Jungle Book, by Rudyard Kipling (1894)

Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
Bed-knob and Broomstick, by Mary Norton (1957)

The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh (1977)
Winnie-the-Pooh, by A.A. Milne (1926)
The House at Pooh Corner, by A.A. Milne (1928)

The Rescuers (1977)
The Rescuers, by Magery Sharp (1959)

The Fox and the Hound (1981)
The Fox and the Hound, by Daniel Pratt Mannix IV (1967)

The Black Cauldron (1985)
The Black Cauldron, by Lloyd Alexander (1965)

The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
Basil of Baker Street, by Eve Titus (1958)

Oliver & Company (1988)
Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens (1838)

The Little Mermaid (1989)
The Little Mermaid, by Hans Christian Andersen (1836)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame, by Victor Hugo (1831)

Tarzan (1999)
Tarzan of the Apes, by Edgar Rice Burroughs (1914)



Bonus category: Folklore
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Cinderella (1950)
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Robin Hood (1973)
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Aladdin (1992)
Mulan (1998)



Extra bonus category: Obscurities & Rarities
Dumbo (1941)
Dumbo the Flying Elephant, by Helen Albertson and Harold Pearl (1939)

Lady And The Tramp (1955)
Happy Dan, the Whistling Dog, by Ward Greene (circa 1940)
(orignally published in Cosmoplitan magazine; also called Happy Dan the Cynical Dog)

The Aristocats (1970)
based on a story by Tom McGowan and Tom Rowe (???)

Pete's Dragon (1977)
based on a story by S.S. Fields and Seton Miller (circa 1930)

100 Shots of Shorts (Perpetual)

Perpetual Challenge - No Time Limit
(started 05-01-09 - ???)


Rob at Rob Around Books is hosting 100 Shots of Shorts - a reading challenge designed to encourage the reading of short stories. Rob writes:

Why the name? Well to me, reading a short story is very much akin to slugging down a shot of spirit or coffee - it offers a quick on-the-fly story hit to boost spirit and/or morale, so I could think of no better term to give it.
Rob has links to some awesome short literature, and has created his own list of shorts he wants to read. To join in, visit Rob at his blog and leave him a comment with a link to your post about the challenge.

U.S. Presidents Reading Project (Perpetual)

Perpetual Challenge - No Time Limit


Lezlie from Books 'N Border Collies is hosting the U.S. President Reading Project - a perpetual challenge which encourages readers to read at least one nonfiction book about each President of the United States. Lezlie writes:

If one book about each president sounds a bit like "too much information" to you, feel free to choose books that talk about more than one president at a time and count it for each one. Tailor this project to suit your personal level of interest. Maybe you just want a passing knowledge of each one. Maybe you found a couple presidents interesting enough to read two or three or more books about them.
To join, leave a comment on the welcome post of the dedicated blog for the challenge.


LIST OF U.S. PRESIDENTS

1. George Washington (1789-97) - Dinner At Mr. Jefferson's by Charles Cerami (Audio)

2. John Adams, 1797-1801 (Federalist) - Dinner At Mr. Jefferson's by Charles Cerami (Audio)

3. Thomas Jefferson, 1801-9 (Democratic-Republican) - Dinner At Mr. Jefferson's by Charles Cerami (Audio)

4. James Madison, 1809-17 (Democratic-Republican)

5. James Monroe, 1817-25 (Democratic-Republican)

6. John Quincy Adams, 1825-29 (Democratic-Republican)

7. Andrew Jackson, 1829-37 (Democrat)

8. Martin Van Buren, 1837-41 (Democrat)

9. William Henry Harrison, 1841 (Whig)

10. John Tyler, 1841-45 (Whig)

11. James Knox Polk, 1845-49 (Democrat)

12. Zachary Taylor, 1849-50 (Whig)

13. Millard Fillmore, 1850-53 (Whig)

14. Franklin Pierce, 1853-57 (Democrat)

15. James Buchanan, 1857-61 (Democrat)

16. Abraham Lincoln, 1861-65 (Republican)

17. Andrew Johnson, 1865-69 (Democrat/National Union)

18. Ulysses Simpson Grant, 1869-77 (Republican)

19. Rutherford Birchard Hayes, 1877-81 (Republican)

20. James Abram Garfield, 1881 (Republican)

21. Chester Alan Arthur, 1881-85 (Republican)

22. Grover Cleveland, 1885-89 (Democrat)

23. Benjamin Harrison, 1889-93 (Republican)

24. Grover Cleveland, 1893-97 (Democrat)

25. William McKinley, 1897-1901 (Republican)

26. Theodore Roosevelt, 1901-9 (Republican)

27. William Howard Taft, 1909-13 (Republican)

28. Woodrow Wilson, 1913-21 (Democrat)

29. Warren Gamaliel Harding, 1921-23 (Republican)

30. Calvin Coolidge, 1923-29 (Republican)

31. Herbert Clark Hoover, 1929-33 (Republican)

32. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1933-45 (Democrat)

33. Harry S. Truman, 1945-53 (Democrat)

34. Dwight David Eisenhower, 1953-61 (Republican)

35. John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 1961-63 (Democrat)

36. Lyndon Baines Johnson, 1963-69 (Democrat)

37. Richard Milhous Nixon, 1969-74 (Republican)

38. Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr , 1974-77 (Republican) - Gerald R. Ford: Thirty-Eighth President 1974-1977 (Getting to Know the Us Presidents) by Mike Venezia

39. James Earl Carter, 1977-81 (Democrat)

40. Ronald Wilson Reagan, 1981-89 (Republican)

41. George Herbert Walker Bush, 1989-1993 (Republican)

42. William Jefferson Clinton, 1993-2001 (Democrat)

43. George W. Bush, 2001-2009 (Republican)

44. Barack Hussein Obama, 2009- (Democrat)

EXPIRED - 2009 Erotica Romance Challenge

January 1 - December 31, 2009

J. Kaye at J. Kaye's Book Blog is hosting the 2009 Erotica Romance Challenge. The rules are:

1. Read 10 erotica in 2009.
2. Overlaps with other challenges are fine.
3. You do not have to list your books ahead of time. If you decide to, you can change them as you go.
4. You must be 18 years or older to join.

To sign up visit the post about the challenge and use Mr. Linky.

COMLETED 2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge

The 2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge



You all know what a supporter of the library my family and I are. What better way to pay homage than by having a reading challenge in 2009? Since we are all different, there will be three sizes of challenges.

** The first is to read 12 books from your local library in 2009.
** The second is to read 25 books from your local library in 2009.
** The third is to read 50 books from your local library in 2009.

You decide which one of the three challenges is best for you.

Here are the guidelines:

1) You can join anytime as long as you don’t start reading your books prior to 2009.

2) This challenge is for 2009 only. The last day to have all your books read is December 31, 2009.

3) You can join anytime between now and December 31, 2009.

4) When you sign up under Mr. Linky, list the direct link to your post where your library books will be listed. If you list just your blog’s URL, it will be removed. If you don’t have a blog, leave the URL blank.

6) Our goal is to read 12, 25, or 50 books checkout from our local library in 2009. Please decide which when you sign up and don’t change it.

1. Death In the Clouds Agatha Christie
2. Fast Track Fern Michaels
3. Murder in Mesopotamia (Audio) Agatha Christie
4. 1st To Die (Audio) James Patterson
5. 2nd Chance (Audio) James Patterson
6. Blue Christmas Kay Andrews
7. For One More Day (Audio) Mitch Albom
8. Hide and Seek Fern Michaels
9. Hop on Pop Dr. Suess
10. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish Dr. Suess
11. Princess in Training Meg Cabot
12. The Party Princess (Audio) Meg Cabot
13. Dinner at Mr. Jefferson's (Audio) Charles Cerami
14. Gerald R. Ford: Thirty-eight President, 1974-1977 Mike Venezia
15. Greedy Apostrophe: A Cautionary Tale Jan Carl
16. Mr. Popper's Penguins (Audio) Richard & Florence Atwater
17. Thai Die (Audio) Monica Ferris
18. The Tale of Hill Top (Audio) Susan Wittig Albert
19. Motor Mouth Janet Evanovich
20. Chicks with Sticks (It's a Purl Thing) - Book 1 (audio) Elizabeth Lenhard
21. Chicks With Sticks (Knit Two Together) - Book 2 Elizabeth Lenhard
22. Jump, Frog, Jump Robert Kalan
23 Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas (Audio) James Patterson
24. A.A. Milne: Author of Winnie-The-Pooh (Rookie Biography) Marlene Toby, Carol Greene
25. Dumpy to the Rescue Julie Andrews Edwards & Emma Walton Hamilton
26. The Death of a Dustman M.C. Beaton
27. The House at Pooh Corner (audio) A. A Milne
28. The Pearl (audio) John Steinbeck
29. The Tale of Peter Rabbit Beatrix Potter
30. Who Cloned the President? Ron Roy
31. Almond Blossom's Mystery: (Flower Fairies) Kay Woodward
32. Beck Beyond the Sea Kimberly Morris
33. Murder at the Academy Awards: A Red Carpet Murder Mystery Joan Rivers, Jerrilyn Farmer
34. Poppy's Perfect Home (Flower Fairies Secret Stories) Pippa Le Quesne
35. Q is for Duck Mary Elting, Michael Folsom, Jack Kent
36. The Skeleton at the Smithsonian Rob Roy
37. The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher Beatrix Potter
38. Tink, North of Never Land Kiki Thorpe
39. Up Close and Personal (audio) Fern Michaels
40. Candytuft's Enchanting Treats: A Flower Fairies Chapter Book (Flower Fairies
Friends Chapter Book) Cicely Mary Barker
41. Ladies of Liberty The Women Who Shaped America (Audio) Cokie Roberts
42. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Barbara Robinson
43. The Chocolate Jewel Case Joanna Carl
44. Water Street (Audio) Patricia Reilly Giff
45. When Santa Fell To the Earth (Audio) Cornelia Funke
46. Wild Cherry Makes a Wish: Flower Fairies Chapter book #4 (Flower Fairies) Pippa Le Quesne
47. Anne of Green Gables (Audio) Lucy Maud Montgomery
48. The Sea Serpent and Me Dashka Slater
49. Froggy's Best Christmas Jonathan London
50. Twelve Lizards Leaping Jan Romero Stevens
51. Christmas in Camelot by Mary Pope Osborne (Magic Tree House #29) (Audio)
52. Christmas Jars by Jason F. Wright
53. A Promise for Spring (Audio)- Kim Vogel Sawyer
54. The Trellis and the Seed (Audio) - Jan Karon
55. Rani inthe Mermaid Lagoon (Audio) - Lisa Papademetriou
56. Fira andthe Full Moon (Audio) - Gail Herman

EXPIRED - Romance Reading Challenge 2009

Romance Reading Challenge 2009



January 1 - December 31, 2009

Naida from The Bookworm is hosting the Romance Reading Challenge for 2009. She points out that Romance Reading is not just about the bodice-rippers...
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.
The goal is to read a minimum of five (5) Romance novels during the challenge period. You can change your list at any times and crossovers with other challenges is allowed. Naida is encouraging you to provide links to your reviews of the books you read.

To sign up, visit the post about the challenge and use Mr. Linky (also leave a comment!).

1.Hot Stuff – Janet Evanovich & Leanne Banks
The Wyoming Kid – Debbie Macomber
Home for the Holidays – Debbie Macomber
Strike Zone – Kate Angell
Curve Ball – Kate Angell

EXPIRED - Themed Reading Challenge 2009

February 1, 2009 - July 31, 2009

The Themed Reading Challenge is a six month challenge designed to help readers clear books from their to-be-read stacks which center around a common theme or themes. Here are the “rules”:
1. Books should be chosen from the reader’s TBR pile (this may be an actual physical pile or a virtual pile).
2. The goal is to read 4 to 6 books linked by theme.
3. Overlaps with other challenges are allowed.
4. Readers may change their list of books at any time.
5. Readers may choose three different levels of participation:
• Read at least 4 books with the same theme.
• Read at least 5 books that share at least TWO themes.
• Read at least 6 books that share MORE than two themes.
Themes can be geographic, genre, author, subject matter, or anything in between! Last year’s themes were wonderfully creative and varied and included such things as: books about books, books set in New England, books with a color in the title, books about vampires, books with the word ‘lady’ in the title, Gothic classics, fairy tales retold for adults, highschool classics, Asian culture, feathered friends, WWII, Canada, books in translation, and Beverly Cleary. There were many others I have not listed here!
The only thing limiting your choices is your imagination - so have fun!