The Stephen King Challenge: A Perpetual Reading Challenge

I recently announced a new reading challenge which I am co-hosting with Kate from Read 2 Review.  The Stephen King Challenge is a perpetual reading challenge and will start on February 1, 2012.  To encourage regular reading of the books (because, let's face it, we all tend to procrastinate when there is no eminent deadline), there will be periodic mini-challenges with prizes and we will have occasional read-a-longs.  Of course, I will be participating, as well as Kate, but we will be excluded from winning any prizes, of course.  For more information about the challenge and to sign up (I hope you will), please visit the dedicated blog.

2012 Tudor Reading Challenge

Challenge complete! See what I read at the bottom of the post.



The 2012 Tudor Reading Challenge is hosted by The Musings of ALMYBNENR.

*Click the above links or the image to sign up

Details/Rules (from Amber):
The challenge runs from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2012.

All book formats are allowed for this challenge as long as they have an ISBN number or the equivalent. Both fiction and non-fiction are allowed as well. Re-reads ARE allowed but your review must be a new one.

All the books read for this challenge must be Tudor related. Books that feature any Tudor from Henry VII to Elizabeth I and any spouses, lovers, close family members, or themes count. There are a lot out there, so no worries!

Each month, I will create a new post dedicated to the challenge where you can link your Tudor reviews for that particular month. You do not need a blog to participate! Posting on Goodreads or wherever you post your reviews is fine.

There is no need to list the books you will read for this challenge in advance. Feel free to list them as you go. Join the challenge at any time before 31 December 2012. Crossovers from other reading challenges do count.

Now, for the levels!
Henry VII (Creator of a dynasty): 5 books
Henry VIII (Larger than life): 10 books
Mary I (The first queen of England): 15 books
Elizabeth I (Gloriana & the Golden Age): 20 books

Of course, I couldn't resist this challenge! So one more for the docket.  I'm signing up for the Henry VII (5 books) level, to be safe since I've already signed up for so many others!

1.  The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau (completed 2/20/2012)

2.  At the Mercy of the Queen by Anne Clinard Barnhill (completed March)

3.  The Sumerton Women by D. L. Bogday (completed May)

4.  The Queen's Pleasure by Brandy Purdy (completed June)

5.  Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (completed September)

All books were reviewed at http://thetruebookaddict.blogspot.com/

The Fill in the Gaps: 100 Project

The Fill in the Gaps project is a five year project of reading a handpicked list of 100 books we've been meaning to read over the course of five years.  You can find out all the details (and join in, if you like) HERE.

My start date is today, January 17, 2012, and my goal completion date is January 17, 2017.  Here's my list:

1. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
2. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
3. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
4. Running with the Demon by Terry Brooks
5. The Last Days of Pompeii by Edgar George Bulwer-Lytton
6. Possession by A.S. Byatt
7. The Angel of Darkness by Caleb Carr
8. The Love Knot by Elizabeth Chadwick
9. The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier
10. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
11. The Blood Countess by Andrei Codrescu
12. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
13. The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell
14. Enemy of God by Bernard Cornwell
15. Excalibur by Bernard Cornwell
16. The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell
17. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
18. The Passage by Justin Cronin
19. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski MARCH 2012
20. The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
21. Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow
22. The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan
23. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
24. Queenmaker by India Edghill
25. Under the Snow by Kerstin Ekman
26. Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine
27. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
28. The Invisible Circus by Jennifer Egan
29. In the Woods by Tana French
30. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
31. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
32. Grendel by John Gardner
33. Helen of Troy by Margaret George
34. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
35. The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
36. The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory
37. The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. by Sandra Gulland
38. Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
39. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
40. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
41. Roots by Alex Haley
42. Forever by Pete Hamill
43. Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
44. Tess of the D'urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
45. Chocolat by Joanne Harris
46. Lake of Sorrows by Erin Hart
47. Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
48. Dune by Frank Herbert
49. The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks
50. Lord of the Dead by Tom Holland
51. The Society of S by Susan Hubbard
52. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
53. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
54. Ahab's Wife, or the Star-Gazer by Sena Jeter Naslund
55. Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles
56. The Burning Times by Jeanne Kalogridis
57. The Last Temptation of Christ by Nikos Kazantzakis
58. The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent
59. Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
60. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
61. The Bottoms by Joe R. Lansdale
62. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
63. Wicked by Gregory Maguire
64. Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
65. The Covenant by James Michener
66. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
67. Nefertiti by Michelle Moran
68. The Green Knight by Iris Murdoch
69. The Eight by Katherine Neville
70. Anno-Dracula by Kim Newman
71. The Red Church by Scott Nicholson
72. The Falls by Joyce Carol Oates
73. Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
74. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
75. An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears
76. The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman
77. Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman
78. Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield
79. Hotel Transylvania by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
80. Fire from Heaven by Mary Renault
81. The Vampire Armand by Anne Rice
82. Christ the Lord by Anne Rice
83. Angel Time by Anne Rice
84. A Density of Souls by Christopher Rice
85. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
86. The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
87. Dance Upon the Air by Nora Roberts
88. Dreaming the Eagle by Manda Scott
89. Snowflower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
90. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
91. The Terror by Dan Simmons
92. A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
93. The Seventh Scroll by Wilbur Smith
94. Ghost Story by Peter Straub  APRIL 2012
95. Sacred Hunger by Barry Unsworth
96. The Passion of Artemesia by Susan Vreeland
97. The Religion by Tim Willocks
98. The Keep by F. Paul Wilson
99. Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross
100. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

Reading Challenge Addict 2012

Well, I was supposed to complete 16+, but I had a crap year so I managed 7.  Better than I expected, actually. 

Reading Challenge Addict is hosted by Cheryl from CMash Loves to Read and Gina from Hott Books.

*click challenge title above or image to sign up

Details from dedicated blog:

I am a Reading Challenge Addict.
So we are challenging each of you who can also say that you also are a Reading Challenge Addict.

We'll be giving away prizes and recognizing those who are meeting their own expectations by completing the challenges they've entered.

How addicted are you?
Easy as Pie: 1-5 Challenges (Entered & Completed)
On the Roof: 6-10 Challenges (Entered & Completed)
In Flight: 11-15 Challenges (Entered & Completed)
Out of This World: 16+ Challenges (Entered & Completed)

Rules:

We're not making this a difficult challenge, actually, it's going to be very simple!

• This challenge will begin on January 1, 2012 and end on December 31, 2012.
• Write a starting post joining the challenge and outlining your challenges.
• Track all of your challenge accomplishments - good & bad.
• Stop by to join us in the mini-challenges, updates & extra giveaways throughout the year.

You've probably noticed that I'm a reading challenge addict.  I've signed up for 22 challenges this year! 22! I think I'm crazy or maybe I'm just a READING CHALLENGE ADDICT.  LOL! So my level is Out of This World--16+ challenges entered and completed.

You can see everything I've signed up for in the right sidebar.  Click each button to read my sign up post for each challenge.

2012 Twisted Tales Reading Challenge

Did not complete.



The Twisted Tales Reading Challenge is hosted by author Charlie Courtland at Bitsy Bling Books.

*Click the above links or image to sign up

Details (from Charlie):
How do I know if it's "Twisted?" I'll let you decide. Use your own judgement and reading experience, but most contain common elements (not limited to the ones listed below). I'm sure I haven't thought of them all - if it's weird, it's twisted and counts. Stop fretting, just read.

• Absurd - Focuses on the experiences of characters in a situation where they cannot find any inherent purpose in life, most often represented by ultimately meaningless actions and events. Common elements are satire, dark humor,incongruity, abasement of reason and philosophy. 
• Dark comedy - A comedy having gloomy or disturbing elements, especially one in which a character suffers an irreparable loss. A comedy characterized by morbid or grimly satiric humor.
• Satire When vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement. Although satire is usually meant to be funny, its greater purpose is often constructive social criticism, using wit as a weapon. A common feature of satire is strong irony or sarcasm, but also parody, burlesque, exaggeration; juxtaposition, comparison, analogy, and double entendre are frequently used.
• Bizarro Just what it sounds like ‘weird.’ May employ elements of surrealism, avant-garde, science fiction, fantasy, gore, humor, and sometimes borderlines on pornographic. Content is often strange, thought-provoking and most importantly, entertaining. General definition compiled from info. found at: Eraserhead Press http://www.bizarrocentral.com/about.html

CHALLENGE LEVELS - books read

• 1-12 I scare small children
• 13-24 I'm a certified nutbar
• 25-48 A straight jacket won't hold me. RUN!

Select books as you go. If you prefer to set a TBR list that is perfectly find, feel free to change or add at anytime! The books you read can crossover into other challenges. Multi-tasking is fun.

Begins January 1, 2012 but you can join at anytime. All books read in 2012 count towards the challenge regardless of when you sign up.

Audiobooks do not count - that's listening, not reading. All other formats, accepted.

Track your own progress. Update and post at your convenience. An end of the year wrap-up post is encouraged, but not required. Post as often as you like and please, if you liked the book, don't forget to write a review (amazon, B&N, Goodreads ect.) - again, not required, but greatly appreciated. Trust me, the authors will love you for it.

If you need help choosing twisted tale reads check out TWISTED TALES SHELF at Goodreads or visit Bizarro Central for starter ideas - but certainly not limited to these reads or sites. Got a recommendation to share, leave it in the comments and I will add it to the list. Thx.

Bonus(not required): Since your reading books anyways, why not earn some free bizarro books by joining the brigade? Click on Bizarro Brigade for more info. - Not required for participation in challenge, just a helpful suggestion :) Bizarro on Facebook.

I had to sign up for this challenge.  1) because Charlie rocks and 2) I like bizarre books as much as the next guy...girl...whatever! I'm going for the 'I Scare Small Children" 1-12 level.  I'm including Charlie's book, The Secret of a Spicy Jalapeno, as I still owe her a review (stupid backlog!) and I really want to read it besides! I'm also going to read at least one Chuck Palahniuk book, probably Fight Club, one I've been wanting to read for years.  Incidentally, all books will come from my own shelves.  I have 2000+ fiction books languishing away (and a fair share of twisted tales) and it's time to get to them.  Another book I'll include, which will cross over with a few other challenges is House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski.  We'll see where else the road takes me!

1. The Secret of a Spicy Jalapeno by Charlies Courtland
2. Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
3. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
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2012 A-Z Mystery Author Challenge

Did not complete.

The A-Z Mystery Author Challenge is hosted by Michelle at Red Headed Book Child.

*Click the above links or image to sign up

Details:
My purpose of creating this challenge was to read more of one of my favorite genres while also discovering new authors. Because I did not "complete" any part of the challenge last year as I outlined in the rules, I've decided to change it this year.

This year I am leaving it opened for you, dear participants, to create your own levels.  Read all "A" authors. Read "A-G" authors.  Read "M-Z" Authors. Or continue from last year and try to complete more letters and get the whole alphabet.

RULES:

• Challenge runs from January 1 - December 31, 2012. Sign up ends February 1, 2012.
• Each letter represents the last name of the mystery author. G= for Sue Grafton.
• You decide your level.
• Mystery genre can include Cozy, Suspense, Thriller, or Noir. All Adult novels please.
• Sign up on Mr. Linky.
• Write a post about this challenge and what letters you want to read. You can list the authors you choose or do it as you go.
• When you post your reviews, mention this challenge and link back to this sign up post.

I failed miserably at this challenge last year.  Frankly, I really slacked on keeping track so not even sure if I completed any of the letters at all.  So this year I'm starting fresh.  I'm so glad that Michelle is letting us decide our own level.  Michelles rock, don't they?!  ;O)  Since it looks like she is going to continue this challenge from year to year, I've devised my own system for completing the challenge.  I've split the alphabet up by odd and even numbers.  Like this:

Odd letters: A-C-E-G-I-K-M-O-Q-S-U-W-Y

Even letters: B-D-F-H-J-L-N-P-R-T-V-X

Then I'm going to take half of one set of letters each year.  Y and Z will be bonus letters, if I happen to find a qualifying book by an author with a Y or Z name.  This year, I'm going with even letters B-D-F-H-J-L.  I chose these letters because I have books on my shelves that I've been wanting to get to for some time which are by author's names starting with these letters.  Here's my list (I reserve the right to change my mind at any time regarding book selection):

B

D  House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (March)

F  In The Woods by Tana French

H  Lake of Sorrows by Erin Hart

J

L The Bottoms by Joe Lansdale

Rainbow Reading Challenge 2012

FAILED CHALLENGE--Could not keep up with the colors each month...became overwhelmed. =O(

The Rainbow Reading Challenge is hosted by Books Make Me Happy.

*Click the above links or image to sign up

Details:
For this year’s reading challenge I thought we’d have a little fun with colors. Each month has been assigned a color (along with some common alternate words to add variety). You just have to find a book with that color in the title. That’s it! As you read, come post the title and author of the book for that month below. At the end of the year… anyone who has post EACH MONTH, and completed ALL COLORS, will receive a handmade (by me) bracelet with a bead for each color, and a book charm to finish it off. I’m working on a grand prize (one random winner, only) basket of lovely, color themed books as well, but that will be a WIP during the year. In order to qualify for the bracelet, or be entered into the grand prize drawing for the basket, you MUST post each month with your title/author. If you post any reviews about the books you’ve read for this challenge, please post the link in your comment and I’ll send it out on Books Make Me Happy Twitter and Facebook streams. *All books must be at least 200 pages, or the ebook equivalent.*

Colors for each month are:
January – Red (burgundy, claret, crimson, fuschia, garnet, magenta, maroon, ruby, scarlet, rose, cherry)
February – Purple (violet, lavendar, amethyst, lilac, plum, periwinkle)
March – Aquamarine (teal, tourquoise)
April – Clear (transparent, transluscent, crystal, diamond)
May – Green (emerald, jade, malachite, lime, pine, sage)
June – Black
July – Pink (blush, carnation, mauve)
August - Brown (chocolate, tan, bronze)
September – Blue (cobalt, cerulean, navy, indigo, sapphire)
October – White (snowy)
November – Orange (peach, salmon, coral, tangerine, copper)
December – Silver (sterling, platinum, chrome, gray)

If you think you’ll have trouble finding books with the correct colors… check places like GoodReads.com and Google Books. Just search for the color and see what pops up!! (If you find a book with a color-type word you want to use, but it’s not on the list, email me or @ me on twitter to check.) Hopefully this will encourage all of us to look outside of our “tried and true” and find some fantastic new books. I’ll be posting my book/author each month below, can’t wait to see what YOU all find!!

I love challenges like this! Fun, fun, fun! I'll either list one book for the particular color or I will have a list of titles to choose from so I can choose the book that suits my mood at the time.  These are predominantly books from my own shelves.

January 

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne COMPLETED (review)

February

The Color Purple by Alice Walker COMPLETED (review)

March

The Turquoise by Anya Seton 

April

 A Night as Clear as Day by R.J. Rosenblum
May-- 

Green Darkness by Anya Seton or Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

June--

The Black Tower by Louis Bayard

Paint It Black by Janet Fitch 

Black Girl/White Girl by Joyce Carol Oates

Black Horses for the King by Anne McCaffrey

Black Body by HC Turk  

July

The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig

August

The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare

Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause

Chocolate by Joanne Harris

September

The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier

The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald

The Lady in Blue by Javier Sierra

Midwife of the Blue Ridge by Christine Blevins

October

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

White as Snow by Tanith Lee

The White by Deborah Larsen

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

The Snow Garden by Christopher Rice

Snow by Ronald Malfi

November

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

Daring to Eat a Peach by Joseph Zeppetello

The Coral Thief by Rebecca Stott

December

The Silver Chalice by Thomas B. Costain

The Silver Wolf by Alice Borchardt

Silver Bells by Luanne Rice

Dewey Decimal Challenge

Challenge complete! See what I read at the bottom of the post.



The Dewey Decimal Challenge is hosted by The Introverted Reader.

*Click the above links or image to sign up

Details:
The Challenge: Read any non-fiction book(s), adult or young adult. That's it. You can choose anything. Poetry? Yes. Memoirs? Yes. History? Yes. Travel? Yes. You get the idea? Absolutely anything that is classified as non-fiction counts for this challenge.

I always like levels in my challenges, so here are mine:

Dilettante--Read 1-5 non-fiction books
Explorer--Read 6-10
Seeker--Read 11-15
Master--Read 16-20

This challenge will last from January 1 to December 31, 2012. You can sign up anytime throughout the year.

Another challenge I actually completed last year! I'm signing up for the Dilettante level again...1-5 non-fiction books.

1.  The 2012 Book Bloggers Cookbook  (review)

2.  22 Faces by Judy Byington  (review)

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2012 Sookie Stackhouse Reading Challenge

Did not complete this challenge.

The Sookie Stackhouse Reading Challenge is hosted by Darlene's Book Nook.

*Click the links above or image to sign up

Details:
1. The challenge will run from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012. Books must be read during this time-frame to count.

2. You can join the challenge at any time! All books read in 2012 count for the challenge, regardless of when you sign up.

3. This challenge can cross-over to your other reading challenges.

4. You do not need a blog to participate! If you are not a blogger, you can post your reviews at Goodreads, Shelfari, or LibraryThing and link them up here.

5. All formats of books are acceptable: Bound copies, e-books, and audiobooks (as long as they are unabridged).

6. There are four levels for the challenge:

a. Level 1: Read 1-4 books in the series.
b. Level 2: Read 5-8 books in the series.
c. Level 3: Read 9-11 books in the series.
d. Level 4: Read all 12 books in the series!

7. When you write your sign-up post, you must choose your level. You can go up but you cannot go down! 

8. There will be link-ups for your reviews on a quarterly basis, which will be posted on THIS page. 

9. There will be a link for your wrap-up post at the end of the year. Anyone who completes their challenge will be eligible to win the giveaway! 

The books in the Sookie Stackhouse (aka Southern Vampires) series by Charlaine Harris are:

Dead Until Dark (Book #1)

Living Dead in Dallas (Book #2)
Club Dead (Book #3)
Dead to the World (Book #4)
Dead as a Doornail (Book #5)
Definitely Dead (Book #6)
All Together Dead (Book #7)
From Dead to Worse (Book #8)
Dead and Gone (Book #9)
Dead in the Family (Book #10)
Dead Reckoning (Book #11)
Deadlocked (Book #12) - expected publication: May 1, 2012

I have been meaning to get started reading these for years and I already own most of them.  What I like about the way Darlene is hosting is that there are levels so you don't have to read the whole series.  I'm going to sign-up for Level 1: 1-4 books.  I have the omnibus edition with the first three books, but I don't like to read series books one right after another so...according to how I feel at the time, I will either read just the first book or the first three.

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2012 Fearless Poetry Exploration Challenge

Did not complete this challenge.

The Fearless Poetry Exploration Challenge is hosted by Savvy Verse and Wit.

*Click links above or image to sign up

Details:

Rules:
1. Create a post on your blog stating your intention to read poetry in 2012 and sign up in Mr. Linky. If      you don’t have a blog, simply leave a comment about reading poetry in 2012.

2. Choose one of the following options to complete the challenge:

a. Read and review up to 2 books of poetry throughout 2012 and leave the full link to each review in    Mr. Linky.

b. Participate in at least 3 Virtual Poetry Circles throughout the year.

c. Sign up to feature poetry on your blog for April’s National Poetry Month as part of Savvy Verse & Wit’s Blog Tour.

d. Or some combination of the above.

3. Complete your goals between Jan. 1, 2012, and Dec. 31, 2012.

I signed up for this last year, but didn't complete it and I really intended to, but time got away from me.  Of course, I didn't sign up until May (I think).  At least, this year I have the entire year to get off my butt and read some poetry!

I'm going to read and review at least two books of poetry and try to participate in the other levels as well.

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Chunkster Reading Challenge

Challenge Complete! See what I read at the bottom of the post.

The Chunkster Challenge is hosted at it's dedicated blog by Wendy at Caribousmom and Vasilly at 1330V.

*Click the above links or the image to sign up

Details:
Definition of a chunkster:
A chunkster is 450 pages or more of ADULT literature, whether non-fiction or fiction. A chunkster should be a challenge.

If you read books in large print, your books will need to be 525 pages or more. The average large type book is 10-15% larger or more so it’s a fair estimate.

The rules:

• No audio books. (There are exceptions to this rule.)
• No e-books allowed. This was discussed in much detail in the 2011 challenge. The short version: a chunkster isn’t a challenge if you’re reading it on an e-reader. (There are exceptions to this rule.)
• This year for the first time, essay, poetry, and short story collections will be allowed. Collections have to be read in their entirety to count. If you’ve needed a reason to finally pick up your copy of The Collected Works Of ____ now is the time.
• Books may crossover with other challenges.
• Anyone may join. (If you don’t have a blog, just leave a comment on this post with your challenge level and your progress throughout the challenge.) 
• You don’t need to list your books ahead of time.
• Once you’ve picked a level, that’s it. You’re committed to it!

You must pick a level of participation:

1. The Chubby Chunkster – this option is for the readers who want to dabble in large tomes, but really doesn't want to commit to much more than that. FOUR Chunksters is all you need to finish this challenge.
2. The Plump Primer - this option is for the slightly heavier reader who wants to commit to SIX Chunksters over the next twelve months. 
3. Do These Books Make my Butt Look Big? - this option is for the reader who can't resist bigger and bigger books and wants to commit to SIX 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 (for ideas, please refer to the book suggestions page for some books which fit into these categories).
4. Mor-book-ly Obese - This is for the truly out of control chunkster. For this level of challenge you must commit to EIGHT or more Chunksters of which three tomes MUST be 750 pages or more. You know you want to.....go on and give in to your cravings.

Challenge runs from January 1, 2012 until December 31, 2012

I actually completed this challenge last year (and one month early!).  I was going to choose the 'butt look big' level again, but you know what?  I'm going for Mor-book-ly Obese! Bring on the calorie laden Chunksters...LOL!

450-750 pages

1.  The Sister Queens by Sophie Perinot (503 pages--review)

2.  House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (709 pages--review)

3.  Ghost Story by Peter Straub (483 pages--review)

4.  Bleak House by Charles Dickens (665 pages--mini-review in my top reads of 2012 post)

5.  Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (532 pages--mini-review in my top reads of 2012 post

750+ pages

6.  The Passage by Justin Cronin (784 pages--review)

7.  Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (756 pages--review)

8.  Middlemarch by George Eliot (799 pages--Goodreads rating)

2012 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge

Did not complete this challenge.

The Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge is hosted by Reading with Tequila.

*Click the above links or the image to sign up

Details:
The Levels:
Level I - Read 5 books from the 2011 Book Blogger Recommendation List
Level II - Read 10 books
Level III - Read 15 books
Level IV - Read 20 books
Level V - Read 20+ books

The Rules:

• Challenge will run January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012. Participants can join anytime throughout the challenge.
• Create an intro post, linking back to this post. 
• Sign up with the MckLinky below. Please link to your challenge intro post, not your blog home page. 
• Chose your own books from the list. You can decide to read books only on the Top 25 list or from the entire recommendation list. You do not have to make a list of books before the challenge begins.
• All forms of books acceptable (audiobooks, eBooks, etc.)
• Rereads do not count towards the completion of the challenge. The challenge is about discovering books that are new to you.
• You don't need a blog to participate.
• Reviews, while always appreciated, are not mandatory.

***The top 25 can be seen at Jennifer's blog by clicking the links or image above.  I will have a link in the sidebar for the entire list***

This is the third year I have signed up for this challenge.  I'm hoping the third time is the charm 
and that I actually complete it this year.

Dollycas's Just for Fun challenge allows one cross over with another challenge and I'm going to do this one because there are so many on the list that I've been wanting to read and that have been languishing on my bookshelves for a while now.  So I will choose all or most of my Just for Fun books from the BBRC list.  I'm going for Level III and will read 15 books from the entire list.

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Just for Fun Reading Challenge 2012

Did not complete this challenge.

The Just for Fun Reading Challenge is hosted by Escape with Dollycas into a Good Book.

*Click the links above or the image to sign up

Details:
January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012As bloggers we are all on timetables to read books, get reviews posted, host giveaways, etc.  But we also travel around to other blogs and see books we would just like to read because of their recommendation or the cover or title catches our interest. The Meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey “It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?” adds more books to my Wish List and To-Be-Read pile every week.  As followers you get our recommendations, win books from us, pick up books at the library or buy them at a store.  But our lives are so busy these books sometimes sit in our To-Be-Read piles for months or even years.

 
This is the second year I am hosting this challenge to encourage you to read some of those books. 12 books in 12 months.
This year this challenge will be set up as a group on Good Reads. If you are not a member it is very easy to join. There are many benefits other than this challenge, you can keep track of the books you read and get great recommendations from other members too. Just go here http://www.goodreads.com/ to sign up.
Then go to JUST FOR FUN READING CHALLENGE 2012.
Join the group!
This group will close to new members on January 31, 2012.
Just start a thread, WITH YOUR NAME AS THE TOPIC OF YOUR ORIGINAL POST. Select the proper folder using your first initial.
Then copy and paste this:
I am committing to read just one book for fun each month!
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
There will be no forms to fill out each month. You just need to go back to your original post on GoodReads, and edit it each month to add the book you read plus the author next to each month. Please add a link to the book you read if you would like. This way you are in charge of your own recordkeeping and can check where you are in the challenge anytime you wish.
Bloggers: Please grab the button (Bottom of sidebar) and put it on your blog to show your participation and provide a link back so others can join. I hope you will write a post telling about your involvement in the challenge and invite you followers to join and participate! Bloggers if you feel compelled to review the book you can but it is not required. You may want to list what books you have read under the button on your blog.
Then:

• Read 1, yes, just 1 book for fun each month. 
• All book formats are allowed, printed, audio, e-book. 
• These books can be counted in your total books read for the year challenge and to one other challenge such as a Where Are You Reading Challenge but try not to cross them over to many other challenges as they really are to be read...JUST FOR FUN! 

Everyone that completes the Challenge, 12 books in 12 months will be entered in a drawing for a $25 dollar Amazon.com Gift Certificate or $25 at The Book Depository for International Participants.
Last year I really hampered myself by using the books I read JUST FOR FUN as a prize. I found myself putting so much thought into my choices like: Is it the first in a series?, Will other people like this?, that I found I wasn’t reading the books I really wanted to read JUST FOR FUN, like some of my favorite series books that I didn’t want to part with. So my books will not be a prize in 2012.   Instead I will add another $10 Gift Certificate from Amazon.com or The Book Depository as a 2nd prize.  More prizes may be added depending on the number of participants.

• You Must Read One Book For Fun Each Month.
• You can only add one book to your list per month.

I hope you enjoy this challenge and hope I help you clear at least 12 books from the rising stacks.
There will also be extra giveaways only for JUST FOR FUN CHALLENGE MEMBERS throughout the year!

You can enter anytime between now and January 31, 2012.

Here's my list:

JANUARY--Ghost Story by Peter Straub (made up in April)
FEBRUARY
MARCH--House of Leaves
APRIL--The Catcher in the Rye
MAY
JUNE 
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER

Truth in Fiction Challenge

Did not complete this challenge.

The Truth in Fiction Challenge is hosted by Fig and Thistle.

*click the links above or the image to sign up

Details:
Challenge runs from 01/01/12 - 12/31/2012

Goal: read a specified number of book pairs that are comprised of one fiction book and one related non-fiction book. Think outside of the box; the non-fiction book could also be journals, letters, memoirs, etc.... The pairs needn't be exact matches, although there should be an easily detectable common thread. Overlapping with other challenges is fine.

The catch: Instead of individual reviews, after each book pair write a joint review. For example, if I read The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath and then The Journals of Sylvia Plath then my review post will be focused on both books.

Levels:
Freshman: 1 pair
Sophomore: 2 pairs
Junior: 3 pairs
Senior: 4 pairs
Masters: 5 pairs
PhD: 6 pairs
Professor: 7 pairs

I'm going to start off committing to Freshman: 1 pair, but I may move up higher.   Not sure if that's allowed or not, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it...unless my hand is slapped. ;O)

Ideas (I will choose from one of these pairs or I may do both and move up to Sophomore level):

Fire From Heaven (Alexander the Great #1) by Mary Renault
and
In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great by Michael Wood 

OR

To Be Queen by Christy English
and 
Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Biography by Marion Meade

European Reading Challenge 2012

Did not complete this challenge.

The European Reading Challenge 2012 is hosted by Rose City Reader.

*click links above or image to sign up

Details:
The gist: The idea is to read books by European authors or books set in European countries (no matter where the author comes from). The books can be anything – novels, short stories, memoirs, travel guides, cookbooks, biography, poetry, or any other genre. You can participate at different levels, but each book must be by a different author and set in a different country – it's supposed to be a tour.

What counts as "Europe"? For this challenge, we will use the list of 50 sovereign states that fall (at least partially) within the geographic territory of the continent of Europe and/or enjoy membership in international European organizations such as the Council of Europe. This list includes the obvious (Great Britain, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy), the really huge Russia, the tiny Vatican City, and the mixed bag of Baltic, Balkan, and former Soviet states.

Here is the list, in alphabetical order: 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

Five Star (Deluxe Entourage): Read at least five books by different European authors or books set in different European countries.
Four Star (Honeymooner): Read four qualifying books.

Three Star (Business Traveler): Read three qualifying books.
Two Star (Adventurer): Read two qualifying books.
One Star (Pensione Weekender): Read just one qualifying book.

Alternate Arrangements

Agritourisimo: For foodie readers – read a selected number (your choice) of food-related books written by European authors or about European food, cooking, restaurants, culinary traditions, farming, winemaking, etc. Again, each book must be by a different author and set in a different country. 

Youth Hostel: For participants under 18 only – read a selected number of books (your choice), by European authors or set in a country of Europe. (Adults reading YA books still participate as adults, not in this sub-category).

Culture Vulture: For those obsessed with prize-winners – read a selected number of books (your choice) that won a major literary prize in its original country. Any of the following literary prizes would count, but there may be others: Anton Wildgans (Austria), Magnesia Litera (Czech Republic), Finlandia (Finland), Le Grand Prix du Roman (France), German Book Prize (Germany), Balint Balassi Memorial Sword (Hungary), Icelandic Literary Prize (Iceland), Bagutta (Italy), Batty Weber (Luxembourg), Norwegian Critics (Norway), NIKE (Poland), Camões (Portugal), Russian Booker (Russia), Prešeren (Slovakia), Premio Planeta de Novela (Spain), August (Sweden), Swiss Book Prize (Switzerland), Sedat Simavi (Turkey), Shevchenko National (Ukraine), Booker (United Kingdom).

***There will be prizes...click links at top of post to read details at the sign-up post***

• Read all books between January 1, 2012 and January 31, 2013. I like having 13 months so there is extra time to finish after the holidays. 
• You do not have to commit to your choices now; you can change your mind about books at any time.
• Overlap with other challenges is allowed -- and encouraged! The Venice in February Challenge is just one idea. Others? Please leave links in comments and I will add them.
• Re-reads count. Audiobooks count. E-books count. Self-published books count.
• As you progress, please let us know by leaving comments with links to progress reports and reviews. Reviews are not necessary, unless you are going for one of the prizes, in which case only books reviewed count. If you do not have a blog, put your reviews or reports in a comment on this post.

I'm not sure which level to sign up for because I'm not sure if we can move up and down the levels so I'm going to go with the Five Star level (5 books) just because I already read a lot of books set in European countries anyway.  The countries I'm thinking of including are France, Italy, Ireland, Sweden, and United Kingdom.  However, I reserve the right to change them and I may even read more than five.

1.  At the Mercy of the Queen by Anne Clinard Barnhill (England)

2.  The Sister Queens by Sophie Perinot (France)

3.  The King's Agent by Donna Russo Morin (Italy)

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2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge

Did not complete...I read 58 books in 2011 and 52 last year so clearly I DID NOT outdo myself.  Better luck this year!



The 2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge is hosted by The Book Vixen.

*click links above or image to sign up

Details:

• Runs January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012 (books read prior to 1/1/12 do not count towards the challenge). You can join at anytime. 
• The goal is to outdo yourself by reading more books in 2012 than you did in 2011. See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you. Nothing is set in stone; you can change levels at any time during the challenge.
• Books can be any format (bound, eBook, audio).
• Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
• Grab the reading challenge button and post this reading challenge on your blog to track your progress. Please include a link back to this sign-up post so others can join the reading challenge too. You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you could track your progress on Goodreads or LibraryThing.

Levels:
Getting my heart rate up – Read 1–5 more books
Out of breath – Read 6–10 more books
Breaking a sweat – Read 11–15 more books
I’m on fire! – Read 16+ more books

I read 58 books in 2011...only 8 more than 2010.  I'm still determined to hit 100 this year so my level is 'I'm on Fire!'--16+ more than I read last year.  I have to read 42 more books than last year.  Can I do it?  Well, I'm going to give it the ole college try! I'll re-evaluate in the Spring and see if I need to adjust my level

   1.  Blood of Anteros by Georgia Kates

   2.  Lifting the Wheel of Karma by Paul H. Magid

   3.  The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

   4.  The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

   5.  The Rebel Wife by Taylor L. Polites

   6.  The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau

   7.  The Color Purple by Alice Walker

   8.  The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose

   9. At the Mercy of the Queen by Anne Clinard Barnhill

  10. The Turning of Anne Merrick by Christine Blevins

  11. The Sister Queens by Sophie Perinot

  12. House of Leaves

  13. The Dragon's Harp by Rachael Pruitt

 14. The Flower Reader by Elizabeth Loupas 

 15. The King's Agent by Donna Russo Morin

 16. The Catcher in the Rye
 17. Ghost Story
18. The Sumerton Women by D.L. Bogdan







100.

Books Published in the First Years of my Life Challenge

Did not complete this challenge.

The Books Published in the First Years of my Life Challenge is hosted by Words and Peace.

*Click links above or the image to sign up

Details:
--Pick up and read a book that was published in the first years of your life.
--Just pick up 1 book per year.
--If you already did the 1st five years in 2011, I encourage you to cover the next 5 years. And if you are more ambitious, I prepared 4 levels for you:

Levels:
- 3 years = Toddler
- 5 years = Kid
- 10 years = Pre-Teen
- 15 years or more = YA

--You don’t need to choose your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go along.
--It’s OK to choose the same title for this Challenge and other challenges.

--If you already have some idea, you can specify the level of the challenge you want to join, with the years and the book you choose for each of these years.

I'm doing the Kid level:

1968--A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin
1969--Fire from Heaven by Mary Renault
1970--Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West by Dee Brown
1971--The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
1972--Green  Darkness by Anya Seton

Back to the Classics Challenge 2012

The Back to the Classics Challenge 2012 is hosted by Sarah Reads Too Much.

*Click the links above or the image to sign up

Details:

1. Challenge runs from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012. Books started before January 1st do not count, and all links/reviews/comments for each category must be posted in the correct place by December 31st. Feel free to join in at any time, but the end date is December 31.
2. Please feel free to use books in this Challenge toward any other Challenge you may be participating in. However, you must read a different book for each category of this challenge. Audio and e-books are allowed.
3. Please sign up for the Challenge using the linky list (or comment section if you do not have a blog/website). If you would be so kind, please spread the word about this challenge by creating a post on your blog/website and link back to this sign up page.
4. Once the Challenge has begun, you will see a new bar on the left hand side of this blog. This will list the places for you to link/comment your reviews of the book you have read for each category as well as a "wrap up" page. I will not be doing monthly check-in posts this year. I will probably do a "Half Way" post in June. These will be important because....

She is giving away an awesome prize this year that anyone who completes the challenge is eligible for.  Be sure to check it out at the links above.

• Any 19th Century Classic
• Any 20th Century Classic
• Reread a classic of your choice
• A Classic Play
• Classic Mystery/Horror/Crime Fiction
• Classic Romance
• Read a Classic that has been translated from its original language to your language - To clarify, if your native language is NOT English, you may read any classic originally written in English that has been translated into your native language. 
• Classic Award Winner - To clarify, the book should be a classic which has won any established literary award. 
• Read a Classic set in a Country that you (realistically speaking) will not visit during your lifetime - To Clarify, this does not have to be a country that you hope to visit either. Countries that no longer exist or have never existed count.

I love these categories! Thanks to my friend, Heather, for giving me a heads up on this one.

• 19th Century: Persuasion by Jane Austen
• 20th Century: The Color Purple by Alice Walker COMPLETED 2/28/2012 (REVIEW)
• Classic reread: Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
• Classic play: Everyman and Medieval Miracle Plays
• Classic mystery/horror/crime fiction: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• Classic romance: Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor
• Classic translation: The Master of Hestviken by Sigrid Undset
• Classic award winner: Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut (Nebula Award-1970)
• Classic in country I will not visit in my lifetime: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

2012 Witches and Witchcraft Reading Challenge

Did not complete this challenge.

The 2012 Witches and Witchcraft Reading Challenge is hosted by Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf.

*Click the links above or the image to sign up

Details:

• This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012. I will be posting a place to link up a sign-up post (below), reviews and a wrap-up post. (Note: You do not have to review the books to participate, but only those who link up reviews will be entered for the prize)
• Grab the reading challenge button (code & button below) and post this reading challenge on your blog to track your progress. Please include a link back to this sign-up post so others can join the reading challenge too. You do not have to be a book blogger to participate- you could track your progress and post reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, etc.
• Any full length book that includes a witch as a main character or major witchcraft elements counts. They may be fiction or non-fiction. However, they should not be reference books which are not read cover to cover-I will leave this to your discretion. 
• Books can be any format (bound, eBook, audio).
• Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
• You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.
• When you sign up in the linky put the direct link to your post about joining the 2012 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge.
• You can move up levels, but no moving down.
• Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2012, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.
• Have some Witchy Good Fun !!!

The Levels:

Initiate: Read 1 - 5 Witchy Books
Maiden: Read 6 - 10 Witchy Books
Mother: Read 11 - 15 Witchy Books
Crone: Read 16 - 20 Witchy Books

Some book suggestions to get you started (for series' I've just listed the 1st):
(Most of these I have not read and am not recommending-just sharing the list of books that I will be looking into and considering for the challenge! Please feel free to add your suggestions in the comments and I'll add them to the list!)

Fiction:

Practical Magic - Alice Hoffman
Garden Spells - Sarah Addison Allen
Casting Spells (Sugar Maple, #1)- Barbara Bretton
A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy, #1) - Deborah Harkness
The Trouble With Magic (Bewitching Mysteries, No. 1) - Madeline Alt
The Book of Shadows (Herculine #1) - James Reese

New England Witch Chronicles - Chelsea Bellingeri
The Near Witch – Victoria Schwab
The Witches of East End (The Beauchamp Family, #1)– Melissa de la Cruz
Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles, #1)- Jessica Spotswood
Witchlanders by Lena Coakley
Second Hand Spirits (A Witchcraft Mystery, #1)- Juliet Blackwell
It Takes a Witch (A Wishcraft Mystery #1)- Heather Blake
Once a Witch (Witch #1) - Carolyn MacCullough
Book of Shadows (Wicca, #1) - Cate Tiernan
Random Magic - Sasha Soren
Witch Way to Murder (Ophelia & Abby, #1) - Shirley Damsgaard
Hex Hall (Hex Hall #1) - Rachel Hawkins
The Witching Hour (Lives of the Mayfair Witches #1) - Anne Rice
The Night Strangers - Chris Bohjalian
Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble (Jolie Wilkins #1) - HP Mallory
Dead Witch Walking (The Hollows #1) - Kim Harrison
A Witch in Winter - Ruth Warburton
Jinx - Meg Cabot
Would-Be Witch (Southern Witch #1) - Kimberly Frost
Girl's Guide to Witchcraft (Jane Madison #1) - Mindy Klasky
50 Ways to Hex Your Lover (Jazz Tremaine #1) - Linda Wisdom
The Heretic's Daughter - Kathleen Kent

Non-Fiction:
Bucklands's Complete Book of Witchcraft - Raymond Buckland
Drawing Down the Moon - Margot Adler
Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner - Scott Cunningham
Natural Witchery: Intuitive, Personal & Practical Magick - Ellen DuganMagick in Theory and Practice - Aleister Crowley
The Spiral Dance - Starhawk
The Golden Bough - James Frazer
A Witch’s Bible: the Complete Witch’s Handbook - Janet & Stewart Farrar
Wheel of the Year: Living the Magical Life - Pauline Campanelli
Witch Crafting - Phyllis Curott
Witchcraft Today - Gerald Gardner
A History of Witchcraft - Jeffrey Russell

I'm signing up for the Initiate level...playing it safe, at first.  I have a few ideas of what I want to read and I might even read The Witching Hour by Anne Rice again! Here's the list I will most likely pick from:

A Mirror for Witches by Esther Forbes

The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent

The Last Witchfinder by James K. Morrow

The Witch's Trinity by Erika Mailman

The Witching Time by Jean Stubbs

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

Daughters of the Witching Hill by Mary Sharratt  

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1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die Challenge: 2012 Edition

Challenge complete! See what I read at the bottom of the post.

The 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die Challenge is hosted by Pub Writes.

*Click the links above or the image to sign up

Details:
I got this book for Christmas a couple years ago and am slowly making my way through the list. I have discovered some amazing books and writers. I don’t expect to ever read all of the books – but I do want to make a dent in the list and want to open it up for other to join me! The list is so great because it has a huge variety! There are classics that you may have read in school, but there are also some great books we have all missed and some fantastic world literature.

The challenge is simple – read some books from the list! If you don’t own the actual book, you can find a simple list online. For the most basic, check out the Listology list. There are spreadsheets outs there that you can look at too that are more complex.

Since this year is an Olympics year, I thought the structure would change…so here are the levels this year!

Levels:

Got to trials: 5 books from the list
Made the Olympic team: 6-10 books from the list
Bronze medal: 11-15 books from the list
Silver Medal: 16-20 books from the list:
Gold Medal: 21+ books from the list

Rules:

• Challenge runs January 1 2012 – December 31 2012.
• You don’t have to make a list beforehand. 
• You DO need to choose your level at the beginning so you have a chance to win the prize!
• You can use any version of the list, not just the current, since they update it every couple years. I figure, once a book is on the list, it is always on the list!
• Books that cover other challenges are not only permitted, but encouraged!

In addition to participating in this challenge, I am a member of the Goodreads book group as well.    Click HERE to check out the group.  For this challenge, I'm signing up for the 'Got to trials' level Since I've already read 3 books and it's only the beginning of March, I'm upping my level to 'Made the Olympic Team':

1.  The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (COMPLETED 1/31/2012)

2.  The Time Machine by H.G. Wells (COMPLETED 2/12/2012)

3.  The Color Purple by Alice Walker (COMPLETED 2/28/2012)

4.  House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (COMPLETED March)

5.  The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (COMPLETED April)
6.  Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (COMPLETED May)
7.  Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll (COMPLETED May)
8.  Bleak House by Charles Dickens (COMPLETED May)
9.  Middlemarch by George Eliot (COMPLETED July--did not review)
10. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (COMPLETED December)

All reviews can be found at http://thetruebookaddict.blogspot.com/ with the exception of House of Leaves at http://castlemacabre.blogspot.com/

2012 Audio Book Challenge

Did not complete this challenge.

The 2012 Audio Book Challenge is hosted by Teresa's Reading Corner.

*click the links above or the image to sign up

Details:

there are four levels to the challenge

• Flirting-Listen to 6 Audio Books
• Going Steady- Listen to 12 Audio Books
• Lover- Listen to 25 Audio Books
• Married-Listen to +++ Audio Books

There will be a monthly link up so that we can share what we’ve listened to and make suggestions to each other. Along with that monthly link up there will be a special monthly challenge so make sure you stop by each month!

Challenge runs from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012.

I'm signing up for the Flirting level...I usually only listen to audio books in the car so I average about one every two months or so.

1.  The Time Machine by H.G. Wells (COMPLETED)

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Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge 2012

Did not complete this challenge.

The Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge 2012 is hosted by Book Chick City.

*click links above or image to sign up

Details:

There are two levels:
- Read TWENTY FOUR (24) horror & urban fantasy novels in 2012
- Read FORTY EIGHT (48) horror & urban fantasy novels in 2012

• You don't have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. Also if you do list them upfront you can change them, nothing is set in stone! The books you choose can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.
• You can join the challenge at anytime. All books read in 2012 count towards the challenge regardless of when you sign up.
• Audiobooks do not count, but all other formats are accepted.
• No non-fiction - only fiction.
• This challenge can crossover to other challenges.
• You DO NOT have to write reviews of the books you read, but if you decide you would like to then Mr Linky will be available each month so you can link up your reviews.

Challenge runs from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012.

I'm doing the 24 books level...concentration in horror, of course!

 1.  Blood of Anteros by Georgia Cates (COMPLETED 1/2/2012)
 2.  House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (March 2012)
 3.  Ghost Story by Peter Straub (April 2012)
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The Telling Tales Challenge 2012

Did not complete this challenge.

The Telling Tales Reading Challenge 2012 is hosted by An Armchair by the Sea.

*Click the links above or the image to sign-up

Details:

• Challenge runs from January 1st 2012 to December 31st 2012. You may sign up to participate at any point between these dates. 
• Any genre counts as long as it is related to fairytale, folklore, or mythology in some way. If you’re not sure if it counts – as long as you can make a case for why it should, then it does! 
• You can re-read books for this challenge as long as the reviews you link are written during 2012, and the challenge can also overlap other challenges. 
• Whatever you read must either be a version of a fairytale or myth, or contain fairytale or mythological characters, settings, or sequence of events. 
• Every month there will be update posts either here or on my sister’s blog. Please link up your reviews for that month on this post. 

The Categories:

These are the levels:
Level 1: Read 5 books
Level 2: Read 10 books
Level 3: Read 15 books
Level 4: Read 20 books
Level 5: Read 25 books 

You can sign up for any level, and choose to read either purely the categories listed below, or to participate in the Mix n Match category, or the Adaptation Amalgamation category, or all of them if you're that brave!

Categories:

• Twisted Fairytales – retellings or modern interpretations of fairytales or myths. For inspiration, look here. 
• Classics – Myth and fairytale from the classics genre (e.g. Homer, Grimm, Virgil, Hans Christian Andersen) 
• Graphics – Graphic novels and comics based around or containing elements of mythology and fairytale. Examples include Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series and Bill Willingham’s Fables series among others. For a list that barely scrapes the surface, go here. 
• Poetry & Drama – We’ve put this in because we’re sure there must be some. I've managed to find some, but if you know of any others please let us know! 
• Non- Fiction – Anything about myth, fairytale, folklore or fantasy in general that doesn’t belong to the fictional genre. 

Extra Categories:

• Adaptation Amalgamation – Watch a film and read the book it is based on. This category can incorporate as many other categories as you like (i.e all your films do not have to be based on graphic novels, but some can be, and some twisted fairytale, some non-fiction etc) 
• Mix n Match – Exactly what it says. Sign up for a level and pick that number of books from any or all of the other categories. 

I'm going to do Level One and will probably stick with Mix n Match:

1.  The Dragon's Harp by Rachel Pruitt
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Getting Lost in a Comfortable Book 2012

Did not complete this challenge.

Getting Lost in a Comfortable Book 2012 Reading Challenge hosted by Gina at Book Dragon's Lair

*click links above or image to sign-up 

Details:

• Make a post
• link up 
• read 5 books from the list that you haven't read before (check out the list at the sign-up post)
• Reviews:  would be nice but I'd be more interested in why you pick each book and what you thought of it. This can be added to your post about the challenge.

Here are my five:

1. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
2. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
3. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
4. Persuasion by Jane Austen
5. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

I'm going to choose a couple of alternate titles, in case the mood strikes me to read something else...

Alternate titles:

• Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
• The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje

MB2012NYRC

I have to list this one as a FAIL because I really didn't accomplish any of my goals.  Hopefully, 2013 will be better.

My Bookish 2012 New Year's Resolutions Challenge hosted by Butterfly-o-Meter Books.

*for full details and sign-up, click above links or image

Details:

• You can sign up to participate at any time from the moment this is posted until the end of 2012, it's your set of resolutions, so have fun with it :D
• Challenge: think up your bookish list of resolutions for 2012, it can be anything related to bookish things (including completing other Challenges you're participating in as long as they're bookish-related) 

Challenge runs from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012.

My goals for the challenge:

• catch up on backlist review books in the first two months (maybe three) of 2012
• cut back on review requests, except book tours with tour hosts I have a relationship with
• complete all reading challenges (especially The Book Vixen's Outdo Yourself Challenge, therefore reading more books in 2012...I'm aiming for 100...again!)
• read more non-fiction
• most of the books read in 2012 should be from my own shelves with the exception of review books

That's all I can think of right now!