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)